Get your own florist. One of the first steps to making flower-giving easier is to befriend a good, dependable florist. A good florist can walk you through your choices for any occasion, regardless of whether it’s a fancy store or a supermarket stand. To find the man or woman who will be "your" florist and confidant, ask women who get lots of flowers. Back to Index

A starting point to finding a good florist is to ask female co-workers, female friends, or get recommendations from the local BBB office. Once you have a couple of recommendations, consider stopping by the shop for a full-dress inspection. Ideally, the folks at your florist should be knowledgeable and helpful. If they’re not helpful or concerned about your occasion for giving flowers, move on.   Back to Index

Making the purchase. Once you have your great florist, the rest is actually pretty easy. If you’re picking up the flowers yourself, simply tell your florist how much you’d like to spend and the types of flowers or colors you’d like to incorporate in your arrangement. Specify if you’d like a formal or informal arrangement, or let the florist know what the occasion is. A good florist will help you choose each flower and work within your style and budget.

Making a purchase by phone. Of course, in a perfect world, all men would have the time to walk over to their florist and personally choose every flower that goes into Ms. Right’s arrangement. Since don’t live in that world, consider picking up the phone to your trusted florist and saying that all important phrase known to all florists "…HELP!!!". For same day delivery, call as early as possible.   Back to Index

When placing an order, consider your budget and the types of flowers or colors you’d like to give. Give this information to your florist. If you’re ordering an assortment of flowers rather than a bouquet of one type, the florist will list the flowers in stock that meet your description and match your budget. You’re unlikely to recognize any of the names mentioned, so just go with the florists recommendations.

Once you’ve agreed to the types of flowers, consider doing a final check. Tell your florist what you were hoping the arrangement would say (i.e., impressive, modest, etc.) or just describe the occasion. Ask your florist whether the arrangement you’ve just ordered matches your description or the occasion. A good florist will not try to sell you more than you need, but will be frank if your budget doesn’t match your expectations. If you find that the product isn’t "enough" and you can’t move up on the dollars, ask your florist to recommend less expensive flowers in the same color category.   Back to Index

Before you hang up, be sure to give your florist all the delivery details, i.e. name, address, company name, direct dial telephone number. If the flowers will be delivered to your lady’s workplace, be sure to tell the florist her particular department, working hours, whether there are any restrictions on delivery hours or access, etc. and remember to be accurate.

Finally, realize that placing flower orders on any holiday, but particularly Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, requires early action. One day or two early may not be early enough. Consider placing your order (and then confirming) a week before a major flower holiday. Otherwise, you’re likely to pay more, get less (or worse, whatever others rejected) or risk spending all night combing the supermarket florists for the last wilted red rose in town.   Back to Index

Ordering flowers for your out-of-town lady. Ordering flowers in another town is tricky. However, you can’t rely on your new trusted florist to ensure that the flowers you pay for will be the flowers she gets.

Remember, florists are people too. If you're a loyal customer, not skimp or "beat down" on price or otherwise become difficult, your florist will reward you in kind. Nothing beats the personal touch that only a professional florist can provide.   Back to Index