Countdown to Valentines Day!

Valentines Day is right around the corner, and while many are just beginning to make plans for spending the day with their loved ones, Florists around the globe have been preparing for this day since the end of Christmas.  For most, Valentines Day is considered to be a day to celebrate love, whether that be dining out at a fancy restaurant, exchanging gifts, or simply appreciating and spending time with a loved one.




For florists, Valentines day begins with a countdown that begins the day after Christmas.  Here is a backstage look into what goes into the biggest day in a Florists calendar!

1. November

Venders, Warehouses, Growers, and Other floral/decor companies begin calling, mailing, and visiting us with Valentine flower choices, Ribbon, Vases, and gift-ware.  We must then make our choices and order everything we need for the upcoming Valentines Day.  Many companies, especially growers, hike prices up for this holiday, so ordering early is essential to get the lowest prices. We can then offer lower prices to customers, which is appreciated. It is helpful to have records from the previous year as to what we all sold, and what supplies we currently have in stock, so we know what to order. That gives us a base to start with.  We also begin research as to what might be popular in the next year.  Large Online floral companies, such as Teleflora and FTD carry specific bouquets with specific flowers and vases.  It is vital that we estimate the most popular trends because if we pre-order a certain type of vase or flower that no one orders, we will be left with a pile of flowers, and if we underestimate the vases and flowers that become popular, we will run out too early and have to turn people away.  A great example of this is that in 2014, the most popular arrangement that we sold on Valentines day was a bouquet in a lavender custom vase with lavender roses and purple/white stock.  We sold out.  Thankfully, many of our customers were just fine with substituting the vase and using other lavender flowers.  So this is a very important step in the planning of Valentines Day.
                                                                                                                                                                 
                                     

2. End of December/ January

For most of December, we are preoccupied with Christmas.  However, at the end of the month we turn our focus to Valentines Day.  The slow task of unpacking all of our previous year's supplies begins. Immediately after New Years, our Valentine's Supplies begin arriving. It is a lot of fun to open up the boxes and see the shiny new red and pink vases, as well as some of the designer vases from FTD, which boasts quite a few designs from Better Homes & Gardens.  We also unpack all of the new Ribbon, Red, Pink and white baskets, Stuffed animals, and greeting cards! It is time or us to slowly turn our shop over from a winter wonderland, into a Romantic-themed atmosphere! Much of this happens after hours, so that we are not inconveniencing our customers.  We also start pre-making and organizing as much as we can.  Valentine picks get separated into containers, vases and ribbon get stocked onto shelves so they are handy, and ribbon bows get made and placed onto special holders so they don't get smushed.  We also bring out boxes of balloons and set them up in our balloon room. By mid January, most of our giftware and supplies are set up and organized!

              

It is in Mid-January that we also hold our annual "VALENTINES STAFF MEETING" where we discuss the role of every employee and designer.  That way, each florist has a game-plan and knows what to expect on the big day.  For Valentines Day, We have designated designers to create bouquets, front desk florists to assist walk-in customers and answer the phone that won't stop ringing, and delivery drivers to bring the beautiful bouquets all over Hutchinson and the surrounding area! We discuss all of our morning routes to schools, businesses, and special early A.M. requests.  Our designated "Front Desk" florists are briefed on all of the new items we have available this year, the most popular bouquets, and the names of all of the online bouquets, (Because we get a lot of men asking for specific bouquets, and aint NOBODY got time to be lookin that up on Valentines)!

                           

                                                 

January is the perfect time to begin letting all of our customers know about the new exciting vases and giftware we have available!  Our hope for this is that men will enjoy getting creative when it comes to choosing their Valentine's gifts, and start planning early.  It is so much fun to see guys taking the time to tell us about what makes their girlfriend or wife special to them!  We learn about their personality, favorite colors, flowers, and whether they like to go "big and blingy" or "sweet and simple". At Crow River Floral, we love adding a personal touch to your floral needs, so the more unique we can make it, the better! We let people know what we have available through our advertising and social media and our plans for this begin in early January, once we have a solid idea of what we all have to offer.  Our advertising is primarily done by broadcasting through local radio stations such as KDUZ, and also through visual ads printed in the Hutchinson Leader. Planning our ads is fun because we get to share all of the new, creative things we have to offer!

