Reasonable Cost

michelle_1221

My cousin is doing my flowers for my wedding.  She does exceptional work, but this is not her profession.  I'm trying to figure out what the going rate is for flowers to be fair on paying her.  I'm paying for all materials, so really just need help on assessing the labor cost.

Silks
- 9 kissing balls
- 9 center pieces (somewhat simple)
- 1 big center piece

Fresh
- my bouquet
- 2 bridesmaids
- 6 corsages
- 6 boutonnieres

future-mrs

You might talk to your local florists to get an idea.  Every area will probably be a little bit different.

unplainjane

agree with PP just email a couple of florists in your area. i was able to get general quotes over email. just say you're in your planning stage and would like to get a general area of costs and how much you need to budget.

flower_diva

sorry guys,but do not call or e-mail a florist looking for that kind of info. Figurte it out for yourself.  You chose to DIY because you did not want to pay a professional for their expertise. JMO

Catwoman708

I kind of agree with not asking professionals for comparable prices. For one, prices vary a lot by region, and their prices usually include labor, costs, and mark up.  It takes time and effort for them to come up with a plan, research prices, and prepare an estimate, then break it out the labor only.

If you are using their time and expertise without planning on using their services, it's not very ethical or considerate.

The simplest way is to ASK your cousin what she charges, or what she feels is fair.  If you don't get a straight answer, ask her to keep track of her time spent on the flowers.  Keeping in mind it's not just the time spent actually putting flowers together, but time getting supplies, time spent consulting and coming up with designs, and if she will be transporting or setting up the flowers for you on the wedding day.

If I were doing wedding flowers for a friend or relative as a favor, I'd probably consider it a gift.  If they wanted to pay me, I'd consider it a bonus if I made my time times minimum wage.  But if I were doing it as a "job" or second income, I'd probably expect about twice that for my time, and the customer would probably expect professional quality and an efficient use of time.

crazyDCbride

I'd just ask her.
If she won't take a payment (or says it's your gift...)  then give her $100-200, or, a nice restaurant gift card.