Of course, sending and receiving flowers, gifts and hampers on Valentine’s Day is sure to get you in the spirit, but picking the right gift for your Valentine can be a daunting task. To make things easier, we’ve put together this handpicked list of our favourite Valentine’s Day gifts and those that are popular with our customers.

Valentine’s Day Flowers

We recommend red and pink roses, and that you select your flowers of choice from our Valentine’s Day category mainly because those are the flowers the florists will be stocking up on. Our standard Red Rose bouquet comes with 12 red roses, going bigger to 24, 36, 48 and 100 which can either be arranged in a vase or wrapped in cellophane with a bow.

For that extra special touch, add a teddy, balloon, chocolates or a little bubbly from our ‘Add something’ section on the right of the product page or at the bottom in your shopping cart.

Note: If you’d like to order Valentine’s Day flowers and gifts for delivery in Durban, please order from our Durban Valentine’s Day page.

Our Most Popular Valentine’s Day Floral Gifts

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  The Whole Nine Yards

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  Say it with Six

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  Red Roses & Ferrero

Note: If you are ordering flowers online, take some time to think about what you want to say in the card before you place your order. It’s not a good idea to ask the florist to think up a message for you (we often get this request believe it or not). They don’t know you, your partner or the kind of relationship you have. It’s better coming from you than a complete stranger.

The Meaning of Red Roses

Valentine’s Day Gifts

We’ve carefully selected the gifts we think he or she will love the most. It’s not always possible to add everything though, so if you are looking for something specific, but can’t find it on our site, give us a call or send us an email, as we may be able to source it for you.

Perfume

We have a number of perfume brands ranging from Paco Rabanne, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Gucci and more... If you aren’t sure what you are looking for or what the person would like, we recommend you find out the name and brand of your Valentine’s favourite perfume or go to a department store and smell different kinds of perfumes before you order.

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  Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male

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  Elizabeth Arden Red Door

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  Christian Dior J'adore

Note: All gifts and perfumes need to be ordered at least 2 days in advance as they need to be couriered.

Hampers

Chocolate & Nougat Hampers

You can’t go wrong with a nougat or chocolate hamper as even the most disciplined weight watcher will find it hard to resist the temptation of delicious melt in your mouth Lindt chocolates or soft creamy nutty Sally Williams nougat. My Last Rolo has been a hit year after year, not only do you get chocolates with creamy toffee centres, but a silver Rolo keepsake in its own little pouch as well. Not sure whether to get flowers or chocolates, we have the perfect in between gift, Love is in the Air Edible Chocolate Arrangement.

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  Lindt Chocolate Hamper

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  My Last Rolo

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  Edible Arrangement

Bubbly & Liqueurs

The Moet & Chocolate Surprise hamper is a definite gift to consider. It might be a little more than you had in mind, but since Valentine’s Day only comes around once a year and won’t be a celebration without a little bubbly, you might consider stretching your budget a little...

To get in the mood, calm the nerves or as a night cap to end off the perfect night, perhaps a liqueur gift like the Amarula & Chocs or the Bells, Chocolates, Biltong & Snacks Hamper will do the trick. Want to rekindle the passion, feeling a bit naughty or just looking for something more unconventional, the Chocolate Bondage gift might just light that spark and turn it into a flame... ;-)

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  Moët Chocolate Surprise

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  For Whom the Bells Toll

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  Chocolate Bondage

Bath & Body

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  Charlotte Rhys Hamper

Since Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, a day off work for most, there is no better way to relax and unwind after a long week than with a romantic candle lit bath. Soaking in luxurious bath oils or bubbles not only relaxes you but leaves your skin silky smooth and feeling like a million bucks! The Charlotte Rhys pamper hamper contains the essentials you need for a quick pamper session before an unforgettable night of love and romance.

Fun Hampers

Why not make a day of it, and take her out for a romantic picnic in the park? The Picnic for Two hamper will be the perfect Valentine's Day gift to get you all set up... it comes complete with a bouquet of red roses, a bottle of wine, a teddy, Ferrero Rocher chocolates and assorted snacks, all neatly packed in a picnic basket along with plates and cutlery...

For useful tips on buying Valentine’s Day flowers and gifts and avoiding disappointment, take a look at this article.

May you get struck by Cupids love arrow, fall head over heels in love or rekindle an old flame, and your heart be filled with love and happiness... Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

It’s hard enough finding the right Valentine’s Day gift to surprise and delight your significant other. Eventually you do find that perfect bouquet of flowers or the ultimate romantic gift to send her, only to find your hopes of scoring brownie points in the romance department decimated by poor quality flowers, or even worse, a gift that doesn’t arrive at all!

Yes, unfortunately this is the sad reality many romantics at heart have been faced with in years gone by. This is of course a huge concern for us at inMotion Flowers, as we take our responsibility towards our customers and their loved ones very seriously. So we’ve decided to put together this bare it all guide on sending flowers and gifts for Valentine’s Day, with a few tips for avoiding disaster and disappointment.

Before we get to the tips though, we’d like to cover a few facts about Valentine’s Day flowers we think you should know.