                                         

3. February 1st-7th:

By February, our ads are all out, and the shop is completely ready for Valentine's Day!  By Feb. 1st, We have already received several orders for Feb 13th & 14th. We encourage pre-ordering in our ads because they do stack up, and we create bouquets, and deliver them first come, first serve. When we receive an order, we immediately reserve the vase and other giftware that go with it.  That really helps to keep things organized on the big day!  By the 7th, we have a large pile of orders to fill! We also use this time to do all the last-minute organizing and making sure that we have enough boxes, bags, and cards for everyone.


                                 

4. February 8th-12th:

Our orders really start pouring in!  A large portion of our custom vases are reserved for pre-orders.  By the 12th we have received the bulk of our greenery and flowers.  We do receive a lot more on the 13th and a special delivery early on the 14th to help us not run out. It takes all day to process the huge floral delivery on the 12th.  Every spare container is used to put flowers in, and every square inch of our coolers are packed full!  All of the stems on the flowers are full of leaves (and some thorns!) so it takes a lot of time to strip the foliage off of all the stems.  It is important to do so, because when leaves sit in water, bacteria can grow. By the end of the day, our hands are scratched and raw, but the coolers are a beautiful sight to see after it is all finished!

                                   

Many people assume that the 14th is the only crazy day for florists when working for this holiday.  However, the 12th-14th are all very busy days.  We usually stay up late (11pm-12am) on the 12th creating bouquets for the 13th, as many many customers request delivery the day before the holiday.  We usually go shopping for a personal stash of chocolates, candy, pop, and other snacks to munch on during these days, because meal breaks just don't happen!

February 13th:

The 13th is a very long day for every florist in the world! The day starts very early for us as we begin delivering flowers for everyone who has requested delivery for the day before. We usually receive such a high volume, that deliveries continue well past our store-closing hours. Our phones are also busy, ringing non-stop all day and into the night.  By this time, the marjority of our custom vases are sold out, along with the most popular flowers for those particular designs. A team of designers also comes in to focus soley on the next day.

By 5:00pm closing time, we begin our "PRE-VALENTINE FLORIST PARTY" which starts out fun.  Pizza is ordered, Caffiene flows freely, and some of the chocolate boxes get cracked open.  Our goal for the 13th is to create all of the orders for the next morning, so that the first couple delivery runs go smoothly.  Once that is completed, we begin on all of the other orders. By 9:30pm, it is usually suggested half-jokingly, that the phones get unplugged, since they have continued to ring non-stop. In 2014, we recieved so many orders for Valentine morning, that all we did on the 13th was create orders for the morning runs! Slowly, huge portions of flowers dissappear from our coolers and are replaced by finished designs. Our pizza is gone, and the caffeine is starting to wear off.  We usually work until 2-3am.  Do we get tired? Yes. Do we get delusional? Yes. Do some florists spend the night at the shop? Yeah..... Do we enjoy it? Absolutely!

                                 

Valentines Day:

The morning begins with taking a deep breath.  Here we go! Running on low levels of sleep, and high levels of caffeine, we are ready to tackle the day! All hands are on deck by 7-7:30am getting things ready to be delivered asap! We open at 8:00am on Valentines day, so it is nice to get the delivery people on their way before customers start pouring in.  Our designers dig in to the pile left from the night before and continue throughout the day.  Some work on orders that get faxed to us through the internet, some work on regular orders, and some work on designing for walk-in customers.  The front desk florists have their hands full with answering the phone and assisting walk-in customers.  Because of all the pre-organizing, things go pretty smoothly, but we do get very very busy! It is an endless stream of designing throughout the day! This is also a fun day, because it is a treat to see a lot of guys walk in, and be able to help them choose the best arrangement to communicate their love and appreciation.  Sometimes, it is something as classical as a dozen red roses, and sometimes we get special requests for unique bouquets!

