From Flower Shop to Wedding Florist: The Complete Transition Playbook

Your Year-One Wedding Business Playbook

Adding weddings to your flower shop is one of the smartest business moves a retail florist can make. A shop that books just 10 weddings at $5,000 each adds $50,000 in annual revenue with margins that are typically 15 to 20 percentage points higher than daily retail. But the transition requires planning, investment, and a shift in how you think about your business.

This playbook is based on what we have learned building CHIC Flowers from a small operation into a studio serving weddings across San Diego, Los Angeles, and Southern California. We now teach this system in detail through our Chic Academy online course.

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-2)

Define your wedding niche

You cannot be everything to everyone. Choose your lane:

• Price point: We recommend starting at $5,000 minimum. This keeps you profitable and attracts clients who value quality.


• Style: Pick two or three adjectives that define your aesthetic (romantic and lush, modern and minimal, organic and textural) and commit to them.


• Geography: Define your service radius. For your first year, stay within 60 minutes of your shop.

Set up your wedding workflow

Create these essential documents:

• Wedding inquiry form (collect date, venue, budget, vision)


• Consultation agenda template


• Proposal template with itemized pricing


• Contract with terms, payment schedule, and policies


• Wedding day timeline template

Invest in equipment

You may already have some of these, but weddings require:

• A van or large vehicle that can transport arrangements upright


• Portable cooler or insulated transport containers


• Ceremony structure (even one arch opens up bookings)


• Event-grade vessels and containers (compotes, urns, bud vases)


• Installation tools (zip ties, wire, water tubes, foam alternatives)

Phase 2: Portfolio and Visibility (Months 2-4)

Execute two to three styled shoots

Reach out to local wedding photographers who need portfolio content. Offer to provide flowers for a styled shoot in exchange for professional images. Choose a venue that represents where you want to work, style the shoot to match your defined aesthetic, and make sure every image looks like a real wedding.

Build your online presence

• Create a dedicated wedding page on your website (or a separate wedding site)


• Post styled shoot images to Instagram with wedding-specific hashtags


• Create a wedding highlight on your profile


• List your business on The Knot and WeddingWire with your best images

Start networking with venues and planners

• Identify five to ten venues within your service radius


• Visit each one with a printed portfolio


• Attend local wedding industry networking events


• Join your regional wedding professional association

Phase 3: Booking Your First Weddings (Months 3-6)

Your first inquiries will come from three sources:

• Your existing retail clients who are getting married


• Social media visibility from styled shoots


• Venue and planner referrals (this builds over time)

Nail the consultation

The consultation is your audition. Come prepared with:

• Your portfolio (printed or on a tablet)


• Seasonal flower samples if possible


• A list of questions about their vision, venue, and priorities


• An understanding of their venue's specific characteristics

After the consultation, send a detailed proposal within 48 hours. Speed signals professionalism.

Book with confidence

Require a signed contract and a 30 to 50 percent deposit to secure the date. Non-negotiable. This protects both parties and filters out clients who are not serious.

Phase 4: Execution Excellence (Ongoing)

The pre-wedding timeline:

• 4 weeks out: Finalize flower order with wholesaler


• 2 weeks out: Confirm all details with the couple


• 1 week out: Confirm delivery access and timeline with venue


• 2-3 days out: Receive and condition flowers


• 1 day out: Complete all arrangements that hold overnight


• Morning of: Finish remaining arrangements, load vehicle, deliver and install

Build your team

You cannot do weddings alone sustainably. For your first year:

• Recruit one to two reliable assistants (fellow florists, floral design students, or detail-oriented friends)


• Pay them fairly ($20 to $30 per hour depending on experience)


• Train them on your quality standards


• Budget their labor into your pricing

Phase 5: Scaling from 10 to 30 Weddings (Year 2+)

Once you have completed 10 weddings with professional photography of each:

• Raise your minimum. Your portfolio now justifies $7,500 or higher.


• Specialize further. Pick the types of weddings you enjoy most and market specifically to that audience.


• Invest in content. Real wedding features, blog posts, and vendor collaborations generate organic inquiries.


• Build recurring venue relationships. Become the recommended florist at two or three key venues.


• Hire, do not just recruit. Bring on a part-time wedding coordinator or lead designer to free you from doing everything yourself.

The Numbers That Matter

Track these metrics from day one:

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Average order value | $5,000+ |
| Gross margin per wedding | 65-70% |
| Booking rate (inquiries to contracts) | 30-50% |
| Client satisfaction (reviews, referrals) | 90%+ |
| Vendor referral rate | 2+ referrals per wedding |

The Path Forward

The retail-to-wedding transition is not about abandoning your shop. It is about building a complementary revenue stream that leverages your existing skills and infrastructure. The florists who succeed treat weddings as a distinct business unit with its own pricing, processes, and growth strategy.

Want the complete system with templates, pricing calculators, and step-by-step video lessons? Enroll in Chic Academy today.