Atlanta’s floral retail market reflects the city’s vibrant event culture, warm climate, and the sustained demand generated by one of the Southeast’s most active wedding and celebration markets, with florists serving everything from same-day personal arrangements to the elaborate floral installations that characterize Atlanta’s charity gala and corporate event scene. The metro area supports a wide range of floral retail operators from multi-generational family florists who have served Atlanta’s neighborhoods for decades to boutique studio florists who work exclusively on event design for the wedding and corporate markets. Atlanta’s warm climate, with its relatively mild winters compared to northern markets, extends the practical usability of outdoor floral arrangements and garden-inspired designs for most of the year, sustaining demand that might otherwise be compressed into shorter seasonal windows. The city’s film and television production industry generates specialized floral demand for production sets and prop styling that has developed expertise at several Atlanta florists in large-scale custom installation work. Atlanta’s active charitable fundraising circuit, which produces dozens of black-tie gala events annually through organizations serving the medical, arts, and social service sectors, creates concentrated demand for high-end event florals that sustains the city’s premium floral design operations.
When selecting a florist in Atlanta, look for designers who can describe their sourcing practices and preferred flower varieties for specific seasonal conditions, demonstrating actual horticultural knowledge rather than simply processing orders through wholesale catalogs. Reputable Atlanta florists provide photographs of their actual work rather than only stock images, and should be able to reference specific events they have designed in Atlanta as evidence of their ability to execute your requirements. Red flags include florists who cannot provide substitution policies for unavailable flowers and who do not discuss how seasonal availability affects the specific designs you are considering, as flower availability fluctuates significantly and a professional florist manages this reality transparently rather than promising flowers without qualification. Georgia does not require special licensure for retail floral sales, but membership in the Society of American Florists and participation in FTD or Teleflora networks indicates a florist’s commitment to professional standards and their access to the reliable nationwide delivery and referral infrastructure these organizations provide. For wedding florals specifically, requesting a detailed written proposal that specifies flower varieties, colors, quantities, and the specific pieces included ensures you understand exactly what you are agreeing to purchase rather than relying on visual approximations in inspiration photos that may not reflect the actual scope.
Top Florist Companies in Atlanta
1. Carithers Flowers
Address: 2030 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 378, Atlanta, GA 30339
Phone: (678) 401-2986
Website: https://www.carithers.com
Hours: Monday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Services:
- Custom fresh flower arrangements
- Same-day flower delivery across Atlanta metro
- Wedding and event florals
- Sympathy and funeral arrangements
- Holiday and seasonal designs
- Corporate account floral services
- Gift baskets and plant arrangements
About: Carithers Flowers has earned recognition as Atlanta’s Best Florist through the Consumer Choice Award for 25 consecutive years from 1999 through 2024, as well as Atlanta Magazine and Atlanta Journal-Constitution Readers’ Choice honors, building a reputation as the metro area’s most consistently recognized family-owned floral operation across more than five decades of Atlanta service. The florist’s same-day delivery coverage spanning Atlanta, Buckhead, Decatur, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, and dozens of additional metro communities reflects the geographic breadth of their delivery infrastructure, which serves the full metro area rather than limiting same-day service to the city’s core zip codes. Carithers’ wedding floral portfolio, developed through more than 50 years of Atlanta wedding work, represents the deep experience with the specific venues, lighting conditions, and design preferences of the Atlanta market that newer florists cannot replicate. The combination of consistent award recognition, same-day delivery capability, and the institutional depth of a multi-decade family-owned operation makes Carithers the benchmark against which other Atlanta florists are often measured by buyers who have researched the city’s floral options.
2. Gresham’s Florist of Atlanta
Address: 270 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 522-3215
Website: https://www.greshamsatlantaflorist.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Services:
- European, high-style, exotic, and traditional arrangements
- Same-day delivery in Atlanta
- Wedding and event florals
- Corporate account services
- Sympathy and funeral arrangements
- Seasonal and holiday designs
About: Gresham’s Florist of Atlanta holds the distinction of being the oldest flower shop in the city, operating since 1913 from its downtown Atlanta location on Peachtree Street where more than a century of continuous operation has made it an institutional part of Atlanta’s commercial history. The family-owned heritage and the 110-plus-year operational continuity represent a depth of Atlanta market knowledge, supplier relationship, and neighborhood trust that newer floral operations cannot claim, making Gresham’s a particularly appropriate choice for buyers who value the context of purchasing from the city’s oldest continuously operating business in any retail category. The downtown Peachtree Street location provides convenient access for Atlanta’s central business district corporate accounts, hotel properties, and event venues that require reliable floral service for regular corporate and hospitality occasions. Gresham’s European and high-style design capabilities alongside traditional arrangement formats serve the full spectrum of Atlanta floral occasions from the understated corporate desk arrangement to the elaborate event installation, reflecting the versatility that a century of diverse Atlanta clients has developed within the operation.