Why Flowers are so expensive around Valentine’s Day

It’s no secret that flower prices sky rocket around special flower days like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. We’ll forgive you for thinking that it’s the florists who drive the prices up as the demand for flowers goes up, but the truth is that the markets push the prices up. If it were up to us, we’d keep our prices the same throughout the year... ;-)

Valentine’s Day is the biggest flower day of the year for florists, and captures 36% of holiday transactions and 40% of holiday spend volume when looking at flower purchases only. 63% of these purchases are for red roses. In 2014, an estimated 257 million roses were produced for Valentine’s Day! You can imagine the logistical nightmare of producing and transporting this many flowers in such a small time frame, which explains why the costs of producing these flowers and maintaining their quality are so high.

Since the florists have to buy the flowers at astronomical prices, they have no choice but to push their prices up around these big flower days.

Flower Quality

Another big concern for us is the quality of flowers. Throughout the year we always try to buy the best quality flowers available, and special flower days are no different for us. However, we are still at the mercy of what’s available at the market. Sure there are different grades and quality of flowers, which is why you should always purchase from a reputable florist that doesn’t try to cut costs by purchasing lower quality flowers that cost less. However, sometimes, even the best quality available might not be quite what we want it to be.

Although this is no reason to not order flowers, as we do offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Therefore if for any reason you aren’t satisfied, we’ll replace the flowers at no extra cost to you. As always, we are committed to providing you the best service and value for your money.

How to Avoid Disappointment

The most important advice we can offer you here is not to wait until the last minute to place your order. This is especially true for flowers, but also applies to hampers and gifts. Valentine’s Day is on 14 February in South Africa, so it’s a good idea to have your order in by the 10th. Of course we’ll continue to take orders after that, but keep in mind that at some point we may have to stop taking orders if we reach our maximum capacity or if the markets run out of flowers. Also, the earlier you order, the more choice you’ll likely have.

Keep in mind, if you plan to order a gift or hamper, it will need to be couriered. Please allow 1-2 days for delivery.

Note: Our custom flowers and custom hamper facilities won’t be available during this period.

We would also like to point out that we can’t offer specific delivery times on busy days like this. To be safe, we recommend that you supply your florist with an address where someone will be available from 8am-5pm. Also, make sure the address and telephone numbers (preferably two phone numbers) are correct to ensure your order gets delivered on time. If the address is wrong or the recipient can’t be reached, your order might only be redelivered the following day.

What if my Gift Doesn’t Arrive?

This is everyone’s worst nightmare, including ours. We go to great lengths to make sure that all our flowers and gifts arrive on the requested day of delivery, and we are proud to say that we have a very good track record for delivering on time. Unfortunately we can only get delivery confirmation details once the drivers get back from their assigned routes, but even then, getting these order status updates from our florists can be very difficult at busy times like this. We therefore ask that you be patient and understanding in this regard.

We can assure you that we are doing everything in our power to make sure your order gets delivered on time.

Choosing the Right Gift

We have a wide variety of flower, hamper and gift choices available, so choosing the perfect gift might be easier said than done. We've written a detailed article with our favourite Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas to help you, but here are a few tips to get you started:

• To be safe, try and stick to ordering red or pink roses, as most florists will be well stocked on these flowers.
• When ordering from our website, please order from our Valentine’s Day category only, as we can’t promise that florists will have our other floral products in stock around this time.
• If she isn’t a huge fan of flowers, go for one of our lovely hampers or gifts instead.
• If you are sending Valentine flowers to Durban, order from our Durban Valentine’s Day category, as we have a wider selection of flower products available in Durban.

We hope this article hasn’t put you off buying flowers for Valentine’s Day. Our intention is purely to inform you of the ins and outs of ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day from any florist around the world, including us, and to help you make the right choices. Remember, our primary goal is to surprise and delight, and to offer you the BEST service we possibly can. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’ll do our best to assist you in any way we can.

PS: If you found this article helpful or you think it might help others, please consider liking or sharing it using the share icons below...

But what do you do for mom on Mother’s Day? Well we’ve put together some of our favourite Mother’s Day gift ideas from our 2019 collection, plus a few other ideas we think mom will love. We’ve also included important tips for ordering flowers and gifts for Mother’s Day online, so be sure to read to the end...

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

We are huge fans of doing something fun or memorable with Mom, however, not everyone can spend the day with mom. You might be living in a different town or an entirely different country. In this case, sending her a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, a hamper with her favourite chocolates or beauty products, or a gift such as her favourite perfume would be a great alternative to let her know you care... or in addition if you really want to go all out and surprise her...

Flowers, Hamper & Gifts

Conveniently order flowers, hampers or gifts online from our Mother’s Day category and have them delivered directly to your mom.

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  Pink Lilies & Roses in Vase

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  Lindt Chocolate Hamper

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  Bath & Body Hamper

Great Ways to Spend Mothers Day

While sending mom flowers or a gift is a nice touch, if you are able to spend the day with her, you should definitely plan something special that she won’t forget. Here are a few ideas for you to consider.

Shopping & Lunch

Take her shopping for the day and buy her something nice, get her hair or nails done and take her to lunch at her favourite restaurant.

Picnic in the Park

Plan a fun picnic in the park or at the botanical gardens. Pack her favourite foods and snacks, and invite the whole family. She’ll really appreciate the time with her family, and the fresh air and change of scenery will do her wonders.

Mother’s Day at a Spa

Moms deserve to be pampered every now and then, so why not spend the day with her at a luxury spa? Get a half day or a full day package for two. That way she gets to spend quality time with you while being pampered and spoiled. Most spas will be running special promotions around Mother’s Day that will include lunch and special treats etc.