 A wonderful friend of ours brings in some food for us, but the volume of walk-in customers is so high that we usually don't get a break until 4pm.  Instead, we graze on leftover assorted chocolate boxes and coffee from the night before. (It's still good, right?) It is all worth it though, to see our customers happy, and enjoying the process of personalizing their floral arrangements! Much of our floral supply and vases are running low by the end of the night, and deliveries usually wrap up an hour or two after we have closed.  Every customer has been helped, and gone home with a beautiful bouquet! A lot of hard work has been spent on this holiday, but we wouldn't trade this crazy day for anything else, and it is always a privilege to be able to play such an important part in celebrating love!

                                

Local VS. Online

It is Time to Educate Everyone. 

The world is changing, and with it, so is the floral business. Technology and the Internet are re-shaping how business is conducted but with this new ordering ease, come difficulties.
In this day and age, instant gratification is everything.  More and more customers are turning online to shop, and the result is a growing expectation of getting something immediately and accurately...with the speed of the internet.  However, when it comes to flowers, the internet might not be doing the customer any favors.
Now, the internet is a beautiful thing.  It links millions of people and allows ideas and knowledge to be spread faster than wildfire.  It assists in making purchasing decisions and is also great for long-distance purchases. But the internet is also vague, and oftentimes buyers make purchases with little knowledge of the "behind the scenes"  consequences.
The purpose of this Blog Post is to share a little bit of knowledge, so that customers can make an educated decision when shopping (especially flowers!) online.

1. Online florists may not be florists. There are a LOT of different places that you can buy flowers online with ease and at good prices.  The thing is...most of these sites are not actual floral shops.  They are an international wire service whose only job is to gather orders, and send them to actual floral shops.  These order-gatherers will display themselves as floral shops, show multiple pictures of flowers to choose from and oftentimes tantalize with deep discounts.  All you have to do is click on the picture and type in your credit info.  Once the order is placed, the order-gather with find a florist local to where you want the flowers delivered and fax the order to them.  The problem?

     

2.It is a waste of money. Most of the money you spent on the flowers ends up in the order-gatherers pocket, not in the flowers.  When a florist is faxed an order from an online site, it will often show only a fraction of the money you paid for the florist to work with in designing.  The average amount that we see pocketed by order-gatherers is about $15. Some companies though, pocket roughly 50% of what the customer spends. When you call or visit a local florist directly, 100% of your money goes toward the flowers and delivery. It is as frustrating for florists, as it is for you!  Oftentimes, the discounts that order-gatherers offer cut into the order so deep that there is not enough money to cover the flowers and delivery.

3. Florists (and the local community) pay the price. When a person orders flowers from an order-gathering site and pockets most of the money and/or offers discounts that cut into the florist's budget, florists must choose to either skimp on flowers, or give flowers/delivery away for free.  Of course, florists can always request more money to fill the order, or refuse the order completely, but guess what? Florists get financially penalized for refusing orders.  It makes doing business really hard and expensive for us, and so then we have to raise our prices, which benefits no one in the end.

4. The Internet doesn't tell you that the price of flowers is going up.  Just like the price of gasoline, milk, and other everyday items, the cost of flowers is rising.  The reason for the price increase in flowers is that it is costing more for growers to cultivate these flowers. Many flowers are grown in greenhouses that are powered by electricity.  When utility bills are increased, the growers must raise prices.  A lot of growers also use special plant food, chemicals, and techniques to make flowers grow hardier and last longer.  With new technology being used, flowers are indeed lasting longer, but the price also goes up to cover the cost of using this technology. The price increases are being seen by florists, but are not reflected on the internet.  You may see adds such as "$19.99 for a dozen roses"! But in real life, that is what a florist pays wholesale for the roses, not including the vase, greenery, and time it takes to arrange. Or you may see tons of promotions and coupons for a percentage of off already low prices. It creates a frustrating situation where we have to call or e-mail the customer to educate them.

