Centerpieces for a Wedding Reception

How much should I charge for centerpieces for a wedding reception.

I would like to do a vase, flowers and candle centerpiece for 75 tables?

I don't want to over or under charge.

Answer by Diane:

Thanks for your question and welcome to the site.

I'm assuming that you don't do this on a regular basis in that you are not a professional florist or else you wouldn't be asking about pricing.

I completely understand that you don't want to undercharge or overcharge so let's try to figure this out.

I'm thinking that you probably know the couple getting married and that they asked you to do the centerpieces because they believe in your talent.

They are also probably expecting a lower price because of that relationship, so what I do recommend is that after you figure out your price, then do let them know so that everything is out on the table and no surprises will surface later on.

You can even print out an estimate and sit down with them to talk about the centerpieces.

So let's take a look at what your costs will be for the centerpieces. I'm not sure if you have a vendor permit and can buy wholesale or not so you really do have to price things out from suppliers before anything else.

So whether you add a profit on top of the supplies cost or not that is going to be up to you.

I do know of one friend of mine who did the flowers for a relative's wedding and just requested payment for the supplies used...her labour to do them was her wedding gift to the couple.


So that might also be a way to go if you are close to the bride and groom and will be attending the wedding.

Vases and candles will be fairly easy to source out at a reasonable price. You could even check with the dollar stores, but the flowers might be a different story.

First it all depends on what kinds of flowers you would like to use in the arrangements. Sit down with the couple to go over what they envision for their wedding.

Let them know that there will be quite a price difference between choosing a flower such as a rose as compared to a carnation.

If you are looking for good online sources for purchasing bulk flowers if you don't have a vendor permit, I would recommend either Bridesign or Fifty Flowers.

Make sure that you don't underestimate how long it is going to take you to make up all the centerpieces.

If you do, you will surely end up undercharging for your labour. Don't forget also to factor in transportation to the reception site and if you will have to rent a vehicle for the day to transport all those reception centerpieces.

I hope that I have given you some things to think about, but if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask,

Wishing you all the best,

Diane

If you don't have a vendor permit,