Take Her to the Theatre

You could take her to the theatre to watch a show you think she might enjoy, or take her to the opera if she likes that sort of thing.

Make Her a Handmade Card

Go the extra mile by making your very own Mother's Day card for mom. We've put together this easy to follow DIY Mother's Day Card Tutorial to get you started.

Of course you don’t have to get too fancy... even just taking the time to spend the day with her at home will mean the world to her. You’ll definitely earn yourself a few brownie points if you sent her flowers as well though, but we may be biased here... ;-)

Tips for Ordering Mother’s Day Flowers & Gifts Online

The most important advice we can give you here is to order early. We can’t stress this point enough, as things get pretty hectic around special flower days like Mother’s Day. Not only do flowers become scarce at the last minute, but florists around the country usually battle to handle the demand.

And it’s for these reasons that we’ve decided to do things a little differently again this year. We’re going to stop taking orders for Mother’s Day far earlier than usual. The cut off will be on Wednesday the 6th of May 2015, so if you want to send mom flowers or a gift for Mother’s Day, please make sure you get your order in before Wednesday.

Please only order from our Mother’s Day category, as florists will only be stocking those flowers and gifts at this busy time. If you are ordering flowers, hampers or gifts to Durban, you can order from our Durban Mother’s Day category which has a wider selection of flowers.

We should also mention that our custom flowers and custom hamper products won’t be available during this period.

Delivery on Mother’s Day

Unfortunately most of our partner florists around South Africa (except in Durban) are closed on Sunday’s and won’t be delivering on Mother’s Day. We suggest ordering flowers for delivery between Thursday, 9 May and Saturday, 11 May. Gifts and hampers need to be delivered on Thursday or Friday, as there are no weekend deliveries for couriered items.

Sunday Delivery in Durban

We will be delivering flowers on Mother’s Day, Sunday, 12 May in Durban only. Please indicate in the special instructions if you want delivery on Sunday, as the date will be block in the checkout.

We hope you found this article helpful, but if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to post them in the comments below. And if you have a few great ideas for Mother’s Day of your own, we’d love to hear them in the comments as well.

Of course, we also wanted to give you, our beloved customer the opportunity to make your own contribution, so we added a block to our shopping cart page where you can optionally add your own donation to your order.

You can read more about our Charity Donation Initiative here.

The first charity to be included in our program was The Sunflower Fund. I’m sure many South African’s reading this have heard of The Sunflower Fund and the great work they are doing for children and adults suffering from life-threatening blood disorders like Leukemia. But for the benefit of our overseas customers and those who aren’t entirely familiar with their work, we want to tell you a bit more about The Sunflower Fund, and share a few stories that really touched our hearts. By the end of this article, I think you’ll understand why we are so passionate about supporting these guys, and we hope you will feel the same way too.

The Sunflower Fund works tirelessly to raise funds and recruit new bone marrow donors in an effort to save lives. They run a series of events throughout the year which include the Annual Sunflower Golf Day, Miles for Marrow Cycle Ride, Annual Sunflower Ball and probably the most well-known of all, the National Bandana Day campaign. You can read more about their ongoing work here.

Reza Price: Severe Aplastic Anaemia

The first story we heard about from The Sunflower Fund that really ripped at our hearts, was that of Reza Price.

Reza who is nearly 17 years old was diagnosed with Severe Aplastic Anaemia in September 2009 just after his 12th birthday.

With Aplastic Anaemia, the best chance of a cure is a Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant from a matching donor.  Siblings and family were tested initially but no matches were found. The local South African and international registries were also checked, but without any success. Over the past 5 years, Reza has gone through all the possible treatments for his disease, though nothing has brought success.

Reza is currently receiving weekly blood transfusions which is the only thing sustaining him health wise. At times his heath deteriorates to a point where he requires blood transfusions twice a week.  Last year Reza's health took a turn for the worse and he was declared terminal mid-Feb 2013.

Because of dangerously low blood counts, his body has practically no platelets. When he started a profuse nosebleed it lasted about 2 months.  All kinds of methods were employed to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. The doctors were at their wits end when miraculously, the bleeding stopped.

Reza’s condition is relatively stable currently, however his state of health is of huge concern and he hasn’t been able to go to school much in the past few years. The search is still on for a suitable bone marrow stem cell match for Reza and the registries worldwide are continuously scanned for this.

“Almost 5yrs on and this is still Reza's only chance of a cure.  We remain hopeful that a donor will be found for him.

Zeenat Price (Reza’s Mom)”

This just demonstrates the desperate need for donors in South Africa, and around the world!

But it doesn’t have to be this way… here’s a heart warming story of a man who not only beat Leukemia, but went on to become a hero in the fight against this deadly disease.

Ray Funnell: Never Lose Your Dream

Ray Funnell was first diagnosed with AML leukemia in August 2006 after noticing that a bruise on his arm wouldn't heal. His doctor informed him that the survival rate was 20%, but he remained upbeat and determined to join the survivors. After 7 days of continuous chemo followed by 3 weeks of recovery in an isolation ward, Ray was advised to look for a bone marrow donor. Fortunately his only sibling Gary turned out to be a perfect match, and a stem cell transplant was performed at the beginning of 2007.

