Corsages and buttonholes are easy to underprice. They are small designs and customers expect them to be at a low price point, and because a florist can make several in an hour, there's a temptation to treat them as a volume product with thin margins.
This is a mistake — and one that carries across all your wedding orders, which will impact profits.
Priced correctly, corsage work is genuinely profitable. The key is having a clear formula that accounts for every cost — and a technique that doesn't eat into your skill time unnecessarily.
Gluing vs Wiring: Why We Recommend Gluing
Before we get to pricing, it's worth addressing one of the most debated questions in corsage making: do you wire or glue?
Both methods work — but for some florists running a busy business, gluing wins on the time factor of make-up and design (skill fee), and time is your most valuable cost.
Wiring is the traditional approach and still favoured by some highly trained professionals. It gives a lot of control and is better for heavier flowers that need additional support. But it's time consuming and requires more skill.
Gluing — using a floral adhesive — is faster, more flexible, and increasingly the method of choice among professional florists. Once you find your rhythm, you can produce beautiful, consistent corsages significantly quicker than wiring. This will directly reduce your skill costs per piece and improve your margin.
"Once you get into the rhythm of gluing, the speed difference is significant."
If you're new to gluing or want to refine your technique, here are some essential tips that professional florists recommend:
Gluing technique: essential tips
- →Cold glue vs hot glue: Cold floral adhesive is best for fresh flowers as heat can damage petals. For silk and faux flowers, hot glue works perfectly and bonds fast — making it the go-to for all-faux corsage/buttonhole work.
- →Use a non-stick surface: Squeeze glue onto a ceramic tile or non-stick tray to create a reusable puddle.
- →Less is more: Start small — floral adhesive dries quickly and you can always add more.
- →Glue both surfaces: Apply adhesive to both pieces before joining for a stronger bond.
- →Wait for tack: Cold glue works best once slightly tacky — count to ten before pressing into place.
- →Room temperature matters: Make sure flowers are at room temperature — condensation affects adhesion.
- →Allow to set: Let corsages rest for 10–12 minutes before refrigerating or boxing — glue won't set in a humid environment.
- →Wire heavier elements first: For heavier flowers or greenery, wire for stability then glue lighter blooms on top.
- →Prep silk elements in advance: Build the silk and faux parts of the corsage well ahead of time, then add any fresh elements at the last minute.
The plastic attachment disc on Corsage Creations wristlets is specifically designed for glue application. For added grip, lightly roughen the surface before gluing. Watch the full technique in our step-by-step video: youtu.be/8ABjbhKQqp4.
The True Cost Formula
When retail pricing corsage work and buttonholes, always include all materials, accessories and a cost to cover basic sundries. The full picture includes three areas to cover:
- Flowers & Foliage (fresh, preserved, or faux)
- Sundries: wristlet, ribbon, accessories, pins, floral adhesive, box etc
- Skill: the time to design, make, and quality-check each piece.
A Worked Example: Faux Wrist Corsage (Glue Method)
Here is an example using faux flowers and the gluing method — one of the most margin-friendly combinations because there's minimal wastage, faster production, and you can make corsages days in advance.
Cost breakdown — single faux wrist corsage (glue method)
With faux flowers from a quality trade supplier, your wastage factor is minimal. Every stem you order is a stem you use. Combined with the time saving from gluing, faux flowers and floral adhesive together are the most margin-efficient approach for volume corsage work.
Faux/artificial flowers are also significantly lighter than fresh, which makes them much easier to work with in corsage construction. The reduced weight means designs sit better on the wristlet, hold their shape more reliably throughout the day, and are quicker to assemble.
A particularly effective technique is to make all the faux elements of a corsage in advance and simply add fresh flowers at the last minute if the client wants that touch of freshness.
Presenting Your Pricing With Confidence
The biggest margin-killer isn't your cost formula — it's discounting under pressure. Here are three principles that help:
Price from cost, not from what competitors charge. You don't know their cost base. A competitor's price tells you nothing about whether they're profitable. Build your price from your formula, then check whether it's competitive.
Never apologise for your prices to your customers — be confident, polite and explain the value (quality, reliability, keepsake potential) of the design you will be creating for them, and most customers will accept it. Remember that you are the skilled expert.
Examples of Retail Pricing
Tiered pricing for corsage work
- →Entry level (£15–£20): Simple wrist corsage using 1–2 faux flower heads on a basic wristlet with ribbon. Quick to make, ideal for budget-conscious prom customers or volume orders where simplicity is key.
- →Mid-range (£20–£35): More complex design using 3–5 stems, mixed foliage, and decorative ribbon or diamanté detail. The most popular for prom orders — good margin, good perceived value.
- →Premium (£45+): High-end faux or preserved flowers, intricate design, luxury wristlet, and finishing touches such as pearl sprays, feathers or fresh flower additions. Positioned as a keepsake piece as much as an accessory.
- →Buttonhole (faux / preserved) £12–£30: depending on complexity.
- →Delivery charge (if required): Costed separately, never absorbed in the retail price of the flowers.
Your time, your skill, and your reliability have value. Price them accordingly.