3. Botany Bay Florist
Address: 6068 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30328
Phone: (404) 255-3340
Website: https://www.botanybayflorist.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Services:
- Premium fresh flower arrangements
- Same-day delivery in Atlanta metro
- Wedding and sympathy florals
- Seasonal and signature collections
- Corporate floral services
- Everyday and occasion arrangements
About: Botany Bay Florist operates from its Roswell Road location in Sandy Springs, providing the North Atlanta residential communities of Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Dunwoody, and the surrounding Northside neighborhoods with premium floral design and same-day delivery that serves the active household and social gifting culture of this affluent corridor. The florist’s seven-day availability, including Sunday hours until 7:00 PM that few Atlanta florists maintain, serves buyers whose weekend social occasions require same-day or next-morning floral delivery outside the standard retail hours that most competitors observe. Sandy Springs’ concentration of high-income households with active entertaining and gifting traditions creates a sustained demand base for premium floral design that supports Botany Bay’s full-service operation across everyday, sympathy, wedding, and corporate floral categories. The breadth of the florist’s collection categories, spanning sympathy arrangements through premium signature collections, reflects the range of floral occasions that North Atlanta clients bring to a single trusted provider rather than distributing their floral needs across multiple specialized operators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How far in advance should I order wedding flowers from an Atlanta florist?
A: Atlanta florists recommend securing your wedding florist at least eight to twelve months before your wedding date, particularly for peak season weddings in April through June and September through November when Atlanta’s most experienced wedding florists fill their available dates quickly. Initial consultations with florists like Carithers and Gresham’s typically begin with an exploration of your vision and budget range, followed by a formal proposal specifying the flower varieties, quantities, and pieces included in the wedding florals. The specific flower varieties you envision for your wedding should be confirmed against seasonal availability with your florist, as some blooms have limited Atlanta-area availability in certain months and professional florists will advise you on available alternatives that maintain your design intent. Deposit requirements at Atlanta wedding florists typically range from 25 to 50 percent of the total, with the balance due closer to the event date.
Q: What is the typical price range for flower arrangements in Atlanta?
A: Basic fresh flower bouquets and small arrangements at Atlanta florists including Carithers, Gresham’s, and Botany Bay typically range from $40 to $100 for everyday gifting occasions, with premium arrangements and larger-scale designs running $100 to $300 for significant personal occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. Wedding florals represent the highest investment tier, where Atlanta florists typically price bridal bouquets at $150 to $400, centerpieces at $75 to $300 each depending on design complexity and flower selection, and ceremony installations at $500 to $2,000 or more for elaborate arches and altar designs. Corporate account pricing at Atlanta florists for weekly office arrangements typically runs $75 to $200 per weekly service depending on the arrangement size and frequency, with corporate accounts often qualifying for discounted pricing relative to one-time order pricing. Same-day delivery fees typically add $15 to $25 to the arrangement cost at most Atlanta florists.
Q: What flowers are best suited to Atlanta’s climate for outdoor events?
A: Atlanta’s warm and humid summer climate creates challenging conditions for many delicate flower varieties in outdoor events from June through August, with heat and humidity causing rapid wilting in roses, peonies, and other temperature-sensitive blooms when used in unrefrigerated outdoor settings. Hardy varieties including dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, amaranthus, and tropical foliage handle Atlanta summer conditions more reliably in outdoor applications. For spring Atlanta weddings, cherry blossoms and garden roses are available and popular but require professional refrigeration management until the moment of installation. Atlanta florists experienced in outdoor events, including the experienced teams at Carithers and Botany Bay, advise clients on variety selection that will hold up to the specific climate conditions anticipated for their event date, applying the practical knowledge of Atlanta’s seasonal conditions that only years of local event experience develops.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s floral market provides exceptional service across everyday gifting and major event florals through Carithers Flowers’ Powers Ferry Road operation recognized as Atlanta’s Best Florist for 25 consecutive years with comprehensive same-day metro delivery, Gresham’s Florist of Atlanta’s 110-plus-year Peachtree Street institution as the city’s oldest flower shop serving downtown Atlanta and corporate accounts, and Botany Bay Florist’s Sandy Springs Roswell Road location delivering premium arrangements with seven-day availability including rare Sunday evening hours until 7:00 PM. Contacting any of these Atlanta florists directly to discuss your specific occasion, timing, and budget is the most reliable first step toward the fresh flower designs that define Atlanta’s celebration culture.