Module 7
Recipes, quantities, sourcing & ordering
A floral recipe is a per-piece stem list by role. Multiply by piece count, add a buffer, convert to bunches, and you have an order. This module takes you from design to a purchase order, and tells you where a DIY-er in coastal Massachusetts can actually buy flowers in late September.
1. Writing a recipe
A recipe looks like this:
Low compote, hydrangea-led (×15)
6 Limelight hydrangea heads (focal) · 3 ivory lisianthus (secondary) · 2 white aster or feverfew (filler) · 4 airy (panicum / explosion grass / scabiosa pods) · 6 foliage (3 seeded eucalyptus, 3 olive)
Vessel: 10-in painted footed compote, liner, weight, wire dome. Finished 16 × 10 in.
6 Limelight hydrangea heads (focal) · 3 ivory lisianthus (secondary) · 2 white aster or feverfew (filler) · 4 airy (panicum / explosion grass / scabiosa pods) · 6 foliage (3 seeded eucalyptus, 3 olive)
Vessel: 10-in painted footed compote, liner, weight, wire dome. Finished 16 × 10 in.
Every piece type gets one. The sample build from the dress rehearsal sets the numbers; until then use the table below. Keep recipes in one document with a photo of the sample next to each.
2. Stem counts by piece
| Piece | Focal | Secondary | Filler | Airy | Foliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridal bouquet, garden style | 8–12 | 8–10 | 5–8 | 5–8 | 6–10 | With hydrangea as focal, 3–4 heads replace 8–12 stems |
| Bridesmaid bouquet | 4–6 | 4–6 | 3–4 | 3–4 | 3–5 | Medium is the safe DIY size |
| Boutonniere | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1 | 1 | 1–2 | One spray rose stem yields 3–5 bouts |
| Corsage | 2–3 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1 | 2 | |
| Low compote, 8–10 in | 5–7 big heads or 10–15 mixed | 5–8 | 4–6 | 4–6 | 6–10 | Big-head flowers halve the count |
| Bud vase | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1 | 0–1 | 1–3 stems total; mostly scraps |
| Cocktail table vase | 0–1 | — | — | 1 | — | Same crate as bud vases |
| Medium station piece (bar counter, cigar, charcuterie accent) | 8–12 | 6–8 | 5–6 | 5–6 | 8–10 | Or a bouquet-to-vase of 15–25 |
| Large urn / ceremony arrangement | 25–40 | 15–20 | 10–15 | 12–15 | 20–30 incl. branches | Florist scope in your plan |
| Aisle meadow cluster (hybrid) | 3–5 fresh heads + faux | — | — | 5–8 fresh in tubes | faux + 3–5 fresh | Faux body built ahead |
| Arch, two-corner, foam-free | 40–60 | 20–30 | 15–20 | 15–20 | 8–12 bunches | Not in your plan |
| Garland, fresh, per foot | — | — | — | — | 2–3 bunches per 10 ft for a slim garland, double for full |
3. From recipe to order
- Multiply each recipe by its piece count and total by role, then by specific flower.
- Add the buffer: 15% (10% minimum). It covers the stems that arrive broken, the heads that open badly, the color you sort out, and the helper who cuts something short. Hydrangea from a garden: budget 20% because a head you reject at the bush costs nothing but a head you reject at the table costs a bowl.
- Convert to the seller's unit. Wholesale bunches are usually 10 stems (roses often 25, spray roses 10, lisianthus 10, eucalyptus by weight or "bunch," grasses 10, hydrangea by stem). Round up to whole bunches.
- Sanity-check against piece count using the calculator, which uses mid-range counts from the table above.
- Write the order with substitutions: "ivory lisianthus, or champagne lisianthus, or white spray rose." A wholesaler will swap without asking if you do not say.
Worked example for a 15-table program with garden hydrangea as the focal and purchased secondary stems:
| Item | Per piece | Pieces | Subtotal | +15% | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrangea heads (garden) | 6 | 15 bowls | 90 | +20% = 108 | Cut 110; plus station and aisle pieces |
| Ivory lisianthus | 3 | 15 bowls + 2 bar | 51 | 59 | 6 bunches of 10 |
| White aster / feverfew | 2 | 17 | 34 | 40 | 4 bunches |
| Airy (panicum, explosion grass, scabiosa pods) | 4 bowls, 1.5 bud vases | 17 bowls, 42 vases | 131 | 151 | 15 bunches, mixed |
| Seeded eucalyptus | 3 | 17 | 51 | 59 | 6 bunches |
| Olive | 3 | 17 | 51 | 59 | 6 bunches |
| Fresh for six aisle hybrids | 4 heads + 6 airy + 3 foliage | 6 | 24 heads, 36 airy, 18 foliage | 28 / 42 / 21 | Heads from garden; 4 bunches airy; 2 bunches foliage |
These are placeholder counts to show the arithmetic. Replace every "per piece" number with your dress-rehearsal count.
