The Working Florist's Pricing Guide for 2026

Wholesale flower prices have crept up every year since 2022. Freight, fuel, imports. All of it. The florists I know who are still profitable have one thing in common. They know their numbers cold.

This guide is for working wedding and event florists who want a pricing framework that survives a Tuesday phone call from a wholesaler announcing a price hike on garden roses.

Start with cost per stem, not the bunch price

Wholesalers sell in bunches. Clients buy stems. The gap between those two numbers is where most pricing mistakes live.

Cost per stem = bunch price ÷ stems per bunch.

A 10-stem bunch of peonies at $18 is $1.80 a stem. A 25-stem bunch of spray roses at $12 is $0.48 a stem. Before you build any recipe, those numbers need to be current.

Every invoice. Every time.

Apply the right markup by category

Working markup ranges:

| Category | Markup | |---|---| | Focal flowers (peonies, garden roses, protea) | 3x–4x | | Standard flowers (roses, lisianthus, ranunculus) | 2.5x–3.5x | | Greenery and filler | 2x–2.5x | | Hard goods (vases, foam, wire, ribbon) | 1.5x–2x |

These aren't pulled from a hat. They cover spoilage, the cooler space, the conditioning time, and the design work that turns a stem into something a bride wants to hold.

Charge real labor

Most florists undercharge for labor because they don't track it. Time yourself for a week.

- Hand-tied bridal bouquet: 45–90 minutes - Ceremony arch: 4–6 hours, sometimes two people - Arbor install: another two-person job, plus drive time

Your labor rate is at minimum $25–35/hr. If you've got real experience and the market supports it, $40–55 holds up.

Labor isn't overhead. It's a product you sell.

Don't forget the hidden costs

The line items most florists leave off the quote:

- Conditioning time. 24–48 hours in the cooler before you can touch them. - Delivery and setup. Fuel, vehicle wear, your hours. - Strike. If you collect rentals, that's a second drive. - Consultation time. 45-minute calls add up across a season. - Spoilage buffer. 10–15% built into stem counts.

Put them in your quote template. They get forgotten when they're not on the form.

When a client says you're too expensive

Check your numbers first. If they're right, the price is right.

Then offer a smaller scope, not a discount. Fewer arrangements. A simpler ceremony piece. Same margin, less product. That gives the client a real choice and protects your business.

The clients who push hardest on price are usually the hardest to work with on the day. The clients who trust your numbers tend not to push.

*Petal Studio calculates your per-stem costs, recipe totals, and markup automatically. Start your free trial. No card required.*