  
5. The internet limits communication between Customer and Florist. It is so helpful to have a conversation with the customer to find out what favorite colors, types of flowers, or interests the recipient has.  Sometimes the customer thinks that they have to settle for a generic bouquet because that is what they see advertised.  Part of being a florist is the Customer Service, and when people choose to order online, they receive none of that. There is no relationship developed where we can go the extra mile to make a great shopping experience.  We get calls from a lot of people who are a little disappointed to not be able to find a certain item online, that think they have to choose a bouquet pictured.  It is always a lot of fun to explain to them that we do custom work, and that we can incorporate unique elements into the bouquets. That kind of communication only happens in actual conversations.   We have also faced conundrum where we will be sent a ton of orders, all requesting to be delivered at a certain time.  Since we can't be in two places at once and can only create bouquets so fast, sometimes it creates mad rushes and a whole lot of stress for florists to get things made and delivered on time.  Once again, being able to communicate with the customer, to let them know that there are 20 orders ahead of them that also need to be made and delivered within the hour, creates understanding instead of inducing frustration for the customer if something doesn't show up on time.

6. The internet Ordering sites rarely educate. It is also nice to inform a customer about what flowers are in season before they order them, or to alert them if a certain type of flower is difficult to get in. There have been years where flower crops fail due to disease or insects and certain flowers become unavailable or pricier. One year, entire crops of purple carnations were destroyed by disease, and we could not get them in for months.  We still received online orders for them though, and had to make many personal calls and emails to educate people. We also like to explain to people tips on how to make their flowers last longer or what type of flower is appropriate for certain occasions.

7. You might not get what you see. (Part A.)  When a customer looks at a picture online and orders that arrangement, they expect to see the same exact thing delivered.  The problem is that all flowers online have been photo-shopped. These perfect blossoms do not actually exist.  The roses in the photo might look huge, and full, and open, but in real life, the only time you see roses like that, are when they are really old and about to die.  Fresh roses are tight and unopened.  Florists like to use them because they know that that is the best value for customers and that they will last for a long time.

            

8. You might not get what you see. (Part B.) Online, you can see every type of flower in every type of container and vase.  But what the internet doesn't tell you, is that some flowers look pathetic when they are out of season, and some, you can not get at all.  For example, Ranaculus is a spring flower, and looks gorgeous in March-April.  But in September?  Prepare yourself for some disappointing dime-sized buds. And during some winter months, Gladiolas can not be found. Prices fluctuate with seasons as well, so buying some flowers online can lead to pricier purchases.

        

9. You might not get what you see. (Part C.) We can not stress this enough!  With the countless choices online, a florist never knows what orders might get sent to them.  It is nearly impossible to keep all of the floral choices in stock all the time.  So if one orders hot pink roses online, the delivered flowers might be a soft pink, because that is what the florist has on hand.  Florists may substitute daisies with mums, or snapdragons with stock. Being in the business of celebrating life's moments, we WANT to give the customer everything they ask for, but sometimes we can only do our best.

                            

10. Scams, Disappointments, and Horrifying Deliveries.  Unfortunately, some order sites ship flowers in boxes to people's homes and when the recipient opens the box, he/she finds dead, moldy, or broken flowers.  This actually happens quite a bit.  At our shop, we have personally seen boxes of flowers lying in snowbanks outside recipient's homes.  Others have reported flowers wilting and dying hours after receiving them or messy bouquets.  If it seems like too good of a deal to be true...it probably is! For more stories of unfortunate floral ordering experiences, visit a few of the websites and links provided at the bottom of this article.

     

10. You could have purchased something better.  Online sites show pictures of common flowers and styles that are pretty...but not always creative. Floral arranging is an art, and we can do some really cool stuff if given the chance.  We also love to make arrangements personal!  When customers come in and tell us that their girlfriend loves pink camouflage, or basketball, or Panda bears (these are all real scenarios) then we incorporate these themes into the arrangement to make something extra-fun and meaningful.  There are also some really cool arranging techniques, such as manipulating flowers and greenery into shapes that can make a floral arrangement look artistic and luxurious.  If you want something truly unique and original, you should visit your local florist and let them create a design that is absolutely one-of-a-kind and special for you and your loved ones.