After a brief relapse in 2008 and another high dose of Chemo therapy, Ray eventually became the leukaemia survivor he had set out to be. He also became a 7 Summits Mountaineer and an “Ambassadors of Hope” for The Sunflower Fund!

Ray is a phenomenal individual with a passion for life and adventure that is rarely seen.

“I’m a big supporter of the “Just Do It” attitude as it makes for unexpected and exciting experiences. Daring to do the seemingly impossible is the very attitude that makes us grow, mature and ultimately reveals our true inner strength, which we ALL have!!”

A few short years ago it may have seemed like a crazy idea for a Leukaemia survivor to set out to climb the 7 Summits. Now this dream is about to be realised.  Ray and his son Jayson have conquered peaks such as Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Elbrus, Vinson and Kosciusko. To complete the 7 Summits Challenge, they will have to embark on three more journeys to Carstenz Pyramid, Denali and lastly Mount Everest, which they plan to climb after Jayson turns 18.

Jayson has also entered into the record books by being the youngest South African ever to summit Aconcagua and Vinson, showing that true grit and determination certainly runs in the family.

The Funnell Family then put together a fundraising event with The Sunflower Fund in Johannesburg called “Everest Challenge” or more affectionately known as “100 000 Stairs of Hope”.  This entailed a gruelling climb up and down the famous Westcliff Stairs over a period of 36 hours.  This equated to climbing the equivalent height of Mt Everest (8840m) in a weekend.  Ray gathered a team of 18 athletes which included Sibusiso Vilane, who has conquered Mt Everest twice.

 “This event was mega tough for all the athletes but it’s for such a great cause that we are going to do it again this year on 13-14 December 2014”.

Ray also finds the time to ride various cycle races which include The Argus and 94.7 and has most recently taken up running marathons as well.

Ray’s sentiments that he lives by:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but rather the moments that take our breath away” and “Never lose your dream!”

Now in case that wasn’t inspiring enough, here’s one more story we’d like to share…

The Story of Thabo… and a Life Saved

I have to confess, the above video definitely got me choked up… there might even have been some tears involved, but I’d prefer not to admit that part…

Hopefully you’ll see why we are so passionate about our little donations project, and why we hope you’ll also get involved by making a small donation the next time you place an order on our website. And if you don’t want to wait until your next order, you can even make a donation right away here:

Click to Make a Donation

Of course we know times are tough, so please don’t feel compelled to part with money you can’t afford… even if you just share this article with your family and friends, or tell them about our Charity Donations Initiative, you’ll be helping in a big way.

Don’t despair! Just because certain kinds of flowers aren’t available, doesn’t mean you can’t have the colour of your dreams. There are still a lot of flower options to ensure an enchanting wedding day!

We have listed the main flower colours used along with their meanings and the various flower options available. Even though some of them might still be seasonal, it will at least give you a better idea of what your options are. If you are planning a wedding in Durban, feel free to get in touch with us to see which flowers are available around the time of your wedding. We’ve also put together a highly recommended step by step wedding flower guide which will assist you with everything you need to ask your wedding florist, and includes great tips to save you money, plus some ideas for inspiration.

Yellow

Yellow flowers, the unofficial national flower of friendship, but also represent joy, happiness, new beginnings, energy and cheerfulness.

Popular Yellow Flowers: Daffodils, Roses, Sunflowers, Umbellatum Lilies, Gerberas, Chrysanthemums/Daisies, Frangipani, Tulips, Gladiolus, Calla Lilies/ Zantedeschias, Snap Dragons, Billy Buttons or Craspedia.

Suggested Colour Combinations: Royal blue or navy (ribbons), dark purple or a combination of dark pink, orange and green flowers.

Green

Green flowers symbolise nature, good fortune, new life and well being.

Popular Green Flowers: Button Chrysanthemums/ Pom Poms, Roses, Carnations, Hydrangea, Cymbidium Orchids and Spider Chrysanthemums, Anthuriums, Kale (ornamental cabbage), Succulents (Desert Rose).

Suggested Colour Combinations: White and dark colours like purple, orange, yellow and cerise pink.

Pink: Pastel Pink, Cerise or Hot Pink

Pink flowers represent happiness, grace, love, joy, beauty and innocence.

Popular Dark Pink Flowers: Roses, Gerberas, Chrysanthemums, Gladiolus, Hydrangea, Protea, Snap dragons, Carnations, Calla lilies.

Popular Light Pink Flowers: Roses, Gerberas, Chrysanthemums, Waxflower, Hydrangea, Tulips, Lisianthus, Snap Dragons, Carnations.

Peonies - Light & Dark Pink: they are not always available in all the colours and are only available for a short period of time in South Africa between the months of October and November.

Suggested Colour Combinations: With cerise or hot pink: Orange, green, yellow. Light or Pastel pink: white or lilac.

Red

Red flowers, the colour of love, passion and desire. They also represent confidence, beauty and strength.

Popular Red Flowers: Roses, Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Gerberas, Alstroemeria, Oriental/ Umbellatum Lilies, Gladiolus, Lobster Claw, Anthuriums, Celosia (cockscomb).

Suggested Colour Combinations: Dark purple, white and black.

Orange

Orange flowers symbolise warmth, energy, vitality, enthusiasm, passion and confidence.

Popular Orange Flowers: Gerberas, Calla Lilies, Tulips, Umbellatum Lilies, Roses, Chrysanthemums, Gladioli, Strelitzias, Pincushions, Hipericum Berries.

