Marigold for Diwali, Navratri and weddings: planning flower orders

This guide helps flower wholesalers and temple, event and retail buyers plan marigold and other Indian flower orders for the festival and wedding season. It covers when to book, how to choose between loose flowers and garlands, when wet-pack makes sense, and how to size volumes so you are neither short nor stuck with stock.

The 2024 calendar and why it matters

Indian festival flowers are bought against fixed dates. Demand inside India peaks on the same days as demand abroad, so the wholesale markets in Delhi get tight exactly when your orders need to be filled. For autumn 2024 the key dates are:

Communities abroad do not all celebrate Diwali on the same day this year. Some follow 31 October and some 1 November, depending on local calendars and temple guidance. Ask your largest customers which date they are planning around and make sure the flowers land at least a day before the earlier one.

The wedding season usually opens after Dev Uthani Ekadashi, which falls on 12 November in 2024. Demand then runs in waves around auspicious dates into December.

Lead times: when to confirm

Flowers are bought fresh in the wholesale market on or just before the day they fly. What needs lead time is everything around them: market allocation, packing material, and above all aircraft space, which is heavily booked in the run-up to Diwali.

A workable rhythm:

• 3–4 weeks before the event: confirm indicative volumes per item and per arrival date, so your supplier can plan market buying and garland making.
• 2 weeks before: fix flight options and cargo bookings. Space on popular routes out of Delhi fills early in late October.
• 3–5 days before departure: confirm final quantities. Small adjustments are normal; large late increases are hard to fill at festival time.
• Departure day: flowers bought, graded, packed and tendered to the cargo terminal for the planned flight.

Garlands take more time than loose flowers because they are strung by hand. Large garland orders for Diwali and weddings should be confirmed earlier than loose marigold.

Loose flowers or garlands

Loose marigold

African marigold (Tagetes erecta) in orange and yellow is the backbone of festival demand. Loose heads are sold by weight. They suit buyers who string their own garlands locally, retail in small bags, or use petals for rangoli and decoration.

• Specify colour split (orange, yellow, mixed) and flower size.
• Ask for fresh, fully open but firm heads, with no browning at the petal edges.
• Loose heads pack densely, which keeps freight cost per kilo of flowers reasonable.

Garlands and strings

Ready garlands (malas) and strings (ladis) save labour at destination but are bulkier, so they cost more in freight per unit. They are bought by length, by piece or by bundle.

• Specify length, thickness, colour pattern and whether ends are tied or open.
• For door torans and decorations, send a photo of the design you want.
• Ask how garlands will be packed to avoid crushing; usually coiled in cartons with ventilation.

Other flowers

Roses (loose petals or stems), jasmine (mogra), tuberose (rajnigandha) and other traditional flowers are often added to marigold orders. Jasmine is very perishable and is usually only practical on short, direct routes.

Wet-pack or dry-pack

Dry-pack is the norm for loose marigold, petals and garlands. Flowers go into ventilated cartons or perforated bags, kept cool and shaded. They travel lighter and cheaper.

Wet-pack means stems are kept in water or a hydrating medium in buckets or sealed sleeves. It helps for stemmed flowers such as roses or tuberose spikes on longer routes, and it costs more:

• Water and buckets add weight and volume, and you pay air freight on all of it.
• Airlines have packaging rules for liquids; leaks can lead to refused cargo. Your forwarder must confirm what each carrier accepts.
• Wet-pack boxes need careful handling and upright stowage.

For most festival marigold business, dry-pack with good cooling is the sensible choice.

Keeping flowers fresh in transit

• Buy early in the morning, grade quickly and keep flowers out of the sun.
• Cool before packing. Warm flowers packed tight heat up and wilt or rot.
• Ventilate. Marigold heads and garlands respire and sweat in closed bags.
• Keep away from ripening fruit. Ethylene from fruit shortens flower life.
• Book direct or short-connection flights and ask your clearing agent to collect promptly on arrival.

Planning volumes ahead

Running out of marigold two days before Diwali means lost sales. Holding too much means waste, because loose flowers last only a few days after arrival. Some practical rules:

• Start from last year's sell-through, by item and by day, then adjust for this year's dates. When Diwali falls across two days, demand spreads out.
• Split orders into two or three arrivals. For example, one consignment for Dhanteras and early buyers, one for Diwali itself.
• Pre-sell where you can. Temples, event planners and restaurants often confirm needs in advance. Locking them in lets you order with less guesswork.
• Agree a small buffer that your supplier can add at final confirmation if retail demand runs ahead.
• Plan wedding volumes separately. Wedding orders come in bulk and by date; ask planners for firm numbers before you commit.

Documents and market rules

Cut flowers need a phytosanitary certificate for most destinations, issued in India for each consignment. Some markets inspect flowers at the border for pests, and an interception can mean destruction of the lot at the importer's cost. Clean grading at origin is the best protection. Check your own import permits or registrations before peak season, since processing slows when everyone is importing at once.

Before you order

• Event dates and the arrival date you need, for each consignment.
• Items, colours, sizes and garland designs, with photos.
• Loose vs garland split and dry-pack or wet-pack choice.
• Indicative volumes 3–4 weeks out; final volumes 3–5 days out.
• Flight routing, cargo booking and your clearing agent ready.
• Import permits checked before the rush.

If you're planning marigold or garlands for Diwali or the wedding season, send us your items, volumes, arrival dates and destination airport and we'll come back with a written quote.