September 2016

Keeping it Romantic with Russian Flora

kiyvIf you ask any of our team members about the most exciting part about their job they will probably tell you it is the opportunity to witness a lot of beautiful love stories, some of which sound more like fairy tales. They will tell you they are lucky enough to not only witness these relationships unfold in front of their eyes but to also participate in them. We tend to take things personally here at Russian Flora, and that means getting involved. We ask customers questions and are eager to answer theirs to make sure that their gifts are not only personal but also fit the region and culture they are being delivered in.

One of our favorite Russian Flora romances begins in 2010, like any good story we start with two people very much in love and trying very hard to overcome everything to be with one another. The man, we’ll call him Mr. V, got us wrapped up in his love story with his very first order – a lovely bouquet of flowers – for his girlfriend Tatiana in Vitebsk, Belarus.

Mr. V was a loyal customer, and already trusted us with corporate gift deliveries, but this whole long distance relationship thing was new to him. He had never had a girlfriend from another country, so he needed advice on how to handle the situation.  At the beginning, he had a lot of questions for our customer service team regarding the best gift options, appropriate holidays, and local gift etiquette in general. Since some of our team members are also from Eastern Europe, they knew exactly how to help and gladly gave him useful tips on how to impress his significant other from Belarus. For instance, when you send flowers to loved ones in this part of the world it is very important that you send an odd number. Even numbers of flowers in a bouquet are often considered bad luck, and even an insult: that is not the way to start off any romance. We also helped him pick appropriate gifts for local holidays to make sure there’s no misunderstanding. Vast experience with previous customers in similar situations and the knowledge of Eastern European culture allowed our team to help Mr. V navigate this issue and similar ones with ease.

Jewelry and Watches 

Mr. V’s first orders included all of the classics of romantic gifts like flowers, chocolates, and fruit baskets. But as their relationship grew, so did the gifts, with things like designer perfume, exquisite champagne, golden roses, and jewelry. With every order, Mr. V. was always meticulous and gave us detailed instructions about the time of delivery, packaging, her favorite brands, and the colors of the flowers. Luckily, our regional managers in Vitebsk never had a problem even with the most unusual requests and were always eager to help. Mr. V was thrilled with the level of dedication and attention to detail, and of course thrilled with Tatiana’s reaction to every lovely gift he sent.

With so many regular gift orders Mr. V quickly ran through our traditional romantic catalog; so he started ordering more sophisticated and even extraordinary custom gifts that impressed his girlfriend and our team! Among his custom orders were many useful items like a washing machine,

Christmas Tree

a big TV screen with LCD monitor, a camera, a new phone, and many other  surprises both useful and unusual. One  Christmas, he didn’t bother with regular gifts, but instead went above and beyond to  surprise his sweetheart with a full-size Christmas tree beautifully decorated with ornaments.

Tatiana and her young son were in a state of pleasant shock when they opened the door to our delivery guy 7 days before to Christmas. Mr. V was always careful to give her son just as much attention. A new Xbox, a skateboard, and an IPad are only a few of gifts he received from his mom’s new boyfriend on his Birthday, New Year, and Men’s Day. Our client even tried to surprise them both with a pet once!

A loyal (and romantic) customer for four happy years, Mr. V ordered over 40 gifts in total, most of which were custom. Over the years, our CS team established a great personal relationship with the client and our couriers became like a second family to Tatiana. Of course, there were times when not everything went smoothly and we had to really work with some of the most difficult orders, but the team always did their best to resolve the situation as soon as possible. Utmost sincerity and dedication made it all worthwhile.

For instance, he ordered a beautiful flower arrangement in a vase once to be delivered in the middle of January. It happened that there was a blizzard in Vitebsk that week, but our couriers made the impossible happen and delivered the gift safe and sound only a couple of hours late, even the poor road conditions couldn’t stop them. Also, remember that pet Mr. V wanted to get for Tatiana and her son? Well, even in the best circumstances buying a pet for someone you love is hard, and often you need them there to help pick it out. A puppy or aquarium with fish were his first two choices.

