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The look of love
Imagine a wedding without flowers - the church would look stark, the reception bare and the bride would have no idea what to do with her manicured, yet shaky hands.
Flowers form such a significant part of the celebration - one reason is because they carry relaxing fragrances - it is no wonder that brides-to-be show a dogged determination in their quest to find the perfect florist.
Well, here is a statistic that may shock you - the average wedding costs just under £16,000 (according to a Mintel report), yet the average spent on flowers is £400, a paltry 3% of the total spend. Although you may view this as depressing, look at it another way. There is lots of potential for you to expand this market. Wedding floristry is an area in which the multiples/supermarkets cannot compete and so is an area in which florists can shine. You have the technical skills, the design flair and the knowledge to offer a bespoke service that larger retailers cannot match.
Remember, for the majority of brides their knowledge of flowers is limited to the bunch they buy once a week in the supermarket if they buy flowers at all. They will have no idea of the variety, choice of colour and range of designs that you can offer. This is where you can make your mark. If they feel more confident and they can recognise what they are buying, the chances are they will spend more money.
In a recent survey in 'Wedding' magazine, readers took an average of twelve months to get from popping the question to walking down the aisle. Whilst it may not be worth your while getting too detailed too early in the proceedings, there is no harm in the enterprising florist 'cultivating' potential brides before they spend their entire budget on the dress and the catering.
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