Suggested Colour Combinations: Cerise or Hot Pink.

Black

Black roses are the most commonly used black flower. They look black, but are usually a dark shade of red, purple, or maroon. Although black usually has a negative connotation and can be seen as a symbol of death, it can also be a symbol of something positive like love after death, undying love and new beginnings.

Popular and only natural (or un-dyed) black looking flowers available: Black Baccara Rose and dark burgundy Zantedeschias / Calla Lilies.

Suggested Colour Combinations: Mainly red, deep and dark colours like bright yellow, dark/ burnt orange, dark purple, dark pink or even white.

White

White flowers are known as a symbol of purity and innocence but also represent elegance and modesty.

Popular White Flowers: Roses, Arum Lilies, Lace Flower, Baby's Breath / Gypsophilla, Daisies, Gerberas, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Michaelmas Daisies / Aster, Casablanca Lilies, St Josephs, Anthuriums, Waxflower, Lisianthius, Snap Dragons, Veronicas, Stocks, Chincherinchees, Delphiniums, Freesias.

Suggested Colour Combinations: White is a very versatile colour and can be combined with any colours, whether pastels or dark colours.

Purple or Blue

Purple flowers, also sometimes referred to as blue flowers, are quite rare and vary from shades of radiant red to calm blue, and are a very popular colour choice for weddings and events. Since many couples struggle to think of blue or purple flowers, we’ve listed a number of options in different shades that are available in South Africa, for inspiration.

Purple has long been associated with royalty and magic. Lavender and lighter shades on the other hand convey femininity, youth and beauty. Darker shades of purple suggest luxury, spirituality, admiration and love, while blue flowers represent peace, serenity and truth.

Unfortunately, in most cases, the bright blue or dark purple flowers seen on the internet or in international magazines are not real, especially when it comes to roses, gerberas, daisies and orchids. These flowers are usually dyed or could even be silk or paper flowers. Since our flower markets in South Africa don’t sell these dyed flowers, they are seldom used. If you are looking for fresh flowers, check with your local florist for availability first, and make sure that they are in fact what you expected or wanted.

Lilac Flowers: Lisianthus, Iris, Lavender, Michaelmas Daisy / Aster, Liatris, Stocks, Sweet Pea, Hydrangea.

Lilac Roses: Amnesia Rose - They have an antique kind of look and feel to them. They can sometimes look like they’re old, so please ask to see them first before you decide on using them for your wedding or event.

Purple Flowers: Lisianthus, Gladiolus, Tulips, Statice, White & Purple Calla Lilies, Larkspur, Phalaenopsis Orchid, Sweet Pea, White & Dark Purple Proteas, Hydrangea, Ornamental Kale.

Blue Flowers: Iris, Delphiniums, Veronicas, Orchid, Hydrangea.

Purple & Blue Dendrobium Orchids: An excellent choice if you are looking for a unique and exotic look. They are available in South Africa, however check with your florist and order your flowers in advance.

Suggested colour combinations: Different shades of purple, pink, green, turquoise and blue flowers to create magical bouquets and centrepieces.

You'll also find great tips for choosing colour schemes in this article.

Please keep in mind that most of these flowers, even though available in South Africa, are still seasonal, so you need to check the availability with your florist or plan your wedding so that it coincides with your favourite flower’s season… ;-)

If you have any questions or you think we’ve missed any important flowers or flower colours, please let us know in the comments below, and if you are looking for a wedding florist in Durban, get in touch with us to see how we can help you realise your dream wedding.

Image Source: Mayesh Wholesale Florist and inMotion Flowers Weddings & Events.

First and foremost, you need to decide on a colour scheme and theme for your wedding, as this will help determine the type of flowers, colour and style of arrangements you’ll need. We've also put together a list of flowers with their available colours and meanings to help you choose the right flowers to match your wedding's colour scheme.

Flowers for the Wedding Party

Bride

Decide on the style of your bridal bouquet. Popular options are posy style, arm sheaf and cascading, but there are many others as well. You’ll also need to decide if you want flowers for your hair.

Throw Bouquet

An optional second bouquet to throw to all the single ladies so you can keep your main bridal bouquet.

Bridesmaids & Maid of Honour

Bouquets and flowers for their hair.

Flower Girl

A clip with flowers for her hair, a coronet or halo, pomanders (a ball of flowers to carry) or a basket with flowers.

Corsages

An orchid, roses, mini carnations or any flower of your choice pinned on the shoulder or made up as a wrist corsage for the bride and grooms mothers and grandmothers (optional).

Button Holes

A single rose or small flower of your choice pinned to the lapel or shoulder for the groom, best man, groomsmen, page boy (ring bearer), bride and grooms fathers and grandfathers (optional), minister/pastor, master of ceremonies and driver.

The Church or Chapel

Flower Arrangements

One or two large flower arrangements in front of the church or chapel, or at the entrance. These can be moved and used at the reception venue as well.

Flowers for the Pews

Normally just one flower on every second pew or chair, or scattered rose petals down the aisle. Other options include pomanders, small mixed bouquets, vases of gyp and garlands etc.

Flowers for the Registry Table

These are optional, as placing the bridal bouquet on the table while signing is just as beautiful.

Fresh Rose Petals for Confetti

Find out if this is allowed at the church or chapel before the time.

