Photography & events
Wedding Decoration Cost Calculator
Works decoration cost, where the count of things rather than their individual price drives it.
Result
Wedding pricing varies by region, season and day of the week by more than most couples expect, so treat the defaults as placeholders and replace them with quotes you have actually been given. A Saturday in peak season in a major metro is a different market from a Friday in the off season. Centerpieces are the line that scales with the guest list, and mixing a minority of larger arrangements with mostly standard ones is both how florists quote and how couples manage the cost, which is why the share is an input rather than an assumption. Repurposing ceremony flowers into the reception is the most reliable saving available in this category, particularly when the ceremony and reception are in the same venue, because the ceremony arrangements are used for an hour and then sit unseen. Setup and strike are a real line rather than a courtesy: installations have to be built, and in many venues struck the same night.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Each element at its quantity and unit cost: ceremony arrangements, centrepieces, aisle and entrance pieces, lighting, linen and signage, plus the labour to install and remove it. Centrepieces multiply by table count, which means the guest list drives this category as much as the design does.
What moves the number
- Table count, which follows the guest list.
- Flower choice and seasonality.
- Installation and removal labour.
- Lighting, which transforms a space and is frequently separate.
Where this one goes wrong
Flowers out of season are imported and priced accordingly, and the same arrangement in a different bloom can cost very differently for no visible reason, which is why discussing the look rather than specific flowers gives a florist room to work within a budget. Installation and removal labour is the other line, since elaborate installations need people and time, and a venue with a short setup window forces a larger crew.
Before you quote
- Discuss the look rather than specifying out-of-season flowers.
- Get installation and removal labour quoted separately.
- Count centrepieces from the actual table plan.
Questions
About this calculator
Why do flowers vary so much in price?
Seasonality. Blooms out of season are imported and priced accordingly, so the same arrangement in a different flower can cost very differently for no visible reason. Describing the look rather than naming flowers gives a florist room to work.
What is forgotten in a decoration budget?
Installation and removal labour. Elaborate installations need people and time, and a venue with a short setup window forces a larger crew, which is a cost that does not appear anywhere on a list of items.
Where does decoration spend go furthest?
Lighting, generally, since it changes how the whole space reads for a cost that is modest against the same spend spread over table arrangements. It is also frequently quoted separately rather than being part of a florist's proposal.
The formula
centerpieces = standard tables x price + statement tables x price; total = centerpieces + personal flowers + ceremony + lighting + signage + setup
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How to use this calculator
- Guests. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 120.
- Guests per table. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 8.
- Per centerpiece ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Share of tables with a larger arrangement (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 25%.
- Per larger arrangement ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $220.
- Bridal bouquet ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $250.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to total decoration cost, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Guests | 120 |
| Guests per table | 8 |
| Per centerpiece | $95 |
| Share of tables with a larger arrangement | 25% |
| Per larger arrangement | $220 |
| Bridal bouquet | $250 |
| Bridesmaid bouquets | 4 |
| Per bridesmaid bouquet | $85 |
| Boutonnieres and corsages | 8 |
| Per boutonniere or corsage | $22 |
| Ceremony arch, aisle and altar | $900 |
| Lighting, uplighting and candles | $850 |
| Signage, place cards and stationery on the day | $350 |
| Drapery, rugs, lounge furniture and anything else | $600 |
| Setup, strike and delivery | $550 |
| Saving from moving ceremony flowers to the reception | 0% |
| Tax | 8% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Total decoration cost main result | $6,416 |
| Decoration cost per guest | $53.47 |
| Average cost per table | $427.75 |
| Centerpieces | $1,925 |
| Bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages | $766 |
| Ceremony flowers after repurposing | $900 |
| Tables to decorate | 15 |
| Saved by repurposing | $0 |
Decoration comes to $6,416, which is $53.47 per guest and $427.75 per table across 15 tables. Centerpieces alone are $1,925 and personal flowers $766. Repurposing ceremony flowers saves $0.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only per centerpiece, this is what happens to total decoration cost. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Per centerpiece ($) | Total decoration cost |
|---|---|
| $48 | $5,858 |
| $71 | $6,131 |
| $95 example above | $6,416 |
| $143 | $6,987 |
| $190 | $7,545 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Guests
- A number, between 1 and 5000, starting at 120.
- Guests per table
- A number, between 1 and 20, starting at 8.
- Per centerpiece ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 5000, starting at $95.
- Share of tables with a larger arrangement (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 100, starting at 25%.
- Per larger arrangement ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 10000, starting at $220.
- Bridal bouquet ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 10000, starting at $250.
- Bridesmaid bouquets
- A number, between 0 and 50, starting at 4.
- Per bridesmaid bouquet ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 5000, starting at $85.
- Boutonnieres and corsages
- A number, between 0 and 100, starting at 8.
- Per boutonniere or corsage ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 1000, starting at $22.
- Ceremony arch, aisle and altar ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 100000, starting at $900.
- Lighting, uplighting and candles ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 100000, starting at $850.
- Signage, place cards and stationery on the day ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 50000, starting at $350.
- Drapery, rugs, lounge furniture and anything else ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 100000, starting at $600.
- Setup, strike and delivery ($)
- A money amount, between 0 and 50000, starting at $550.
- Saving from moving ceremony flowers to the reception (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 100, starting at 0%.
- Tax (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 30, starting at 8%.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Total decoration cost | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Decoration cost per guest | A money figure. |
| Average cost per table | A money figure. |
| Centerpieces | A money figure. |
| Bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages | A money figure. |
| Ceremony flowers after repurposing | A money figure. |
| Tables to decorate | A number. |
| Saved by repurposing | A money figure. |
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