      


*images taken from www.flowercomplaint.com and the Crow River Floral facebook page
information taken from www.flowercomplaint.com, www.floristdetective.com, The BBB, and www.angieslist.com  Also based on a healthy dose of personal experience. :)

Links:
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/avoid-florist-fiascos-complaints-grow.htm

http://www.flowercomplaint.com/

http://www.floristdetective.com/floristcomplaintsandthebetterbusinessbureau.aspx

Crow River Floral Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/CrowRiverFloralAndGifts

*Please note*: As a local florist in the modern-day market, we at Crow River Floral & Gifts do use online shopping websites that are hosted by FTD and Flower Shop Network (FSN).  We do NOT send anything less than quality, and will always do our best to duplicate what the customer sees online or contact them if we can not.  We closely monitor our websites to ensure that out-of-season bouquets are not displayed and that prices are accurate.  FSN is one of the few services that we are delighted to work with, being that their goal is merely to link florists and customers, and florists get to keep 100% of what you pay...meaning that you get the best bang for your buck.  Once again though...for truly unique and personalized arrangements, it is best to simply call the florist direct.

www.crowriverfloral.com

www.crowriverfloral.net

Top 10 Wedding Trends of 2014

Drum roll Please! It is time for the ultimate list: Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2014! The styles, themes, colors and accessories for this year are gorgeous and we couldn't be more excited to create them for our brides-to-be! Please note: this is written from the perspective of a florist so there will be mostly talk of decor, colors, overall style, and of course, flowers!

1. The Victorian Vintage Theme!
 
    This theme is super elegant with a timeless romance feel to it.  When attending such a wedding, one can expect to see pearls, lace, and feathers with blushes, mint greens, lavenders, purples, and reds for hues.  You will see antique furniture for the reception and perhaps you shall sip tea from teacups and be served a gourmet meal on fine china. Parasols are a fun accent for this wedding! For flowers you can expect soft, romantic looks with Peonies, garden roses, Ivy, babysbreath, and Dusty Miller. You may see lace detailing on the handle of the bouquet or pearl loops. Brooches are also a nice Victorian touch. Cascades are breathtaking for this style. The whole look is enchanting!

       

2. Country/Rustic/ShabbyChic Theme

    This theme is all about celebrating family and having a good time!  This style tends to be a bit more laid-back, with a homey feel, but also carries it's own elegance and charm.  When attending a Rustic/country wedding, you may see hay bales, mason jars, shabby-chic aged wood, burlap, grapevine wreaths, buttons, lace, and wood bark elements. Fun fact: The mason jar is one of the most popular elements for this style of wedding.  They can be hung on poles going down the aisle or decorated with burlap, glitter and lace and used as centerpieces. Many of these weddings occur outdoors, and even some on family farms!  That can make the day more personal and special. For flowers, you can often see sunflowers, daisies, garden roses or Peonies, babysbreath and autumn tones.  The most complimentary floral arrangements will look wilflowery, like they were picked form a garden or just over the hill.  These types of  bouquets will usually have a wide variety of flowers in them, as opposed to just 1 type of flower.  handles of bouquets may be decorated in lace, burlap, or a family heirloom handkerchief.  It is all about bringing family elements into it and celebrating family and friends!

    

    

3. Natural Style

    This wedding is all about getting back to nature!  From gorgeous garden bouquets, to luscious leafy greens, this style will take you outdoors!  Popular features of this wedding include ferns, willow branches, tree bark, wreaths, blushes, greens, and whites.  This is a style that popularized succulents being featured in bouquets because they are a calm green color with distinctive shapes. The best part of this style is that it gives a very soft, calming effect to the entire space.

