That Higher Price Tag For Your Wedding Flowers

It’s a reaction we sometimes get from brides-to-be – widened eyes, arched brows – the more expressive go on to exclaim, “Why so expensive?!"

When you’re trying hard to stick to a budget, it's only natural to wonder why prices for almost everything wedding-related seems to be so much more expensive than expected. Well, we're really not trying to rip you off! 

The rare and impressive Lady's Slipper Orchids featured in this bouquet required a special order and weeks of liaison with our regular supplier. 

In fact, wedding florists like us do go to great lengths to craft the bridal bouquet of your dreams. So, we want to show you just what it is you’re paying for. 

Bespoke Attention: Liaison & Legwork

No thanks to our equatorial climate and limited land area, almost all flowers in Singapore are imported from around the world. This means we are already paying extra, just to fly them in fresh every morning. 

As compared to crafting an everyday seasonal bouquet where we simply pick out the best-looking and value-for-money flowers available on any given day, a bespoke wedding involves working to a colour palette and theme.

We usually source and order specific blooms to fulfill a bride’s vision up to weeks before the wedding. More than the exact quantity of flowers has to be brought in as well. Many times, we find ourselves using only one or two perfect blooms out of a whole packet – just because the rest may not have bloomed, or have petals that are lightly bruised. 

To achieve the unique colour palette in this bespoke bouquet, several sourcing trips were made to nurseries around Singapore before the wedding to ensure that we could get the exact mix of flower types in just the right hues. The satin ribbons were also specially sourced to complement the flowers. 

The preparation stretches beyond the flowers – we also make personal trips to source the matching ribbons, embellishments as well as the necessary vessels for centerpieces. 

In essence, you're paying more for liaison and legwork. 

The Crafting Process: Blood, Sweat & Tears

When it comes to the actual handiwork, each piece – the bouquet, boutonniere, corsage, bridal car décor, etc – is artfully designed and created. Our bespoke service usually recommends no less than two detailed face-to-face consultations to discuss specifics (and yes, you can give us a whole list of flowers that you don't like and we'll avoid them like the plague!). 

Variations of the same theme for the groom and his groomsmen.

Prepwork starts a few days before when the flowers arrive batch by batch from our various suppliers. Then, thorns and excess foliage will have to be removed, and stems will have to be trimmed before they are kept refrigerated throughout.

Delicate flowers, such as tulips and hydrangeas, may start to wilt prematurely and additional orders will have to be quickly placed. This adds to our cost, but we are all for spending more to ensure that the end product meets our high standards.

The crafting process starts a day before the wedding, with each bridal bouquet taking at least an hour or two to complete. Unlike a standard everyday bouquet, much effort is required to ensure that the stalks are neatly lined up in a spiral and of the right length so that it can eventually stand upright for that memorable shot.

So no, you can't order an everyday bouquet, tear off the wrapping and use it to walk down the aisle with – they just do not have the same finish that professionally crafted bridal bouquets have.

The People: Behind The Scenes

Your wedding florist's familiarity with wedding venues will mean less of a headache for you. These floral wreaths were designed to be the right weight before they were fixed onto the Armenian Church doors. 

Chances are when you approach a particular florist, you are already familiar with their style, portfolio and find it a good fit for your wedding. In hiring a professional, you are paying not just for the flowers, but their experience, skill, time and labour. They are also likely to have an entire team supporting them in bringing your vision to life. 

On top of this, there is also the retail mark-up on materials and overheads such as rent, utilities and transportation costs that contribute to your final bill. 

Now that you’ve found out the many ways in which florists plan and labour for your wedding flowers, we hope all brides-to-be will feel more reassured allocating us a reasonable portion of your wedding budget.

After all, we want to give you the best wedding day possible!