 Unique gifts

We worked with Mr. V to show him many of the adorable puppies we were able to find for Tatiana. Pictures were sent, dozens of emails, but ultimately he decided he was asking the impossible of us. There just wasn’t any way for him to get a good feel for the kind of dog he was sending to his girlfriend no matter how much information we sent him. He decided instead to go with a much safer investment of a large aquarium with 5 golden fish. It was quite exciting helping him with this extraordinary request and we are proud that we managed to meet his expectations and fulfill this complicated order.

At the end of 2014, Mr. V stopped ordering gifts to Belarus for his girlfriend, and we were both sad and happy to see his gift orders stop. You see the relationship we had watched grow and helped nurture for years had become something more. Like the end to every good fairy tale, Mr. V and Tatiana moved on to get married and start their happily ever after.

Why Fruit & Vegetable Bouquets Are Better Than Flowers

To eat, or not to eat – that is the question… Easily answered!

Apples, strawberry, oranges, peaches, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, this may seem like a grocery list but it’s actually some florists’ favorite edible items to include in bouquets! These edible bouquets make truly magnificent gifts, both delicious and beautiful. It’s hard to find anyone who can remain indifferent to such an extraordinary surprise.

It takes an experienced florist with immaculate taste to create a balanced edible composition. From picking just the right market-fresh fruit and vegetables and matching tastes and colors, to decorating with fragrant herbs, the whole process from beginning to end usually takes several hours.

Like so many other things that are gaining popularity today, this is an example of a modern spin on an old favorite. Edible bouquets and displays appear in art as early as the 2nd century CE in Rome, but love for them really began to bloom during the 15th and 16th centuries, particularly in Europe. They could be a sign of wealth, love, and friendship, and they were the go-to gift for any festive occasion because they could both decorate the party and feed tired hosts afterward. Now, vegetable arrangements, fruit bouquets, and even herbs are starting to replace flowers at every occasion, even weddings! Like flowers, each vegetable, fruit, and herb, has a symbolic meaning; for example, mint represents wisdom and refreshment, and lavender stands for devotion and love. It’s also pretty easy to imagine that a bouquet including either one would smell incredible!

So, what is so special about fruit & veggie bouquets, and why this trend is becoming so popular? We’ve broken down the benefits of these tasty gifts and given you 3 main reasons why you should choose an edible bouquet over traditional flowers for your next special occasion:

  • Unique Gift That’s Impressive in Any Size

Traditional flowers are lovely, but even timeless gifts can be boring. Adding fruits and vegetables to flowers, or making a totally edible bouquet is a great way to add more variety to a gift they’ve seen before. Nobody expects to receive an arrangement with strawberries, apples, and exotic fruit mixed with fresh roses, but when they do it will be a big hit!

  • A Bouquet You Can Actually Eat

An edible arrangement is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also a very practical gift that, as the name suggests, is as good on a plate as it is on display (but please don’t eat the package even if it looks inviting). After several days of enjoying a unique composition, you don’t have to throw it away with remorse but can easily turn it into lunch for the whole family! Every arrangement is a rigorous combination of certain ingredients that allows you to prepare an unforgettable meal. Fresh salad, delicious smoothies, or heartwarming soups are just a few ways your loved ones can enjoy experimenting with their non-traditional bouquet.

  • Fresh & Healthy

Both fruit and vegetable bouquets are made from the freshest ingredients, picked from local fresh markets. Each arrangement is a little burst of vitamins that will fill your family and friends with energy, good calories, and a positive attitude. Such mood and health boosters are especially welcome during cold months when you need to support a family member who is sick, surprise your vegan or vegetarian friends, or simply light up your special someone’s day.

As you can see, we think edible bouquets made of fruits, vegetables, and herbs are a special, hearty gift for your loved ones. So, the next time you’re thinking about sending flowers in a bouquet, consider something they can really sink their teeth into instead.

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