4. What is in season for your date
5. Where to buy
| Source | Pros | Cons | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local flower farms | Best seasonal focal flowers, grasses, seed heads and foliage you can get; cut a day before; the farmer will advise; many sell "DIY buckets" of 70–100 mixed stems | Weather-dependent; limited variety; must be arranged months ahead | Find farms through the ASCFG member directory, a web search for "flower farm DIY buckets" plus your region, and farmers' markets. Contact in the off-season; ask about buckets and event orders for your date; confirm in writing two months out. |
| Regional wholesale flower market | Everything, cheap, same-day | Usually trade only; you need a florist's account or a friend in the trade | Ask a florist whether they will add your order to theirs for a handling fee. Many will. This is the best option if available. Some wholesalers now run public "DIY" days or online storefronts; ask. |
| Online bulk, farm-direct (FiftyFlowers, Flower Moxie, Blooms by the Box, Bloomingmore, GlobalRose) | Reliable, huge variety, DIY-oriented, delivery on a set date, tutorials and recipes; Flower Moxie delivers three days before your date by design | Shipping cold-chain is the hidden cost; flowers arrive dry and need a full day; no dahlias or delicate locals; compare total landed cost | Use for lisianthus, spray roses, eucalyptus, olive, bulk grasses, and a backup hydrangea order. Order 6–8 weeks ahead, deliver T-3 (Wednesday for Saturday). |
| Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's) | Cheap roses, eucalyptus, some bulk wedding packs; local pickup | Limited choice; quality varies; must prep; often tight delivery windows | Backup for roses and eucalyptus; order online 2–3 weeks ahead; pick up T-3. |
| Trader Joe's and grocery | Practice flowers, emergency fill | Not an event source | All winter practice, and the Saturday-morning "we are short three stems" run. |
| Your own garden and friends' gardens | Free, local, the right stage of maturity | Weather; you are the farmer | Hydrangea, foliage, herbs, grasses and seed heads are the most reliable garden contributions. Count plants a season ahead and keep a purchased backup. |
6. The ordering timeline
| When | Do |
|---|---|
| 12 to 6 months out | Write recipes from practice builds. Photograph test pieces in the real light. Decide fresh vs. faux vs. dried for every piece. |
| 6 to 8 months out | Contact farms; ask about DIY buckets and event orders for your date. Ask a florist about adding to their wholesale order. Sample an online bulk supplier with a small order to test quality and shipping. |
| 3 months out | Final recipe after the last practice build. Count garden plants and expected stems. |
| 6–8 weeks out | Place online bulk orders for delivery at T-3. Confirm farm orders in writing with quantities and pickup date. |
| 2–3 weeks out | Cut and dry any material for station pieces. Confirm everything; check that nothing is listed as short. |
| T-5, T-4 | Buy hardy foliage locally if not shipped. Set up the processing station. Clear the fridges. |
| T-3 | Deliveries arrive. Process everything. Cut hardy garden material. |
| T-2 | Farm pickup. Cut the second wave of garden material. Build hardy pieces. |
| T-1 | Cut the last garden wave at dawn. Build centerpieces, bud vases, personal flowers. |
7. A budget reality check
Wholesale and bulk prices move, but for planning: lisianthus and spray roses run roughly $1.50–3 per stem online in bulk, eucalyptus and olive $12–25 per bunch, grasses and airy stems $8–20 per bunch, dahlias from a farm $2–4 per stem, commercial hydrangea $4–8 per head. A DIY dining program of the size in your plan, with garden hydrangea, typically lands between $700 and $1,400 in purchased stems plus $200–400 in supplies the first time (buckets, wire, tubes, food, tape, frogs), most of which you now own. Shipping on bulk orders is often $50–150 per order; consolidate into one or two.
The way to cut cost is not cheaper flowers; it is fewer, bigger moments and a hydrangea-heavy recipe, which is exactly the design you already have.
8. Do: write your order
- Write a recipe card for every piece type you are making: each centerpiece style, bud vase, every station piece, aisle or urn piece, and any personal flowers.
- Run the calculator with your piece counts and write down the totals.
- Draft the order in bunches by supplier: garden, farm, online bulk, florist add-on.
- Send one inquiry to a local farm and one to a florist about piggybacking on their wholesale order. Note the answers in the recipe document.
Read
- FiftyFlowers, how many flowers do I need for a wedding and their kits vs. bulk comparison.
- Bloomingmore wedding flower calculator (stem counts per piece).
- Flower Moxie on where to buy bulk wedding flowers online (read the landed-cost warning).
- Poppy, fall wedding flowers guide and dahlia wedding flowers guide.
- Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers: member directory to find farms near Marblehead.