One of the trickiest parts of floristry is that pricing and availability vary widely. We are all literally at the mercy of the weather. Your florist has to surf the cooler to find you the best stuff on the market on any given day.
Catastrophic events such as Hurricane Dorian impact shipping hubs like Miami. What that meant at the time was that any exports from South America, which is a large chunk of the market, simply did not arrive at the wholesaler alive or at all. Brooke took a look at the weather forecast and ordered direct from Hawai’i.
Another complication is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Flowers trend just like fashion. When astilbe, a once modestly priced garden filler, was featured in Ms. Meghan Markle’s royal wedding arrangement its cut stem cost soared. It hasn’t come back down to earth yet. Things can get seriously out of hand.
Many of my prospective clients worry when a contract does not reflect a guarantee of certain colours or flower types. The nature of the industry forces this policy. Blooms of Paradise would rather under promise and over deliver.
Similar to wine, flowers that have received a good grade through the Dutch market might not be to a consumer’s taste. Conversely, flowers that don’t trek through Aalsmeer might surpass what has in terms of quality.
Most customers want something beautiful, but can’t quite grapple with why different flowers are worth more or less than others. Most customers don’t care if a stem is crooked, short, or has another technical flaw if the overall feeling of the arrangement matches their expectations.
Mind you, once you show a Patron why one sort of hydrangea is $8.50 a stem wholesale while a different variety is only about $3.00, they can certainly spot the difference in future. This gets even cheaper in growing season when you pick it locally.
Blooms of Paradise pricing is set to try and factor all of the different variables so that you’re satisfied with the composition you receive.
Consider the emoji spectrum of how your budget relates to your satisfaction and what you’ll get for your money for a single arrangement:
😓 $35 or less
Usually Brooke won’t work in this range, since it’s highly likely to result in tears or anger when the arrangement meets the recipient. Even for non profits this mark is tough.
If this is your budget, your best bet is to hit the Four Mile Run Market to take advantage of special pricing or ask Brooke to contact you from time to time when there are excess flowers on hand. By cutting out delivery or taking advantage of a volume buy, you can still get something nicer than you’d find in the store.
Vase life will almost certainly suffer outside of local growing season. This is one of the main reasons people get so frustrated by grocery store bouquets.
You’re almost certain to get just one or two types of flowers. While this might work for your mood, most people prefer a few different types of flowers to add depth or interest in an arrangement.
Finding friends to order within a day or two of your order will allow both of you to benefit from a modest budget since there will be flowers on hand.
You’re almost certain to get some sort of boring generic glass vase at this mark.
You’re at my artistic mercy at this level. Be nice to the florist. You’re in one size fits all territory.
We will not deliver to Outer Mongolia at this price mark without an additional fee.
All of the stars have to be in alignment for you to get something that you like at this price point.
If you do a little web research on our franchised competitors, you’ll note that there is little to nothing on offer for less than $50.
😕 $35 to $50
This is a pretty reasonable range if your needs are modest. You’re likely to get something comparable to our competition’s $50-$60 dollar range outside of growing season. If you want to do something nice for someone that doesn’t expect it, this can work. It’s an option for modest thank you arrangements and get well wishes.
If it’s the summer, you’re not in a hurry, and you are happy with farm fresh casual flowers, it’s your time to shine. This lets Brooke make the long trip out to the farm and get what you need. This also irritates bankers since it’s not an efficient use of resources, but if you don’t tell them, I won’t.
If you’re requesting flowers between 25 December until about Dr. King’s Day, you can take advantage of whatever’s left of Tom’s pot inventory. Be sure to ask about this when you order.
To me, the upper part of this price range is the beginning part of rose land. Roses are versatile. Roses like to live a long time if cared for properly. Roses read luxury. What’s not to like?
We’re still pretty insistent on artistic autonomy at this level.
Most of the stars have to line up in your favour to hit the right notes for your recipient.
Mind you, this is a reasonable range for volume pricing on modest centerpieces. You probably won’t be disappointed in this range if you’re ordering multiple arrangements for a wedding or an event. More is different. Don’t @ me, physicists. As we all know, botany is not real science.
🙂 $50 to $80
Not too shabby!
Most clients that want a single arrangement from me pay about $75. Those customers tend to come back or tell their friends about me, which lets me know that I’m hitting the right notes.
Brooke realises that you’re paying way more than you would at the grocer’s at this price point. Don’t worry, you’re going to get way more than you would there.
This is where you start to get a little longevity on standard blooms and some real interesting cooler finds.
This is also where you’re leaving far less to chance. It’s very seldom that there won’t be at least one thing out of the ordinary at the wholesaler if this is your range.
Unless you tell us that you don’t want a ceramic keepsake vessel, you’re most likely getting one at this mark. It’s a nice way for the recipient to have a permanent piece of art after the flowers fade.
This is only a tricky range during Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Demand forces prices quite high on those two days, but you’ll still get something nice. There will just be less of it.
The high end of this price range beckons to tropicals and exotics.
Most of my competitors would charge about $70 – $100 for similar arrangements.
Once in a blue moon, things turn into gallery worthy pieces in this price range. If inspiration hits, Brooke is likely to just go with it and let you know you got a great price on something really special.
😄 $80 – $125
Have you visited the Blooms of Paradise Twitter feed lately? Perused our gallery? When you give us more to work with, it results in a better reaction and a lovely arrangement.
If you’re looking to impress someone, this is a good price range. You’ll make the right impression.
This is more than most people want to spend, but it is worth the extra investment for a very special occassion. Splurge on self care from time to time. Make your in laws or naughty neighbours envious.
Feel free to request an exotic bloom in this range. This is orchid territory. You’re spending a premium, you should see the difference.
The very top of this range might see a bit of on site assembly. Try not to panic! From a logistics standpoint, if the arrangement you ordered is large in scale, it’s often safer to transport things flat.
You’re definitely not getting a run of the mill vessel at this price point. With very few exceptions, you’ll be keeping your glassware or pottery. We will let you know when we deliver if we want our hard goods back after your flowers expire.
🤩 $125 – $250
The most frequently asked question in this range is either “Brooke, what exactly do you mean by mammoth?” or “Can you show me something I’ve never seen before?”
Challenge accepted.
The pieces Brooke submits to galleries start in this price range. You should get something inspired.
This price mark should elicit a strong reaction from you. We can’t guarantee that our Patrons will squeal, but we’re definitely aiming to please.
If you have a few months’ lead time, Brooke can browbeat ask Tom to customise your pot. This is definitely chancy since glazes vary and things explode in the kiln, but if you’re a risk taker you might like what you get. We’re happy to take a few pictures of what’s in stock for buyers that like certainty.
🏝The sky’s the limit
Brooke, like Catullus, loves and hates an unlimited budget.
There’s definitely pressure to pull a Neill Strain here.
On the other hand, reports of her cackling in the wholesale cooler are almost certainly accurate.
If you can think of it and it vaguely involves flowers and organic materials, let’s make it happen.
If you’re a control freak, this is where you want to be price wise.
There’s an ample budget for experimentation.
Have secateurs, a plane ticket, and a hotel booking will travel. The greatest part of not tinkering in formulaic franchiseville is that the skill travels with us.
As long as we have 14 days, this is special order territory. That means we can probably source what you need barring a bad weather event or some sort of customs embargo.
You’re purchasing a signature arrangement. You’re probably marking a milestone in your life.