    
    

4. Babysbreath Revamp

   Babysbreath will always be a classic, but traditional uses for it are being used less and less. Babysbreath is now seen as more than a filler and is used to create whimsy and romance.  It is in many many weddings now as the star of the show.


         

5. Ombre'

   Ombre' refers to a dark color fading into a lighter color, or vice versa. This effect was popularized as a hairstyle, and quickly spread into many areas of style, including floral design.  This look is very new and exciting to create and view!


  
       

6. Bohemian / Bohemian Pop

    This new trend is all about bold pops of color, and the brighter, the better!  The most common color schemes for this style include hot pinks, oranges, blues, reds, peaches, and yellows, accented by teal or mint green.  Remember those old comic books with Superman, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman? Imagine taking all of the bright colors from those comics and turning it into a wedding bouquet. Traditional Bohemian is a modern twist on the hippie style so it has muted pinks, yellows, whites and teals.  The overall style looks organic, a bit messy and unsymmetrical.  Bohemian Pop (or Bo-pop) gets rid of the whites and amps up the color, but the overall natural style is the same.

        

7. Autumn Weddings

    No longer is June the most popular wedding month (At least in the Midwest). More and more brides are looking at fall as being an ideal time to celebrate marriage.  The weather is cooler, yet pleasant for outdoor ceremonies, autumn tones are brilliant, and the possibilities are endless!  Rustic/country themes shine in this season, but those willing to embrace the warmer colors find that there is no lack of luxurious and elegant options available!

      

8. Cascades

     Brides that were fans of Princess Diana dreamed of walking down the aisle with a bountiful cascade of flowers. Their daughters....not so much.  Heavy, clunky, cumbersome, and (did we mention HEAVY???) Cascades soon lost their appeal with the 2000-2010 brides.  New methods and innovative styling though, has resurrected this timeless style with a face-lift of sorts.  The best aspect about cascades is that they are effortlessly romantic and so easy to create with a natural look.  Newer cascades have shed some pounds and slimmed down, resulting in delightfully airy look.  movement is a key aspect with these bouquets as they bob and sway with every step the bride takes.  We are so happy that new life has been breathed into this truly exquisite design!

        

9. The Great Gatsby Wedding

     This style of wedding is for the brides who wants a big, over-the-top, showstopping wedding.  Every girl can dream, but how are real-life, middle-class brides pulling off this look without going into debt? By using professionals who have a few tricks up their sleeve!  Take for instance, some of the decor.  Large elaborate displays of flowers? Setting any arrangement on top of one, or several large rented vases will immediately give you a bigger impact.  Some inexpensive flowers have the same look as expensive ones, such as Hydrangea and carnations.  Grab bunches of carnations, and tightly pack them together, and presto! An inexpensive "Hydrangea" display is made!  Add a few roses here and there, and all your guests will see is a giant rose display because the roses will stand out. Branches add height and a wow factor. LED lights are inexpensive and many can be submersed in vases, making arrangements glow. A few rhinestone strands strategically placed add glamour. Also using stands or Eiffel tower vases (see babysbreath pic) in the middle of each table will elevate any arrangement, giving it a larger impact.  Putting most of your money into 1 larger display will translate into a larger effect in the reception space.

        

10. Bling Bouquets

      Increasingly, brides are looking toward renting items, rather than purchasing to save money.  A great way to do that is by renting a bling bouquet!  These creations are designed with rhinestones, pearls, brooches, and other assorted bling.  They would also be great for the aforementioned "Great Gatsby Wedding".

                

11. *Bonus!*  2014 most popular wedding colors

        For 2014, the most popular wedding colors for dresses and flowers will be blush, mint green, eggplant (dark purple), and Platinum.  Lace is also expected to be very popular as an accent.  There you go!  The brides of 2014 are making wonderful choices and the results are beautiful!  We look forward to creating these designs, adding your own personal touches to them (after all, who want's a cookie-cutter wedding?) and using our creative skills in new and exciting ways!

  

 


                             

     


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