One of the most beautiful elements of any wedding are the flowers and florals. They add colour, romance and bring everything together for your magical day. However, flowers are a fickle thing and can cost a pretty penny if you don’t plan and do your research.
We wanted to know what the average Australian couple spends on flowers for their wedding. So, as a part of our 2024 Annual Wedding Industry Report, we surveyed 4,200 couples to give you a guide on how much budget they allocated for flowers.
What do you actually need to pay for in your wedding day flower budget?
The average cost of fresh flowers has increased 13% on 2023 prices, our 2024 Australian Wedding Industry Report found, as growing costs have surged.
The effect that social media, in particular, Instagram and Pinterest, has on couples’ expectations is also huge. While we found the national average cost of wedding flowers to be $2,084, couples are paying up to 10 times this amount to achieve the looks they find on social media. Artificial flowers have risen in popularity as a result, too.
There are so many different ways that you can incorporate flowers into your wedding day. Most florists will take a service fee, and prices will fluctuate depending on how many floral elements you wish to include. Flowers will often take cues from the colour theme for the wedding, so it ties nicely together.
Floral elements on your wedding day
From bouquets to table settings, arbours, boutonniere and hair accessories – and everything in between – floral elements can be as minimal or as elaborate as you like. It goes without saying that the more elements you choose on your wedding day, the more you’ll need to budget for.
Below are some examples of floral elements to consider for your big day.
A ceremony setup
Most couples will opt-in for a ceremony floral arrangement, whether something to mark the stage or flowers to line the aisle. If you’re marrying outdoors, a larger arrangement is likely to be more necessary so it sets a real focal point.
Bouquets
Your bridal bouquet and the bouquets for your bridesmaids are usually first in consideration. While the bride and bridesmaids will all have bouquets, the bride’s is often larger with more detail. The bridesmaids will match and compliment the larger bouquet, but be smaller in comparison.
It’s also common for couples to arrange an additional smaller bouquet for the bouquet toss. This way, the main bouquet doesn’t get thrown or damaged and can be preserved if the couple chooses.
Boutonnières
Grooms and groomsmen are not excluded from floral details, as many choose to have boutonnière on their suits to match their wedding partners. Although a smaller floral, it is something else to consider when deciding on what flowers to purchase for your wedding. Boutonnière or corsages are still included for parents in many weddings.
Something for your flower girls
If you’re including flower girls or boys on your wedding day, then you will have to think about what florals they will require; be it flower crowns, flower wands or petals to throw walking down the aisle. These are all popular options, so be sure to ask your florist.
Table centrepieces
A big consideration when it comes to wedding flowers is how it will impact table decorations. Traditionally, there’s some form of floral feature, whether it’s a bunch of flowers in a vase, petals scattered on the tables or a raised feature that guests can talk through. All of these options will come into play in your flower order.
Further decorations and styling
Continuing on from table centrepieces, florals are also heavily used in other decorations and stylings for your wedding. Are you going to have flowers lining the chairs at your ceremony? Will you have a flower wall on the day? Two extremely popular floral trends making the rounds at the moment are arbours and hanging installations. These arrangements can include a mixture of greenery and floral elements and will most likely be put together by a florist – after all, it’s their profession, and they know what the best combination will be.
Don’t forget about smaller things like flowers for your cake, or hair flowers if that’s your style. You might also want something special for each of your parents.
Greenery
Greenery has become a staple for recent weddings, as some couples prefer this over heavy florals. However, greenery can come at the same price as flowers; after all, the same amount of time and effort goes into styling it for your wedding day, especially if it’s fresh produce.
How much are other couples spending on wedding flowers?
Now that you’ve decided on what elements of florals you want for your big day, it’s time to look at the costs.
As a guide to help you budget, the average Australian couple spends around $2,084 for flowers on their wedding day, based on a total spend of around $34,000 for 90 guests.
Here’s the average floral budget across each state in 2023-2024:
- New South Wales – $2,383
- Victoria – $1,950
- Western Australia – $2,005
- South Australia – $1,744
- Queensland – $1,607
- ACT – $1,198
- Tasmania – $1,946
Here’s what Easy Weddings Senior Wedding Planner Darcy Allen says couples can expect with these budgets:
“A $2,000 budget will provide you with on-the-day-specific florals, i.e bridal bouquet, bridal party bouquets and buttonholes, and perhaps buttonholes or wrist corsages for parents of the couple.” – Darcy Allen
To save on costs, Darcy adds, consider repurposing your bridal party bouquets for decoration on your guest tables or bridal table at your reception. You can also use low-lying foliage or greenery along your guest tables, complemented by candles to really flesh out your vision and design for the day.
A price guide depending on your budget
If you want to work out how much you should put aside for wedding flowers, make sure you check out our free budget calculator tool.
Spending around 5-7% of your overall budget on your flowers is common. And again, this will all depend on how extravagant your theme and decorations will be.
A basic breakdown:
- $20,000 budget — $1,000-1,400
- $30,000 budget — $1,500-2,100
- $40,000 budget — $2,000-2,800