5 TIPS TO GIVING THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY FLOWERS
Oh yes, indeed, Valentine’s Day will be soon upon us!! You may have a partner who insists that they do not care about Valentine’s Day and couldn’t care less about receiving flowers! Well then…by golly…this is the darn tootin’ perfect time to catch them by surprise with flowers! Perhaps, your partner absolutely LOVES to be gifted flowers and, if that’s the case, I promise that the quality of the arrangement and the color palette WILL be noticed by that person. Here are our tips on how to maximize impact and meaning with your Valentine’s Day flower delivery:
STAY LOCAL
When searching for a flower shop in Portland who delivers, we want to encourage you to order your flowers from shops who take great pride in their unique designs and to avoid ordering from online entities such as FTD, 1-800-Flowers, Teleflora and Avas Flowers. Back in the day, I worked an assembly line creating flower arrangements for these websites and I can tell you, from the wisdom of direct experience, that you are not receiving fresh flowers artfully crafted by professional designers. You’re bound to encounter problems with freshness, customer service, hidden fees, and the misleading size of the arrangement you think you are ordering. Product photos on these websites tend to have all of the flowers moved forwards toward the camera so that all of the blooms within the arrangement can be seen in the foreground. In reality, those blooms will be dispersed all the way around and look much more sparse and lack-luster upon delivery.
Local Portland flower shops also offer the same convenient online ordering as the larger national chains! These local florists will have thoughtfully created their own designs, taken accurate photos and allow you to order with ease online. There will also be the option to call in an order if you want something more customized than what you are seeing online. Staying local also allows you to have a more reliable line of communication in case you have specific flower delivery instructions or need to make changes to your order.
2. ORDER EARLY
Even with the best of intentions and plans, Valentine’s Day will be sure to sneak up on you. When the day arrives and you acknowledge, regretfully, that flower delivery would have been the right move, you may reach out to your local Portland florist in an act of desperation. Let me tell you…Valentine’s Day is a ZOO at flower shops. You may be able to get your hands on some blooms, but the most stunning blooms will already be out for delivery and the florist may not have time to take on additional custom delivery orders. Order your Valentine’s Day flowers several weeks in advance to ensure you have first pick of the best blooms and a guaranteed-to-be-grateful partner this year on Valentine’s Day.
3. TRUST YOUR DESIGNER
This may seem obvious, but not all florists have the same eye for design, taste in flowers, and experience. You’re paying for a professional service, so you should not be bothered to, or feel the need to, micromanage the design or be worried about the resulting quality. Floral designers work best when they are given your trust and it is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Browse their designs and when you find a florist who best serves your desired aesthetic, employ them with confidence and give them free rein! Floral designers truly appreciate that and it will generally result in them providing a bigger bang for your buck as they become absorbed and carried away in artfully designing with creative freedom. Once you have met your match, save that florist to your contacts as you’re sure to need flowers again. Flower shops greatly value regular and returning customers and endeavor to retain these valuable customers through unwavering excellence in both quality of product and customer service.
4. THINK UNIQUE
Valentine’s Day tends to be oversaturated with the same designs and colors. I’m talkin’ red roses and baby’s breath. Don’t be afraid to stray from the standard issue dozen or two dozen long-stemmed red roses. We promise that your lover will not mind the surprise of gorgeous, yet unfamiliar, blooms or unusual color combinations. One of our favorite color schemes for a more sophisticated flower delivery design is a MONOCHROMATIC palette. This means the flower arrangement will consist of blooms that are all tints, tones or shades of the same general hue, creating a strikingly elegant look that won’t disappoint.
You can check out some of our floral designs that err on the side of monochromatic here!
5. MAKE IT PERSONAL
Don’t let sending flowers become a thoughtless path to finding an easy way out of your gift giving obligations…again, don’t just send red roses and baby’s breath….UNLESS that happens to be the tried and trued key to unlocking your partner’s sentimental soul. Giving a gift, even flowers, is all about the personalization for your special someone. This is your chance to show that you ARE paying attention to the details! Spend some time considering your partner’s preferences for design aesthetics and color palettes. What hues and shades of color do they tend to turn to when dressing for an exciting occasion or when decorating their favorite spaces? Do they receive any magazines or monitor a specific blog closely? Perhaps you’ve noticed a florist that they follow on social media - check out that florist’s style! If you are still clueless or if the idea of doing this research is overwhelming, it’s totally acceptable to tell your florist that you’d like some input. Answer a few questions and the florist will be on their way to creating a unique botanical masterpiece, custom tailored for your Valentine!