Are Weddings Essential for a Profitable Flower Farm? An Honest Look

For many, the farmer-florist dream evokes images of wandering through blooming fields, handpicking stems for a bride’s bouquet, and crafting magical designs over coffee. While that vision is beautiful, the reality of wedding work is far more demanding. Farmers juggle the pressures of cultivation, customer service, and design, often working long hours to make it all happen.

But here’s the real question: do you need weddings to succeed as a flower farmer?

The answer might surprise you. Weddings can be profitable, but they aren’t the only way to build a thriving flower business. At Sierra Flower Farm, we’ve found success through diversified income streams. And while weddings are part of our story, they aren’t the foundation of our profitability.

Let’s explore why weddings aren’t a necessity and how you can create a sustainable flower farming business that fits your vision—whether that includes weddings or not.

The Farmer-Florist Dream vs. Reality

The idea of being a farmer-florist is alluring—growing blooms and creating designs for the biggest days of someone’s life. But in reality, combining farming and floristry is a monumental task. Farmers already work long hours, and adding the demands of wedding floristry can make your plate overflow quickly.

For some, this combination is a dream come true. For others, it’s a source of stress and burnout. And that’s okay. The beauty of flower farming is that there are multiple paths to success.

Whether you’re drawn to wedding florals or prefer other ways to sell your blooms, it’s worth considering what works best for you and your business goals.

Bouquet Subscriptions: A Core Offering

Bouquet subscriptions have been a cornerstone of Sierra Flower Farm since our very first year. This CSA-inspired model allows our customers to pre-purchase bouquets for a season of blooms, giving them something fresh and beautiful to look forward to each week (or every other week).

The subscription model isn’t just convenient for our members; it also helps us as flower farmers. It provides stability by securing upfront commitments, making planning and growing much more manageable. In fact, during 2020—a year when most weddings and events were canceled—our subscriptions became the lifeline of our business, connecting us with our community in a deeply meaningful way.

For a more detailed breakdown of how we structure our subscriptions and the benefits they offer both flower farmers and customers, check out this blog post on our bouquet subscriptions and this one on CSA models for flower farming.

Custom Orders: Flexibility and Creativity

Custom orders became a larger part of our offerings last season, and they were a fun and rewarding challenge! These requests started later in the summer and continued right through the first frost. One consistent custom order came from a small restaurant that loved having fresh arrangements weekly. While not as elaborate or high-pressure as weddings, these regular orders added up and brought some variety to our design work.

Custom orders are a flexible way to connect with customers. They can range from last-minute mixed bouquets to more elaborate arrangements. If you’re interested in floristry but aren’t ready to dive into weddings or events, custom orders are a great way to dip your toes into designing with flowers.

Tips for Custom Orders:

• Set Minimums: To ensure it’s worth your time, establish minimums for custom orders. For example, our a la carte mixed bouquets are priced higher than our pre-purchased subscription bouquets unless it’s an add-on for an existing subscription member, in which case we extend their discounted rate.

• Be Prepared for Last-Minute Requests: Custom orders can be a fantastic way to move an abundance of blooms quickly, especially when unexpected surpluses occur.

Custom orders can be a wonderful addition to your sales outlets, offering flexibility and the opportunity to flex your creative muscles!

Pop-ups: A Nostalgic and Flexible Sales Strategy

I love pop-ups! These last-minute events bring back nostalgic memories from the early years of Sierra Flower Farm when we relied on them frequently. They’re a fantastic way to move flowers quickly, connect with your community, and experiment with new markets.

One example of a casual pop-up was when we partnered with our local coffee shop. They graciously allowed us to drop off flowers for their customers to purchase. This saved blooms that were originally grown for canceled weddings from ending up in the compost pile. It also introduced us to a new group of customers while requiring minimal effort on our part, as the coffee shop handled the sales. Win-win!

We also hosted more formal pop-ups, like during a local harvest festival. This was a great way to reconnect with our loyal customers and meet new ones. It was a casual setup with buckets of flowers, on-site bouquet-making, and simple displays. After a couple of years away from pop-up events, it was refreshing to dive back in!

