Wedding floristry can look incredibly profitable from the outside.
A £3,000 wedding booking sounds amazing. But once you deduct flowers, labour, travel, setup time, breakdown time, assistants, wastage and tax, the real profit can be far lower than expected.
Many florists unintentionally underprice their wedding work.
Here’s how to price wedding floristry properly so your business stays profitable.
Step 1: Know Your True Flower Costs
Wholesale flowers are only part of the cost.
You must include:
• Fresh flowers and foliage
• Sundries such as foam, wire and tape
• Vases, arches, hire items
• Delivery materials
• Wastage allowance
Flowers are perishable. If you do not build in a wastage percentage, you are absorbing hidden losses.
Step 2: Account for Labour Properly
This is where most florists undercharge.
Your time includes:
• Consultation meetings
• Proposal writing
• Ordering
• Conditioning flowers
• Designing
• Setup
• Breakdown
• Admin and invoicing
If a wedding takes 20 hours of your time across the week, that time must be priced in.
You are not just charging for flowers. You are charging for expertise and execution.
Step 3: Include Overheads in Every Wedding
Your rent does not disappear just because it is a wedding job.
You must allocate a portion of:
• Studio or shop rent
• Utilities
• Insurance
• Software
• Marketing
• Accountancy
Every job should contribute to overheads.
If you price weddings based only on flower cost plus a small markup, you will struggle to grow sustainably.
Step 4: Build in Profit Before Tax
Once all costs are covered, you need profit.
Not revenue. Not break even. Profit.
That profit is what:
• Pays your personal income
• Covers tax
• Funds growth
• Creates stability in quiet months
Remember, once you earn over £1,000 profit in a tax year, you owe tax. If you do not plan for that in your pricing, tax season becomes stressful.
Step 5: Understand VAT Impact on Weddings
If your turnover approaches £90,000, VAT registration may become mandatory.
For wedding florists, this can significantly affect pricing. A £3,000 wedding becomes £3,600 once VAT is added.
If you do not prepare early, this can shock future clients and compress margins.
Monitoring turnover throughout wedding season is essential.
Why Wedding Pricing Mistakes Hurt Florists
Underpricing leads to:
• Cash flow stress
• Burnout
• Tax surprises
• Feeling busy but not profitable
Being fully booked is not the same as being financially secure.
Need Help Reviewing Your Pricing?
If you are unsure whether your wedding work is truly profitable, reviewing your numbers can be transformational.
• Analyse profit margins
• Plan for tax
• Monitor VAT thresholds
• Build pricing confidence