Sending Flowers: Not for the Faint of Heart
I recently had a conversation with a few colleagues and friends about sending flowers, and they were mostly confused.
“5 dozen roses?! That’s a lot! Why so many?”
“It has to be a special occasion for me to send roses.”
“I don’t want to create the wrong impression. Maybe just a couple dozen roses would do.”
I’m realizing what separates the unique from the average is the ability to stray away from the norm. If you have to think about the number of roses to send, there’s insecurity you've created and assumptions you've made from others, things you've read, etc. What is the difference from one dozen roses to four dozen roses besides saving some money? I can tell you what it is from being in this industry for five years now: how big of a smile you want the other person to have. That’s it.
Roses create an impression that other flowers don’t and once you pass 1 dozen roses, it’s purely creating the impression and experience for the other person to have. There’s an apparent “disease” floating in the minds of men which make them think “Oh, 1 dozen means this…and 2 dozen means that…” when it all means the same- You care! If you can afford to make someone smile and create an experience they haven’t had before, why half-ass it?
Being a modern-day, Gen Y florist, I know there's meaning and depth to what certain flowers mean, or what certain colors dictate. Easy example: If you wanted to express love and passion, the red rose is at the top of the scale, with probably yellow carnations on the bottom. The rose has an unbelievable amount of Natural History where it was even used as a form of monetary currency, once upon a time. It's been treated as the pinnacle of flowers when it's put on any scale, but it's not to say that it's the only form of expression when it comes to flowers.
If you're deciding to send flowers, then do whatever you think will make them happiest, not deciding the quantity of what they “should” receive. Or in that case, give them a candy bar instead.
No, seriously, go buy a bar of chocolate (gift wrap is optional), and give them that. I promise no woman will turn it down. Very few might subconsciously think you're calling them fat, but for the majority, they'll take it as a sweet gesture. That way, you won't have stress and anxiety climaxing internally as they open a box of roses, and start thinking “Wow, I think he's really into me!…Let me tell all my friends, post a photo on Instagram, and text him something so he knows I love them!” Mind you, this is all within 5 minutes. It only builds up for the next couple hours from there. If you're looking for the “meh” response, go with the candy. You'll disrespect flowers and the floral community if you're looking for a “so-so” arrangement.
If you're looking for “meh” in roses, they don't exist, and I don't sell them. Good luck.
Nasim Pakmanesh has been a startup entrepreneur in the floral industry for the past 5 years, co-founding Roseshire.com, where he ventured to build the perfect rose product and experience to send. Bearing witness to what men and women send each other, he has adequate experience in a behind-the-scenes look at the psychology of relationships and flowers.
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