One of our most memorable and successful pop-ups was a field event we hosted last October. With the frost delayed and an abundance of flowers, we set up a canopy, sent a last-minute email campaign, and shared the event on social media. The turnout was incredible—it became our most profitable pop-up ever. It was wonderful to chat with neighbors, inspire some to start their own gardens, and welcome new customers into our community.

Pop-ups are a flexible and fun way to sell flowers, and they’re adaptable to whatever your season throws your way.

If you’re curious about hosting your own pop-ups and want actionable tips, check out my full guide on Flower Pop-UpSales for Increased Profits on the Bootstrap Farmer blog.

Vegetable Share: A Pandemic Pivot

Before 2020, I swore I’d never grow vegetables. Then came the chaos of essential vs. nonessential businesses, snowstorms, and empty grocery store shelves. That experience pushed us to launch a vegetable share CSA, pairing weekly deliveries of fresh, nutrient-dense produce with optional flower add-ons. This pivot not only supported our family but also served our community during an uncertain time.

Now, fresh produce has become a staple for us. Offering vegetables alongside flowers has solidified our essential business status and built resilience for our farm. Plus, who knew hakurei turnips would become such a favorite?

While flowers remain at the heart of Sierra Flower Farm, the vegetable share adds a layer of security and peace of mind, ensuring we can continue serving our customers year-round.

Holiday and Off-Season Offerings

The off-season doesn’t mean downtime—it’s an opportunity to get creative! Last year, our holiday sales hit a new high. From pumpkins (which my kids now insist we plant more of!) to wreaths, sugar pinecone swags, and amaryllis kits, the holidays were filled with festive offerings.

Thanksgiving and Christmas wreath orders alone justified investing in a clamping machine, transforming my house into what looked like a forest workshop. These sales not only brought joy to our customers but also helped fund farm upgrades, like a high tunnel.

For Valentine’s Day, we tested hyacinth forcing kits. While they were well-received, the logistical challenges had me dreaming of alternative products—perhaps branded Sierra Flower Farm swag for next year!

Workshops: Sharing the Joy of Flower Farming

Workshops hold a special place in my heart. They’re a chance to teach, connect, and let participants experience the magic of flower farming firsthand.

While 2020 limited opportunities, we hosted a small, late-season workshop at the farm. Watching participants cut flowers in the field and design their own arrangements was incredibly rewarding. It was also a significant milestone, as it marked the first time we opened our field for a public event.

Workshops offer endless possibilities—wreath-making, flower arranging, gardening, and more. They’re an investment in time but one that pays back in connection and creativity.

Selling Without Weddings: A World of Possibilities

Weddings can be a lucrative outlet, but they’re not the only path to profitability. Over the years, we’ve diversified our sales channels to include:

• Farmer’s Markets [insert link]

• Farmstands

• U-Picks

• Dried Flowers

• Collaborations with Chefs or Herbalists

• Bulk Buckets for DIY Customers

• Grocery Store Consignments

• Mobile Flower Trucks or Bars

• Photographer Field Rentals

• Business Florals

Each of these options provides a way to showcase locally grown flowers, connect with your community, and keep your farm financially sustainable—all without the stress of wedding work.

If weddings aren’t your thing, that’s okay! As we’ve proven, there are countless ways to sell flowers that don’t involve designing for big events. Embrace what works for you and your farm. Get creative, experiment, and most importantly, enjoy the process.

If you’ve found a unique way to sell your blooms, I’d love to hear about it. Share your story in the comments below—we’re all here to learn and grow together.

Happy flower farming!

If you’re curious about adding weddings to your flower farming journey, don’t miss our blog post: Why Become aWedding Farmer-Florist? Exploring the Benefits and Rewards. It’s packed with insights to help you decide if weddings fit your farm right!

We are looking forward to sharing more blooms with you soon.

Jessica & Graham