How Much Should I Budget for Florals and Desserts? — Pollen and Pastry (2024)

Candice Anderson

It's a common question I get from bride's. How much should I expect to budget for my flowers and cake? And it's a totally valid question, especially for flowers! It's not common knowledge what the price differences or even the names of common flowers are, but that's why your florist is here to help!

The 2016 Knot Real Weddings Surveywas recently released and the results may offer some insight. More than 13,000 couples who had planned a wedding and got married in 2016 completed the Knot's survey and they found that the average cost of a wedding is at an all-time high at $35,329. Woah, baby! Now of course, that's the national average. It may not cost you that much to have an amazing wedding here in Central Illinois. Hello, $60, 035 average in Chicago, though!

So how much should you budget for flowers?

10% of your overall budget is what I recommend.

When I look back at what my bride's typically end up spending on flowers, it usually is about 10% of their overall wedding budgetthat is necessary to achieve a look that fits the overall feel of their wedding. So if your overall wedding budget is $35,000 then budget at least $3,500 for your flowers. Overall budget of $15,000? Plan for $1,500 which would be enough to cover your personal flowers and possibly some small designs for your ceremony or reception.

What about desserts?

Average of $4 per guest

Desserts are a little different to budget for since they are based more on your guest count. In the Knot's survey they found the average spend to be $582 on wedding cake and the average wedding guest count at 141. That averages out to about $4 per serving. Exactly what our pricing for tiered cakes starts at. Looking to keep the costs lower? Think about cupcakes or other desserts which have a lower price per serving.

How Much Should I Budget for Florals and Desserts? — Pollen and Pastry (3)

Check out more of what 2016 brides spent:

How Much Should I Budget for Florals and Desserts? — Pollen and Pastry (4)

See the full cost breakdown from The Knot.

If you really want to find out if your set budget is realistic for your vision, meet with your vendor! We offer a free consultation where we go over the details of your day to be able to offer you a custom price quote.

How Much Should I Budget for Florals and Desserts? — Pollen and Pastry (2024)

FAQs

How much of your wedding budget should go to florist? ›

The sky's the limit when it comes to flowers for your wedding, but realistically you can plan on spending about 8% of your overall budget. This covers the bride's bouquet, bridesmaids' bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and ceremony and reception arrangements.

How much should you spend on dessert for a wedding? ›

What Should I Expect to Budget for Dessert at My Wedding? Plan to Budget $7-$20 per person for a Dessert Table (aka Viennese Table) at your wedding.

Is $1500 enough for wedding flowers? ›

Aim for 8-10% of total wedding spend towards your overall flower budget. This typically hovers around a couple of thousand dollars. A budget of $1,500-$3,500 is considered realistic or reasonable for average-scale weddings of 100 guests, allowing creative diversity without excess.

How much should I spend on a wedding cake? ›

The average U.S. wedding cake costs around $500, according to data provided by Zola, an online wedding planning and registry service. On the lower end, couples tend to spend around $300 on their confections, while on the higher end, they typically spend upward of $700 (even over $1,000-$1,200!).

What do the groom's parents pay for? ›

The groom's family traditionally paid for all costs associated with the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, wedding day transportation, and the officiant. The groom paid for the bride's engagement ring, wedding ring, and groomsmen gifts. It is also common for the groom's family to pay for the alcohol at the reception.

Why do florists charge more for weddings? ›

Plus, there are a lot of mechanics that go into making gorgeous arrangements and bouquets that you purposely don't see. Florists also work extremely hard on the wedding day to keep flowers looking pristine in often harsh conditions like sun, wind, and rain.

How many desserts for 100 guests? ›

We recommend 2-4 items per guest, but don't worry, we'll help make sure you have enough servings to go around!

How do you calculate wedding desserts? ›

An easy trick to remember is that if you're serving small individual treats such as cookies or cupcakes, you can multiply your expected number of guests by 2.5. This can provide you with an accurate estimate and help ensure you have enough desserts to feed all of your guests.

Is $1000 enough for wedding flowers? ›

PERSONALS/ WEDDING PARTY FLOWERS

Based on the average wedding party you should expect to spend $1,000 to $1,500 in this area alone. If your wedding party is larger, 8+ then expect to spend on the higher end of $1,500. Let's say your wedding party is only 3 or less, you can expect to spend closer to the $1,000 side.

What flowers are expensive for a wedding? ›

MG: Most expensive: stephanotis, gardenias, Casablanca lilies, hydrangeas, lily of the valley, and peonies. Most affordable: stock roses and freesias. For example, a rose bouquet can run between $100 and $150, compared to a mixed peony bouquet that can run up to $250.

What is the common wedding flower markup? ›

From this profit, you'll pay your overhead and expenses. The remainder is yours to take home or reinvest in your business. The mark-up on your flowers is typically 3 to 4x your wholesale cost. The mark-up on your hard goods is usually 2 to 2.5x your cost.

How much for a 5 tier wedding cake? ›

Type of wedding cake
Type of wedding cakeHighest average priceLowest average price
Two-tier$325$180
Three-tier$675$350
Four-tier$650$420
Five-tier$1,000$600
1 more row

Are cupcakes cheaper than wedding cake? ›

Choosing cupcakes, pies, or doughnuts for your wedding can be cheaper than getting a wedding cake. While the actual pricing will depend on your bakery, these items don't require much decorating time, so you'll be saving on labor for your wedding dessert.

What is the most expensive wedding cake? ›

British-born designer Debbie Wingham created one of the world's most expensive cakes with an exorbitant price tag of 75 million dollars.

What percentage of wedding budget goes to what? ›

Wedding Budget: The Percentages

40% for the venue and catering ($7,600) 10% for furniture rental ($1,900) 10% for photography ($1,900) 10% for flowers and decor ($1,900)

Who is supposed to pay for the brides bouquet? ›

The groom's family provides the person flowers involved in a wedding ceremony. That includes the bride's bouquet, the groomsmen and usher boutonnières, and the corsages and mini bouquets for the both mothers and grandmothers.

Is it cheaper to do your own wedding flowers? ›

DIY Wedding Flowers Versus a Florist: Why Should You Be a DIY Bride. Save money: Based on the comparisons above, this one is pretty much a no-brainer. The flowers are cheaper, and the arrangements will be, too, since you aren't paying anyone to do them — unless you slip the flower girl $20 to lend a hand.

Is it cheaper to buy your own flowers for wedding? ›

DIY wedding flowers are an effective way to save money when creating a pleasing and beautiful wedding aesthetic. But it's a big job. Furthermore, people don't understand the cost of flowers and often have unrealistic visions for their budget.

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