Calling up Cupid: Local florist preps for busy Valentine’s Day rush
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The season of Love is just around the corner and you may be thinking of sending that special someone a flower arrangement.
The preparation and work that goes into Valentine’s Day start months in advance.
WCBI talked with the owner of Fleur-De-Lis Flowers and Gifts, Joni Leonhard to learn the behind-the-scenes and how the early bird gets the worm this year.
As one holiday season rolls out another one comes in and the celebration of love begins months in advance for florists.
“Mine actually starts on the 15th of February 2023 of the previous year so we go ahead and start planning what our next goals are, how we can improve, and what we can do. Logistically, in December we really start going in and calculating how many vases we need, prepping our flower orders, and chocolates and balloons organizing workers and that kind of thing,” Leonhard said.
Leonhard said this year they are looking to get to the root of the problem.
“So, we all have waited until the last minute for things, guilty of it. But if you don’t wait until the last minute you get a better product, you get a better service,” Leonhard said.
When it comes to putting arrangements together for Valentine’s Day, it takes teamwork to get the job done.
They must have all the supplies in order to make a seamless assembly.
“First we get the flowers and we have to wash buckets and trim everything and make sure everything is processed and correct. Then we start trying to go ahead – down to the littlest details like tying bows and making cards. We try to do all that so when we make orders and get our assembly line with our staff everybody has a job. This one is putting water and food in a vase, this one is setting it with a ticket, this one is pulling flowers, so this designer just has to drop them in and arrange them and we have the person that put the lovely bows,” Leonhard said.
Those orders are then shipped on delivery routes that have been strategically planned. Factors like school zones, high traffic times, and accessibility are all put into play.” It takes several hours for me to sit there and route out so it is the most fast and most efficient for our customers,” Leonhard said.
For the last-minute cupids, it’s best to order early, Fleur-De-Lis will have a cut-off date for delivery.
Leonhard says one of the most important things to do when ordering any type of arrangement is to get the basic information like someone’s name, phone number, and address.
This will ensure that your act of love is going to the right person.
