Florist Products Online: How to Buy Bulk Flowers, Greens and Floral Supplies

How do you buy bulk flowers, greens and floral supplies online?

Count your arrangements, order flowers, greens and supplies 2 to 3 weeks before delivery, schedule delivery about 2 days before the event, and hydrate everything the day it lands.

Buying in bulk follows a clear order, and we have been providing fresh flowers and greens since 2007, so here's how to do it.

What you need

• A design list: every bouquet, boutonniere, centerpiece and ceremony piece, with a count for each.
• A sample stem count: the stems, by variety, in one of each arrangement type.
• Two dates: your event date and a delivery date about 2 days before it.
• Prep gear: clean buckets, sharp shears, flower food, floral foam and a cool room out of direct sun.

Steps

1. List every arrangement and how many of each you need.
2. Count the stems in one sample of each arrangement, then multiply by your totals. At our average of $3 to $4 per stem for bulk wedding varieties, that stem total doubles as a quick budget.
3. Check that each variety is available in your event month. Most of our dahlias, for example, run May to September only.
4. Match stem length to the job. Our Gypsophila Bouquet Grade, for example, has slightly shorter stems than standard baby's breath but more flower tops, so it suits full, round hand-tied bouquets and low centerpieces where long stems are not needed.
5. Add greens and supplies to the same order. Fresh flowers and greens ship by FedEx Priority Overnight; supplies ship separately by FedEx Ground, so they may arrive on a different day.
6. Place the order 2 to 3 weeks before your delivery date. You can order up to 120 days ahead, and waiting until under 2 weeks out risks items being unavailable.
7. Set delivery for about 2 days before the event so the flowers can rehydrate and open.
8. Unbox the day the boxes arrive: remove sleeves and cellophane, strip leaves below the water line, recut each stem at least one inch at a 45 degree angle, and stand it in lukewarm water with flower food.
9. Rest the buckets at least 3 to 5 hours, ideally overnight, in a cool room out of direct sun. Roses need at least 12 hours.

One honest gap: no rule of thumb settles the perfect stem count for every table. Vase size and how full you like things change the answer, which is why your own sample count beats a formula. For filler math, our guide on how much baby's breath you need walks through one variety in detail.

Common mistakes

• Refrigerating the flowers: cold damages fresh stems, so keep buckets in a cool, not cold, room.
• Leaving the wrap on: take off sleeves and cellophane before the first drink, not after.
• Guessing the totals: build one sample of each piece and multiply, so you never come up short on the day.