You're planning an event and have begun collecting ideas and jotting down notes. Maybe you've even started to reach out to your favourite vendors to check their availability and reserve their services.

As the quotes start coming in, you begin to get a better understanding of how much everything will cost. You may feel relieved, or you may feel stressed out at the numbers you see before you. In both of these scenarios, the one missing piece of the event-puzzle is a budget.

Typically when I meet with clients, about half have an idea of how much they want to spend on their florals, and the other half has no set budget in mind or are unsure of how much to budget for. I get it, flowers aren't typically something that we buy for ourselves frequently and it can be intimidating to ask for pricing on large scale items like floral installations or large arrangements.

• Having a budget set aside for florals can save you and your florist a lot of time. If you're unsure how much a specific design costs, such as a floral crown or wrist corsages, ask! Your florist should be able to provide you with a rough estimate so you can easily identify if you want to adjust your budget to include those pieces before you go into the details.
• When you think about your event, do you envision florals everywhere? Are you a huge flower fan, or do you prefer a simpler look? If you're a flower lover like me, I'm sure you can imagine your event with flowers from start to finish. Ensuring you prioritize your budget on what is important to you alleviates a lot of stress. If something doesn't bring you joy, don't do it!
• By deciding on a budget you reduce the risk of spending too much and going into debt or dipping into savings you didn't want to touch. You cannot reasonably say yes to everything, so by setting firm boundaries, you can stay debt free and stop uncontrolled spending.
• A lot of blogs and magazines will tell you to budget anywhere from 5%-20% of your event budget on flowers. This range can be misleading. Let's say you're planning an event and your budget is $10,000.00. Five percent of $10,000.00 is $500.00. If you are hoping to decorate 20 tables and want flowers for an archway, and the table centrepieces are $50.00 each and an archway piece at $150.00, you've already blown your budget by $650.00. 
• Create a list of "Must Haves". What are some of the things that you cannot imagine your event without? You might feel that you can't have a wedding without bouquets and boutonnieres, but you can live without a flower arch, or maybe you know your corporate party must have arrangements on the stage, but you can do without table centrepieces.

Once your florist knows your budget and list of "Must Haves", they can work with you to find the best solutions by making suggestions to ensure you get the look you want without going overboard.

When I discuss an order with a client, whether it's an entire event or a single arrangement, I will ask if they had any budget in mind or if they need some suggestions. I do this to ensure we are both on the same page, that I'm not suggesting something wildly out of their budget, and to ensure that my client feels comfortable with hiring me for their event. 

If you're planning an event and need some guidance on budgeting for flowers, I'd be happy to help! Send me an email and let's get the planning started!

With gratitude,

-Nicola

Planner: Fresh Look Events

Photos: OM Storytelling

Rentals: River City Events