Planning your wedding is an exciting journey, and choosing the perfect flowers adds that extra touch of magic. As you navigate through the options and trends of 2024, understanding the financial side is crucial. In this blog post, we'll explore a key aspect of wedding budgeting—the average cost of wedding flowers in Toronto, Ontario. Taking insights from the city's floral scene and personal experiences, let's dive into the details of floral expenditures.
Over a year ago, I wrote a blog post summarizing the cost of wedding flowers in 2022/2023. And with the continuing rise in living costs, its unfortunate to say that I've seen a 10%-15% price increase on many wedding floral items. For example, it was fairly common to find bridesmaid bouquets for $80 last year, but now it's hard to find one for under $100.
The average cost of fresh floral items in the Toronto area for 2024:
- Bridal bouquet: $250 - $350
- Bridesmaid bouquet: $100 - $150
- Boutonnieres: $20 - $35
- Corsages: $40 - $65
- Bud vases: $25 each
- Pew decor: $45 - $65
- Centerpieces: $150 - $300
- Arches: $800+
You can do your own price comparison research by looking for vendors with online flower quote calculators. See this blog post for pricing comparison between floral vendors as a starting point.
If you're becoming intimidated by the high cost of fresh florals, especially with the thought that most of them will be in the garbage by the end of the night, you're not alone. There are alternatives to fresh flower service including:
- DIYing centerpieces and artificial bouquets
- Exploring non-floral centerpiece options
- Ordering bulk flowers from Costco and arranging yourself
- Ordering seasonal flowers from Callia
- Renting artificial flowers
Artificial flowers may sound tacky, but the quality of silk flowers and greenery has come very far in the last decade. Toronto businesses like Bushel & Bloom (that's me!) offer artificial flower rentals for brides in Toronto. My goal is to make beautiful wedding flowers accessible to couples of all budgets. I've done everything from full-service weddings to small elopements. Here is a quick summary of my 2024 price list (over 50% cheaper than real flowers):
- Bridal bouquet: $60
- Bridesmaid bouquet: $40
- Boutonniere: $9
- Corsage: $12
- Low centerpiece: $75
- Arch flowers: $150+
In conclusion, it's important to sit down with your partner and have a realistic discussion about your flower budget. With the average cost of a Toronto wedding rising to about $30-$50K in 2024, finding areas to cut costs is crucial. Many of the couples I work with have prioritized spending more money on another vendor such as their photographer, and preferred to keep their flower spending to under $1000. For couples still looking for fresh flowers, there are still a variety of ways to incorporate blooms in your special day.