The Wedding Reception

Table Centrepieces

The type of flower arrangement will depend on whether you want vases, special dishes/containers, bird cages, candelabra or lanterns. If it’s an evening wedding you might need candles, or flowers and candles. The number of centrepieces will depend on how many guests you are inviting and how many tables there will be. Just remember, the more guests you invite, the more tables you’ll need, which means more centrepieces... and more expensive!

Main Table Arrangement

This is traditionally a long flat flower arrangement in the middle and to the front of the table or flower edging. For a more modern look, consider various smaller votives, vases and dishes with a variety of flowers.

Chairs

A flower, garlands, ribbons or mini bouquets at the back of every second chair (optional).

Food Tables

Flowers can be moved from the church/chapel and placed on the food tables, or optionally, use simple tall glass vases with flowers.

Flowers for the Wedding Cake

Let your florist know if you’d like fresh flowers on your wedding cake so she can advise you on the options available.

Thank You Flowers

Bouquets of flowers to show your appreciation and to acknowledge those who played a role in making your day extra special, such as your parents, friends and family.

Choosing your Wedding Flowers

We often receive enquiries from couples wanting extravagant arrangements that they’ve seen in magazines and on the internet, but when they see the costs, they are shocked. Here’s an explanation of the costs, and a few alternative substitutions that are more affordable.

Always Available

Roses, Lilies (St. Joseph, Casablanca, Stargazer), Gerbera Daisies or Barberton Daisy, Carnations, Lisianthus, Proteas and Gladiolus.

Seasonal Flowers

Check availability with your wedding florist first to avoid disappointment. Tulips, Peonies, Calla or Arum lilies, Orchids, Hydrangea and Frangipani are only available at certain times of the year in South Africa. Also, seasonal flowers may be more expensive at certain times of the year, and flowers are generally more expensive around flower holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Most Popular Flower Choices & Costs Explained

Roses are usually the first choice for most brides, but are unfortunately also an expensive option in certain kinds of arrangements. As an example: Rose Ball Centrepieces require around 30-40 roses to fill one ball because rose buds are quite small and don’t cover a large area of the arrangement. So to save money, we need to use fewer flowers. This doesn’t mean you can’t use roses, it just means we need to add or use flowers with large petals and buds that cover a greater area. Lilies and gerberas, or even King Proteas will work well.

Lilies are also quite pricey, however open lilies are quite big, especially Casablanca lilies. Since they take up more space than roses, you would need fewer lilies to fill the same sized arrangement, and it will cost you less. Brides are often reluctant to use lilies because they are scared the pollen will stain their white table cloths and dresses. Since florists remove all pollen from the lilies for this exact reason, rest assured you have nothing to worry about.

Gerberas are similar to lilies in that they work out to be less costly since they are quite big and take up around the same amount of space as three roses would. This means you only pay for one flower instead of three in the same style of arrangement.

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas for your wedding flowers, take a look at our Wedding Flower Ideas Board on Pinterest. We regularly update this board with all our favourites from around the world, so feel free to follow it.

Extra Bits & Pieces

A few extras you might forget or haven’t given any thought to are overlays, runners, chair tie backs and wedding favours. They are available in any colour to match your colour scheme and definitely something to consider since most venues only supply white tablecloths, chair covers and serviettes.

Overlays

A square piece of material that can be scrunched up in the middle of the table with the centrepiece on top, or laid out flat over the white table cloth.

Runners

A long rectangular strip of material that runs across the table and down both sides.

Chair Tie Backs

Long strips of material tied around the back of the chairs. This is the perfect place to put your flowers.

Wedding Favours

Little thank you gifts and treats placed on the tables at the reception for your guests. You can either do one gift per couple, or gifts for men and ladies. These don’t have to be expensive; they can be as simple as boxes or containers with sweets, chocolates, cupcakes and handmade beaded key rings, or go green with a lovely potted herb or flower.

We hope these ideas will help you plan the perfect flowers for your wedding and that it will make communicating with your local wedding florist or event co-ordinator a little easier. If you are looking for flowers for a wedding in Durban, visit our weddings page and send us an enquiry. If you feel we’ve missed anything, or you have any questions, please feel free to post them in the comments below.

If you would like a printable PDF version of this guide to take with you, let us know in the comments and we will gladly send you a copy.

Written by

Lizé Williams

PS: If you enjoyed this article, help spread the word by clicking the share buttons below.

The History of Fathers Day

The first known record of a Father being wished dates back 4000 years when a boy named Elmesu etched wishes for his father on a clay card in Babylon. Father’s Day was first celebrated by Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd in Washington State on 19 June 1910, but was only declared an official holiday 58 years after Mother’s Day by President Richard Nixon in 1972. Today, Father’s Day is celebrated around the world on different days. In South Africa, the USA and 50 other countries in the world, Fathers Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June, while other countries celebrate it on the second Sunday in June. Here’s a full list of Fathers Day dates around the world, including Father's Day in South Africa.

Youngest Father

The record for the youngest man to father a child is held by 13 year old Alfie Patten in the UK in 2009.

Oldest Father

The record for the oldest man to father a child was set by 94 year old Ramjit Raghav in India in 2011.

