Why Do Florists Have Minimums?
Planning: Hitched Planning & Design
There was a point in my career as a professional florist where I felt really uncomfortable with the idea of a “minimum”. What is a minimum, you might ask? A minimum is the lowest dollar amount that a vendor requires in order to attain their services.
When faced with the idea of a minimum, I usually had two gut reactions:
Disgust - it seems slightly elitist, and dare I say, crass, to only serve people who can pay a certain amount. I had worked with so many delightful, creative, wonderful couples with smaller budgets and the thought of not being the place for them felt unsettling and upsetting.
Jealousy - when observing other florists who had established $5k, $10k, $20k minimums, it sparked a feeling of awe and wonder that their businesses where so healthy and stable that they could turn away potential clients. Not to mention, the level of confidence that they have in their expertise and skill to so boldly communicate their value.
In 2022, my business partner (Amyann) and I (Amy) booked and executed around 60 weddings in the span of 9 months. We had almost no help, relying on the occasional freelancer. Amyann was pregnant and I was a mother to 3 small children. We looked at each other at the end of that season and knew we could never, ever do that again. Not if we wanted healthy hearts, heathy bodies, healthy minds, healthy families and a healthy business.
Amyann in our tiny studio packed to the brim in 2022.
After a decade of business and hundreds of weddings, we soon came to the conclusion that not only did we want to install a minimum, we needed to. I’ve broken down the why’s of a minimum to “3 C’s”. I hope this helps in understanding the heart behind it all!
Why a Minimum? = The 3 C’s
CAPACITY
Everywhere you look, we have limitations. Time. Energy. Space. Resources. When we say “yes” to one thing, we say “no” to another. When we say “yes” to overextending ourselves, we say “no” to giving our best.
In wedding vendor world, our dates are our inventory. There are a finite amount of days in the calendar year that are available. Think of it as a limited release of your favorite artist’s newest vinyl record. We only have so much, and we can’t sell more than what is available.
Our actual time is limited, not to mention, the physical space of our studio, the endurance and strength of a human body. All of these limitations we have speak to our capacity to execute consistently at a high level. Every athlete knows how to pace correctly. By keeping a minimum, we’re pacing ourselves. We’re saying, we are intentional in how we exert our effort. Our clients deserve the best service, so we are thoughtful about how we spend our limited resources.
COSTS
There’s a reason we all love Costco. (And I'm not just talking about the rotisserie chicken.) When you purchase in bulk, it comes at a lower cost. So it is in the luxury market of flowers.
Larger weddings & higher budgets require more flowers. Purchasing higher quantities of flowers is more cost effective. Additionally, there isn’t a huge difference in labor between a $1,000 budget vs. a $3,000 budget. They both require a 30 min trip to the wholesaler, they both require a similar amount of time to process. The $3k wedding may take a few additional hours of designing, but overall the margins and profibility for the $3k wedding will be better.
This is something businesses have to take into account. We’ve already established that we are limited on capacity. For a business to survive and thrive, they have to be efficient with their profits and margins. And businesses that are thriving take good care of their clients.
CONFIDENCE
When you find a florist with a minimum, consider it a green flag. That florist did not reach their minimum overnight. They have dedicated thousands of hours to their craft and they know their worth. It’s not ego, it’s a clear understanding of the expertise and skill that they bring to the table. Their confidence should give you confidence that you’re hiring a true professional and someone who will safeguard your investment.
Photo: Meghan Savage, Planning: True Love
In Conclusion
I’m a strong believer that minimums are a necessity for most wedding florists looking for longevity, stability and prosperity in their businesses. Minimums allow us to protect our capacity, to stabilize our costs and communicate our confidence in our services. All of this is done to honor our clients, ensuring the best experience during one of the most exciting days of their lives.
Here in Kansas City, Daylight Flora currently has a $5,000 minimum for our set-up and delivery. We do take on clients under $5k who are happy to schedule a pick-up for their orders from our location in Westport. We recommend this option as a partial DIY solution. We have everything designed and packed-up, ready to go for someone to pick-up. This works great for a lot of customers and we’re pleased to do it!
Overall, I hope this post helps to clear up some of the confusion surrounding minimums. Please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions. xoxo - Amy