When you’re a boyfriend, husband, or partner, flowers are nearly always a safe bet for a gesture that says congratulations, sorry, or “I love you.” If you’re going to purchase a floral arrangement for your lady, however, you want to avoid several common mistakes that men too often commit.
Do NOT Choose the Wrong Florist
Whatever you do, don’t buy flowers from a supermarket or convenience store. They’re rarely (if ever) fresh. They’re also overpriced, yet look extremely cheap.
We recommend buying online or from a local floral shop. If you run a quick Google search for flowers, you’ll find a ton of popular names and websites that are backed by large organizations with deep pockets.
Unfortunately, it’s rare that one of these firms will actually arrange and deliver the flowers you order from them. In most cases, they’re actually nothing more than a marketing company that operates as a “processing hub.”
You place your order with them, and they forward it to a local florist in the area. This gives you absolutely no control over who prepares your gift flower arrangement.
Most online florists feature fairly generic arrangements and when the flowers show up, they rarely arrive as fresh as they could be.
Local florists, such as Flowers for Dreams, are different. They offer fresh delivery within hours of ordering. Plus, because you’re ordering from the same company that builds the arrangement, you can easily communicate custom wishes and ideas directly to them.
Do NOT Buy Without a Budget
It’s always a good idea to go into any purchasing decision with a budget. Flowers aren’t apt to break the bank, but you also don’t want to encounter a huge surprise.
If you plan on spending $100, let the florist know. This will empower them to maximize your budget for the best possible arrangement at that price.
Do NOT Select a Generic Arrangement
Most florists have a few pre-designed arrangements they sell at a flat rate. These are usually generic and low-cost. Although the price might be attractive, you can usually get something much more custom-looking at a similar price point.
Take a little time to speak with the florist and communicate more precisely what you want. Even if you don’t know flowers, perhaps you can tell the florist your partner’s favorite colors and the expert can use that information to create something special.
Do NOT Forget About Accessories
You can’t only send flowers and assume the recipient will have or know everything they need to keep them alive. That’s the reason we recommend including a vase in every order.
It doesn’t cost that much more, and it makes things easier on the person who receives the floral arrangement. All they have to do is add water and decide where to display the gift.
Do NOT Assume Bigger is Better
Many guys assume that the only measure of a quality floral arrangement is its size. Nothing could be further than the truth, fellas.
Bigger is not always better. More often, it’s really not what you want.
A good floral arrangement is all about high quality and good taste. If an arrangement is too big, it may be difficult to display and enjoy. If you don’t include a vase, it entails a lot of work to set up – and a vase for a large floral arrangement poses weight and space problems of its own.
Simple yet elegant is the move!
Do NOT Wait Until the Last Minute
Most guys make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to order a floral arrangement. Though same-day delivery is available at many of the top local flower shops, why take the risk?
If you have a specific type of flower in mind, there’s a possibility that no one will have it in their inventory on the day you need that blossom.
To be safe, we recommend calling at least two weeks in advance to discuss what you seek. Call again a week ahead of time to place the order. They won’t actually construct the arrangement until the day of delivery, but when you enter your order in advance, the florist can set aside what you need.
Do NOT Forget a Card
Don’t be the guy who sends a floral arrangement but then forgets to include a card. At the very least, it’s not particularly thoughtful. At worst, the recipient might not even know who the flowers are from!
Either way, this is a big mistake. Pay a couple of extra bucks and include a card with a sweet note that lets your partner know you’re thinking about them.
Buy the Perfect Floral Arrangement
Now that we’ve been through them, this might sound like a lot of rules, but altogether, it’s pretty simple. Set a budget, choose a good florist, and work with them to create a custom arrangement with the right accessories and a card.
This is how to shock your partner – the right way!