Fathers Day Gifts

While not quite in the same league as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day is still big business. Stores and businesses around the world run irresistible specials on Fathers Day gifts as much as a month in advance, and these can be bought online or in the shops. As it turns out 4/10 people choose to buy gifts for Dad from department stores, while 3/10 prefer to shop online for their Father’s Day gifts. In 2012, the average person spent about $ 117 on Father’s Day presents, with the total spend coming to around $ 12.7 billion.

For more interesting Fathers Day facts and statistics, we’ve included this infographic below.

What did you do or get for Father’s Day? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below, and if you enjoyed the infographic, please share it with others.

How Will this Affect Me?

Don’t worry, we haven’t fallen victim to a hostile takeover, and we haven’t sold our company or merged with another company. In fact nothing is changing except our name, website URL and logo.

Flowers for Africa is still owned by the same people, run by the same AWESOME team (sorry, couldn’t resist) and will continue providing the same personalized service to all our customers. Rest assured our values, guarantees, reliability, attention to detail and your satisfaction will continue to be our highest priority.

From your side, you don’t need to do anything... your customer account will still work with the same login details you set up on the Flowers for Africa website, all your past orders and addresses will still be in your account and you’ll find the same user-friendly website and products you’re used to... just don’t get a fright and think you’ve landed on the wrong website.

Why We are Rebranding

There are a number of reasons why we have decided to drop the name Flowers for Africa in favour of inMotion Flowers. Firstly, as it turns out, there is another Flowers for Africa in South Africa. Flowers for Africa CC. is a flower wholesaler in Cape Town. This of course has been causing a lot of unintentional confusion for our customers and theirs, especially now that they also have a website. Since they’ve been around longer, and we don’t want to step on any toes, we decided it would be better to change our name.

You may also have noticed that with the recent upgrade to our website, we’ve been working hard to bring you a more professional and user-friendly website boasting all the latest technological advancements in e-Commerce, and we needed a new look to go with our modern website.

In a way, you could say we’ve grown too big for our boots... :-) What started as a small family run business, is fast becoming a serious competitor in the South African flower and gifting industry, and with that comes the need to be VAT registered and BEE certified so that we can continue growing and offering you even more value. We will continue to offer great customer service, and we’ll be adding more services such as corporate gifting, events and weddings.

What to Expect Going Forward

We are planning on switching over from the Flowers for Africa domain to our new domain this weekend, so our website might be inaccessible between Sat, 8 June and Sun, 9 June, but we should be back up and running by Monday at the latest... just in time for you to place your orders for Father’s Day... ;-)

We’ll send out an email on Tuesday to let you know the new website address, but don’t worry, the old Flowers for Africa links will still take you to the new site.

Thank you for all your support over the years, and here’s to many more great years to come... we’ll keep working hard, and continue to grow our relationship and trust with you, our valued customer.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the rebranding process, or you have any difficulties using the website, please let us know in the comments below, and we’ll gladly assist you.

The Flowers for Africa Team

Now I know what you’re thinking. This article will be biased because it’s published by a florist whose primary business is selling flowers, hampers and gifts online, right? Well, you may be right, but as the owner of a number of successful websites, and with more than 16 years of experience in the online world as a web developer and internet marketer, I’m going to do my best to provide you with accurate, unbiased information that will ensure your online shopping experience is a safe and pleasant one.

So the answer to my question is; yes it is safe to order flowers online, but you need to know what to look for in an online florist, or any online service for that matter, before you make your purchase.

Rather Safe than Sorry

Firstly, let me say that you are right to be a little sceptical and weary in this day and age of e-Commerce. There are unfortunately a few fly-by-nights that exist purely to take your money, with no intentions of delivering. I’m happy to report however, that I don’t know of any online florists in South Africa that are doing this. This is not to say however that there aren’t any, or that there aren’t any in other industries.

Having said that though, not all online florists adhere to the same ethics or quality standards, and customer service and reliability can differ vastly as well. This is unfortunately something you’ll only be able to figure out through trial and error. A good starting point though, would be to use florists who offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Security

With credit card fraud being rife around the world, this should be one of your biggest concerns. Look for reputable security seals on the website before you hand over your credit card details, and make sure that the page where you enter your credit card details displays a valid SSL security certificate. You can check this by looking for the padlock icon in your address bar. Thawte®, Virtual Card Services (secured by Thawte®), Symantec (Norton Secured) and GeoTrust are a few examples of reputable security seals.

In our case, we don’t see, process or store any credit card details on our website. The credit card transaction is handled entirely by our payment gateway, VCS (Virtual Card Services), so your credit card details are entirely safe and protected by their secure server.

How Do I know If I Can Trust The Security Seal?

If you are faced with a security mark you don’t recognise, do a quick search for the name on Google to verify if this is a legitimate and trustworthy seal. If you aren’t satisfied by what you find, rather order from a more reputable website to be safe.

Update (26 July 2014): According to a recent ACI Worldwide and Aite Group global consumer study looking at the impact and perceptions of fraud, 33% of South African survey respondents said they do not trust online retailers and service providers to adequately protect their data from hackers, even though they have security systems in place.

Personally, I don’t trust them either. It is very difficult and expensive to fully secure a server and website against attacks, so you either have to be a huge online retailer with big security budgets and a responsible approach to security, or you shouldn’t be storing people’s credit card details. We prefer to leave credit card processing to the reputable payment gateways that specialize in processing payments securely. My suggestion is that you either use an online florist that doesn’t handle credit card processing themselves and that don’t store your card details, or you pay by EFT (Electronic Bank Transfer) if you are concerned.

