Florist sourcing guide
Wedding flower sourcing guide for florists
How many flowers for a wedding? A bridal bouquet runs 25-40 stems, a centerpiece 15-30, and a ceremony arch 150-400+. This guide gives working florists the full recipe - stem counts by design, the wholesale box math to order farm-direct, the ordering timeline, and how to price it. No DIY fluff.
Stem counts by design
| Design | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridal bouquet | 25 | 32 | 40+ |
| Bridesmaid bouquet | 12 | 15 | 18 |
| Low centerpiece | 15 | 22 | 30 |
| Tall / lush centerpiece | 35 | 42 | 50 |
| Ceremony arch / installation | 150 | 275 | 400+ |
| Boutonnière | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Corsage | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Notes: Hydrangea - one head ≈ 8-10 stems of volume; a centerpiece base often runs 3-5 heads. Rule of thumb: ~1 greenery per 3 focal stems, plus a 10% breakage buffer on every order.
Recipe cards
Classic June bridal bouquet
24 garden roses + 8 spray roses + 6 greenery.
Romantic low centerpiece (×10 tables)
12 roses + 3 hydrangea heads + 5 greenery, each.
Ceremony arch (medium)
~120 roses + 30 hydrangea heads + 60 greenery/filler.
From stems to boxes (the wholesale math no one else shows)
Our roses pack 25 stems per bunch; a Quarter Box holds 125 stems (5 bunches), a Half Box 300. Hydrangea sells by the head. Worked example: a 20-table reception with medium centerpieces (~22 rose stems each) = 440 stems + buffer ≈ 4 Quarter Boxes, plus ~60 hydrangea heads and greenery. Always round up to full bunches/boxes - or let the stem-to-box calculator do it.
How to price wedding flowers
A common florist rule of thumb: wholesale flower cost × 3.5-4.5 = the retail flower price (design labor and rentals are billed separately). Example: a $600 wholesale stem order maps to roughly $2,400-2,700 in retail flowers. Treat as a starting range; your market and design complexity shift it.
Ordering timeline
Reserve 2-3 weeks out (specific colors and premium grades book first). Take delivery about 2 days before the event so blooms hydrate and open to the stage you want. Florida = direct delivery; nationwide = farm-to-door delivery.
Cold chain & conditioning
Cut-to-order and cold-chain from our farm to your door means you start from fresher stems. On receipt: re-cut at 45° under water, first hydration in clean water with preservative, hold at 34-38°F, strip foliage below the water line, and keep fruit out of the cooler (ethylene).
Seasonal availability
Ecuadorian roses run year-round; hydrangea, garden roses, and specialty availability shift by season - check current availability in the catalog.