I love flowers! And I love receiving flowers. My husband, a photographer, knows how much I love them. At every opportunity, he rescues some flowers for me at the end of a photoshoot and brings them home to me. I love the unexpected blooms. Even if it’s just a few stems and I simply put them in a bud vase on my nightstand. Every time I see these flowers it makes me smile. Giving flowers is a lovely way to let the people in our life know that we care about them. However, I know that Valentine’s Day flowers can be expensive. In this article, I explain why flowers are so expensive on Valentine’s Day and ideas for affordable valentine’s day gifts.
Why are flowers so expensive at Valentine’s Day?
Let’s start our conversation with some understanding. Why are flowers so expensive for Valentine’s Day? No, it’s not because your local florist decided to hike up the prices just due to the holiday. It all comes back to basic supply and demand. Red Roses are at a premium price during this holiday. And due to the demand in supply in a short amount of time, after all, Valentine’s Day is just that… a day, the prices go up. So everyone is paying more for flowers especially red roses. And that includes the florists!
I worked for a high-end floral design company here in the city as the Buyer and one year we decided that our Valentine’s Day collection would feature more hot pink roses than red. Hot pink was easier to source and they weren’t quite as expensive. It was a good strategy, and our sales went up that year. Which leads me to my first tip for making Valentine’s Day more affordable.
3 Tips for affordable Valentine’s Day Gifts:
Tip #1: Drop the red rose cliche, Red Roses are not the only acceptable flower to gift on Valentine’s Day!
I know it sounds crazy, but maybe you could gift something other than Red Roses and chocolate to the one you love on Valentine’s Day! I mean red roses are the icon of the holiday but aren’t they also a little cliche? And there are hundreds of beautiful flowers in a rainbow of colors. I’m convinced that the reason the cliche carries on so strong is so that people don’t have to be creative. But a little creativity can save some money for you!
Does your girlfriend or boyfriend have a favorite flower? Or a favorite color? If the answer is yes, I would lean into that as your inspiration. Or are you new into a relationship? In that case, you could get a beautiful mixed bouquet. Or perhaps you base your choice off of smell! Some of my favorite flowers that smell lovely are: Garden Roses, Stock, and Sweet Pea,
TIP #2: Drop the Vase, Flowers not arranged in a vase are less expensive
This tip gives you a lot of flexibility! Most people have at least one of two vases at home that they can put the flowers in. Total Win! And there are so many places you can purchase your flowers from.
For specialty flowers, I would utilize your local florist. They will have colors and a variety of flowers that your local box stores won’t and can guide you through the process if you need a little bit of extra help!
In New York City flowers are plentiful. One of the most common places to find flowers is at the Bodega, a corner convenience store. And they are very affordable. But when people are asking me for recommendations to get inexpensive flowers you can’t beat the following stores: Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Costco. Grab a couple of bunches, get them wrapped up, and you are set!
If you go this direction, make sure that you pick up the flowers right before you are to gift them. Since the flowers are not in a vase of water, you don’t want them to be out of water for very long. Don’t give your loved one wilted flowers!
Tip 3#: Drop the cut flowers, Gift a Plant instead
Want to think outside the box a bit, but not go crazy? Instead of gifting cut flowers, gift a plant instead. You could get a blooming plant. Such as tulips, hyacinth, or an Orchid! Or if greenery is more your speed you could gift a Zeze Plant, Snake Plant, Succulents, Dieffenbachia, or Pothos. Just to name a few.
The great news is that plants can be found so many different places, and at really great prices too! Here are some ideas for places to find plants: local florist, corner stores/Bodegas, The Sill (perfect for online shopping!), Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Costco, & Home Depot.
Just make sure that you pick out a good plant! Make sure that it looks healthy and doesn’t look like a toddler destroyed it. (Can you tell that my toddler has gotten into my plants lately?) Haha!
I hope this has helped shed some insight into the flower industry during its busiest holiday and given you some ideas for affordable valentine’s day gifts!
xo
Emily
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