The Great Flower Shortage
WAIT, HOW MUCH ARE ROSES NOW?
If you are planning a wedding or event, you may have noticed how expensive flowers are. Yes, there is currently a massive flower shortage and the wedding boom is real. We have been working around the clock for our client’s this year and next. The result of the pandemic has not only caused postponements of original dates but industries are feeling the long term effects of the sudden boom in events, especially the floral industry. In the past two years, roses have doubled in price (from $1.50 to $3 a stem).
A DISRUPTED (DAISY) CHAIN & WEATHER CONDITIONS
In 2020, when the world went into lockdown and many businesses had to close many flower farms’ crops were discarded and new crops were not planted due to the unprecedented future, according to The New York Times
Due to the hard hit to the floral industry, flower farms laid off workers, while others closed down completely. In December 2020, the employment was its lowest level in seven years according to the National Association of Wholesale Distributors. Two years later, there is four times the demand, but half the stock.
Poor weather conditions have only made the shortage worse. According to Business Insider, for farms in South America, colder temperatures and heavier annual rainfall impacts the health of the plants and when they are ready to harvest. California, which is responsible for three-quarters of US cut flower sales, has been impacted by droughts, unpredictable rain patterns and wildfires.
HOW IT AFFECTS THE WEDDING INDUSTRY
Wedding Flowers that are used for events are different from picking up a bouquet of flowers at the grocery stores or online retailers. Event flowers are bred to a higher quality to reach peak bloom on event day. To make this happen, the flowers have to be harvested by hand 10 days before the day of the event, according to The New York Times. White flowers in particular are in super high demand as they are the most requested flower for weddings but they are also the most complicated because they show blemishes more than any other color, as trauma from weather causes blemishes.
Florists are now getting more creative in creating the vision for their clients.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?
Florists and planners will have to get more creative in creating the vision for clients, but this also means some colors or flowers may not be available and the prices of flowers are more expensive. While it could take until 2023 for the floral business to get back to normal, here are some things you should take into account when planning your event.
*Tip - Order your flowers as early as possible, be flexible and open to change. Despite these challenges, we work closely with our florists to achieve the look and feel of your vision based on what it is available. This is an opportunity for us as designers to be creative and think outside the box.
*Tip - Set aside a larger budget for florals, or consider an alternative decoration to supplement the flowers. We’ve even used lemons for this.
*Tip - Consider out-of-season flowers or a fall wedding. This sounds strange given a flower shortage, but with flowers being planted behind schedule, many traditional summer flowers won’t be available until fall.
Overall, the flower industry like every industry has been hit by hardships and needs some time to get back to normal but even in the midst of a shortage or any challenge, your wedding, flower shortage or not, will be everything you dream of having.
Photo Credit: Greg Finck
Works Cited
Cain, Stephanie. “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?”. New York Times. Feb 2, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/style/flower-supply-shortage.html.
Meisenzahl, Mary and Heather Schlitz. “Wedding planners and florists say there's a massive flower shortage as weddings boom: ‘We've never had demand like this’“. Business Insider. September 25, 2021. https://www.businessinsider.com/a-flower-shortage-is-hitting-weddings-and-florists-2021-9
Scarpino, Madison. “Flower shortage brings bridal woes”. WAFF 48. September 30, 2021. https://www.waff.com/2021/10/01/flower-shortage-brings-bridal-woes/.
