Why Are Real Flower Walls So Expensive?
Flower walls make an incredible look for any event, especially weddings. They’re part of almost every wedding inspo board you see online and they don’t appear to be going out of style any time soon. Unfortunately, they’re also incredibly pricey. Many people planning their wedding are stunned to learn how expensive florals in general can be, and even more surprised (and discouraged) when they see the quote for large pieces like a flower wall. Those floral installations you see can easily run $10,000 or more, making them way outside the average couple’s budget. Let’s break down the costs associated with these structures to understand why they cost so much.
Real Flowers
Florals are expensive. They’re expensive to grow and they’re expensive to transport. Unlike other crops that yield consumable food that will keep for weeks post harvesting, the clock starts ticking the minute florals are picked. Transport requires refrigerated storerooms and expedited shipping in special containers to ensure the florals arrive to their final market in great condition. Depending on where the flowers were grown, from the time the florals are picked to the time they arrive to the retailer is around 3 - 5 days. A large majority of flowers provided to the US retail and florist industries are grown in South America, with others coming from places like Europe, Hawaii, and California. This comes at a cost, especially in the current supply-chain environment.
Seasonal Availability
Real flowers, like any other produce, are seasonal. If you’re having a December wedding, you’re going to pay a premium for peonies since these flowers naturally bloom in late spring. Of course, you can get just about anything you want if you’re willing to pay thanks to modern technology and specialty greenhouses. However, choosing a flower outside its natural bloom season is going to drive up your already high floral costs – double or triple the price, at least. Another thing to consider is how well a certain type of flower can be affixed to a wall. A bloom like a tulip doesn’t have a strong, woody stem like a rose, and likely won’t be useable on a flower wall without a highly technical floral design team (i.e. pricey!).
Thousands of Florals
To make an impact and serve as an effective visual backdrop, it’s recommended that a flower wall is at least 7 feet (2.1 meters) in height and a minimum of 8 feet (2.4 meters) in width. Anything smaller than this can look awkward in a large space and not create a very useful background for photos. A surface area this large requires thousand of florals and greenery to create a lush, full look. Depending on the size of the bloom, a 7’ x 8’ wall would require a minimum of 4,000 blooms to cover the surface of the structure. That’s over 70 blooms for per square foot! When considering how pricey a single rose or hydrangea costs, the inventory for a flower wall can easily run a florist thousands of dollars in wholesale costs.
In addition, standard floral industry practice requires purchasing additional florals to ensure there is adequate extra inventory. Inevitably, certain items will arrive damaged from transport, contain unexpected color variations, etc. Having to have an extra 500+ blooms on hand will also increase the cost to your florist and ultimately your invoice.
Installation Costs
The structure for a real flower wall requires a significant build out. Unlike floral walls made with silk florals that are durable, real florals require wet foam, wiring, and other mechanisms to secure the florals to the surface; all while ensuring the blooms remain as fresh and undamaged as possible. Creating a structure for each event often requires custom construction, another component that drives up the costs. For most venues, there is a limited window for vendors to set up equipment and decorations. Installing a large structural wall and attaching the blooms to the surface takes time; not to mention the additional time it requires to add finishing touches like lighting, accessories, and other supplemental décor. To accomplish all this in just a couple of hours requires a large team of skilled floral personnel. Your average, lower cost florist isn’t equipped for this type of project. You’re going to pay a premium for professional teams executing designs of this scale. The labor and equipment costs associated with this type of quick buildout, as well as transporting thousands of delicate florals safely in special containers, is very costly.
Alternatives
So what can you do if a real flower wall just doesn’t fit within your budget? We recommend a flower wall rental that uses artificial blooms. These won’t provide the same level of customization, but they will allow you to have a large flower wall structure for a fraction of the cost. Since the blooms won’t wilt and can be used over and over by the vendor, you also aren’t having to fund the entire cost of the inventory used on your wall, which greatly lowers the price. Keep in mind, it’s still labor intensive for the team to install the artificial flower wall structure, but using a faux floral wall is still much cheaper than real blooms.
Visit our post “The Case for Faux Florals” to learn more about why fake blooms are a great alternative for your floral décor planning. Need some additional design tips? Read our post “How to Save Money on Wedding Decorations” for more useful ideas.
WANT MORE BLOOMING SAVVY CONTENT?
Read our new book “Weddings Are Expensive - A Practical Starter Guide to Help You Begin Your Wedding Planning Process”.
Available on Amazon for Kindle and in paperback.
Click here to purchase.
Disclosure: Blooming Savvy (Forever Botanic LLC) may receive a commission or share of sales from products purchased using the links provided on this website and / or our social media profiles. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.