GEORGE TOWN: Last-minute orders for Valentine’s Day were pouring in for florists around the country.
Despite being swamped with special requests and delivery instructions, one order stood out and made florist Adren Ong pause for a moment.
Ong, who has been in the business for 20 years, said this was the first time he received a request for a bouquet of flowers with an expensive bag in it.
He said the customer dropped off the branded bag and asked him to place it in the bouquet and gave him banknotes to be made into flowers.
“I adorned the bouquet with 16 maroon soap roses, artificial baby’s breath flowers and gold eucalyptus to make it look grand.
“The bouquet included flowers made with RM500 banknotes as well,” he added.
Ong said it took him over three hours to make the bouquet.
“It’s a big bouquet. Placing the bag in the middle of the bouquet was the main challenge as I could not use adhesives to stick on the bag.
“I usually use glue or tape to hold things together. But this is an expensive bag, so I propped it up with wooden sticks.
“Even the sticks had to be wrapped in paper to make sure it does not scratch the bag.
“It took me a while to come up with the idea of propping it in the bouquet with sticks.”
Ong said he was happy to have made such a special bouquet.
“It looks really classy and special,” he said.
He has received about 20 to 30 Valentine’s Day orders, mostly for roses.
He said soap roses has been gaining popularity.
“Flowers made from soap are popular now as they are easier on the budget as well.
“For fresh roses, it costs between RM25 and RM28 per rose, but a bouquet with a rose and wrapping with smaller flowers is around RM30.
“Soap flowers are RM15 each but if they order 10, it is RM10 per flower.
“It depends on the size of the bouquet,” he said.
Ong will also be creating a bouquet with 99 roses.
“This order costs around RM2,000,” he added.
The more budget-friendly ones are the artificial roses, which come in different colours as well.
“Those are around RM100 to RM120 for a bouquet,” he said.
V. Rayvathi,who makes bouquets for buyers on a small budget, said she was surprised when she received orders for ‘beer bouquets’ from two women from their spouses.
“The budget is RM150, so I need to buy cans and supplies within that budget.
“This is the first time I have been approached to make such a gift, so I’m still thinking of how to decorate it,” she said.
Rayvathi said she has an order for a bouquet made with chocolates as well.
“This person is on a budget, so I will make one with cheaper chocolates.
“The main thing is to work within the customer’s budget. I have an order for fresh flowers as well,” she said.