How to Price Flowers: Retail & Wedding Formulas

By far the MOST asked question I get from florists is: how do I price flowers for sale to my customers?

So people, let me share some good news with you today: the formula for pricing your floristry work does not need to be as hard as our industry makes it out to be.

Are there pricing “rules”?

Floristry is not a regulated industry with fixed prices. This means, as you grow your sales and marketing skills (yes, sales & marketing), you can command a premium for your work and charge whatever you like.

However, for many florists, and especially new florists, facing the blank pricing page and being told to ‘charge your worth’ is daunting and unhelpful.

As a result, many many florists second-guess themselves and grossly under-price their work. And that is a big problem for any business.

There are industry standard pricing formulas for everyday and event florals — and by ‘industry standard’, I mean a generally accepted pricing guide that will a) appeal to many customers and b) help you make a profit.

To clarify, they are not ‘rules’ that you need to follow. However, they are an excellent starting point to help you figure out how to price flowers.

And, I’ll give them both to you right now.

How to price flowers — the formulas

Retail flower pricing

Price = wholesale product cost x 3 + your time to make it

• ‘Price’ includes any sales tax you include on the final product.
• ‘Wholesale product cost’ includes the cost of sundries (ribbon/wrapping) but excludes any sales tax you paid on those items.
• ‘Time’ is the hourly rate you would charge your services out at (usually x 2.5-3 of wages paid).
• Delivery extra.

For example, an $80 bouquet breaks down as follows: $20 for wholesale flowers/sundries x 3 = $60. Plus $20 labour (takes 15 minutes of a florist’s time who charges out at $80/hr).

Wedding & event flower pricing

Price = wholesale product cost x 3.5-4.5 + 30-50% mark-up

• ‘Price’ includes any sales tax you include on the final product.
• ‘Wholesale product cost’ includes the cost of sundries (ribbon/oasis/tape/pins) but excludes any sales tax you paid on those items.
• Delivery, set-up, pack down, disposal, hire items etc. are all extra.

For example, a $300 bridal bouquet would break down as follows: $61 for wholesale flowers/sundries x 3.5 = $213.50. Plus a mark-up of 40% = $298.90.

When to use the formulas (and when not to)

On your search for clarity on how to price flowers, you may have been told that there is no single formula. That it all depends on the combination of unique factors affecting your business and marketplace.

For example, your overhead cost structure, wholesale purchasing power, market demographics, competitive landscape, ROI targets etc.

While this is basically true, I know this task can cause a lot of worry and anxiety for many florists. So, here’s a good guide to follow:

Use the formulas…

• If you don’t have the experience or confidence to set your prices “from scratch”. This is especially true for new business owners who don’t have many paid jobs under their belt to learn from.
• If you haven’t yet created a detailed plan for your business (and yes, you should do this — learn more about it here)
• To compare. Perhaps you’ve been in business for a while but you’re not sure about your existing prices. They should be close to these formulas (or higher, of course). If they’re not, it’s time to rethink what you’re charging.

Don’t use the formulas…

• If you have a well-thought-out (and sustainable) pricing strategy that fits into your larger business plan.
• If you have a high-end, exclusive brand. Your customers are willing to pay a premium so your prices will therefore be higher than these formulas.

Do you know the real challenge with pricing flowers?

Now that you know the formulas, I’ll tell you the real challenge with setting your flower prices — it’s not knowing how much to charge, it’s having the confidence in yourself to charge it.

Because here’s what happens — florists take these formulas, sit down and do the math for their next job. And their brains FREAK out:

I cannot charge that much

No one will pay that much

That’s too expensive

Even though there are thousands of florists who charge these prices every day, your brain doesn’t think it’s possible for YOU to charge them.

Perhaps you don’t think you have enough experience. Or maybe you think it’s not ‘fair’ to charge these rates because you’re just starting out. Or maybe you just don’t think you’re worth it.

As a result of these thoughts, the worry and doubt running through your mind lead you to make some bad pricing decisions: discounting, over-promising and cheapening of what customers expect to be a luxury experience.

In fact, the importance of managing your mindset around pricing is so vital, that’s why I created an entire course on how to feel confident in your pricing (click here).

Overcome your pricing fears

Here is my best advice: firstly, it’s not your job to decide whether you can charge that much. Relieve yourself from that responsibility and let it go. The formula for pricing flowers doesn’t need to be up for discussion. It is what it is.

Secondly, it’s not your job to decide if it’s too expensive or not. That’s your client’s decision. It’s your job to believe in the value of your offer first, and then educate your customers on the value of what you offer (well beyond the blooms).

Thirdly, you are worth every penny. You are worthy beyond measure. No matter where you are on your flower journey, your worthiness is 100%. Regardless of what you’ve done in the past or where you plan on being in the future.

100% in fact.

💖 Kathleen

Struggling with feeling confident in your pricing? We’re here to help. 🤗

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