Privacy

Naturally, you want to be assured that your personal details such as your email address, telephone number and address will be kept private. We recommend reading the website’s privacy policy and terms and conditions before making a purchase.

Also, many online florists and gifting websites will require you to register before you can make a purchase. This often comes with forced subscription to their marketing emails and newsletters, which you may not want.

In this case, you might prefer to order from a website that doesn’t require registration. At inMotion Flowers, you can checkout as a guest or optionally register for convenience. Subscribing to our newsletter is also optional, and you can unsubscribe at any time, should you no longer wish to receive our communications.

Will I Get Exactly What I Ordered?

This one is a little trickier to answer. Since flower arrangements ordered online are made up by various florists around the country, there are a number of factors that could affect the way the final delivered product compares to the image on the website. Florists may interpret the designs slightly differently, and the availability of flowers in certain areas, or even specific colours of flowers may also be an issue. However, if significant substitutions are necessary, your florist should inform you of this, and the substitutions should always be of equal or greater value.

Keep in mind also that mistakes do happen, but a trustworthy online florist should always be willing to fix their mistakes.

Website Design & Usability

They say looks aren’t everything... but when it comes to websites, I tend to disagree... ;-) While the overall look and feel is subjective, the design and usability of a website can be very telling. If the website looks outdated and the design is unprofessional looking, you may want to steer clear.

Equally, if the website is not very user-friendly, ordering online might end up being more hassle than it’s worth. You should not need to fill out ridiculously long forms that ask you for unnecessary information.

Contact Details

Make sure that the website you are planning on ordering from makes it very easy to contact them. Their contact details should be clearly visible on their website, and you should be able to contact them by email and phone at the very least. If this is not the case, DON’T ORDER!

Social Media

A great way to get a clearer idea of who you are dealing with, is to check if they have any social media profiles. If they do, click through to their profiles and see what customers are saying about their service. In the online flower industry, Facebook is the best place to look. Click the “See all” link in the “Recent Posts by Others” section, and see what people are saying. If this section is hidden, I’d worry... Most of our customer feedback seems to be on our Google page.

If they don’t have any social media profiles, I’d also be a bit suspicious. In that case, you could perform a search on Google for the company name plus “reviews” or “complaints”.

Of course, finding people complaining doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t order from them, but at least you know what you’re up against, and can make an educated decision from there.

Still Not Convinced?

If for any reason, you still aren’t comfortable with the idea of ordering flowers online, you can always go and see your local florist. Most florists will deliver within a reasonable distance of their shop, or if you need to send flowers to another area, she may be able to organise this for you.

If we’ve missed anything, or you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away in the comments below. We are happy to help in any way we can. Oh, and if you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends.

Written by

Brendon Held

PS: If you have any issues with our website, I’m the guy to complain to... ;-)

Dads, you can jump in too! Get the kids together, grab the scissors, paper and glue, and help them make mom a really special Mother’s Day card this year.

To get you started we’ve provided you with the card dimensions and made you some patterns of envelopes, flowers, butterflies, handbags and a shoe that you can download, cut out, and colour in or trace on coloured paper.

What You’ll Need

• Cardboard
• A variety of coloured paper or cardboard
• Old wrapping paper with flowers or butterflies that you can cut out
• Ribbons
• Buttons
• Beads
• Glitter
• A Ruler
• Scissors
• Glue

Templates

Download and print the templates we’ve put together for you by clicking the links below.

Mothers Day Card Patterns

Envelope

Mom Labels

Step 1: Cut Your Card & Envelope

Card: Cut a piece of cardboard 21 x 14cm (8.2” x 5.5”) and fold in half.

Making Your Envelope

1. Download and print envelope template: Envelope Template
2. Cut out along dark black lines
3. Fold flaps 1 – 4 on the dotted lines
4. Glue flaps 2 and 3 to the large flap 4
5. Once the card is inside, Flap 1 can be folded into the envelope or glued closed

Step 2: Decorating Your Card

Cut out some of the shapes in the template, and start sticking! You can start off your card with a square in the middle, just a bit smaller than your card size to create depth, and then build it up from there.

Creating a Handbag

Fold piece 1 of the handbag pattern on the dotted line. Hook piece 1 over piece 2 and glue at the back of piece 2. String a few beads together on fishing line or thin soft wire to make a handle and add a little bead or flower on the flap to create a clip. See image for example of how it looks when complete.

Flower Patterns

Group the flowers together in different sizes or create a row of flowering pot plants and add beads or small little round circles in the middle of each flower. For the stems, use thin wire, toothpicks, matches, or just cut out thin long rectangles. Instead of leaves, make a bow out of ribbon and stick it on the stem.

Add the finishing touches to circles, squares or any other shape with special patterned scissors; it’s a great investment for card making and school projects. You can get these scissors relatively inexpensively on Amazon, or in any crafts shop.

Letters

You can cut out letters to spell words on your card from different textured paper or tinfoil. Stick them on thicker card board to give them depth, cut them out and then stick them on your card. Here’s a template with letters to spell Mom that you can download and cut out.

The end result can be seen in the above picture! These are only ideas on how to put our patterns together. With a little creativity and a touch of love, you too can make the perfect Mothers Day card that mom will love!

If you have any trouble following these steps, please let us know in the comments below and we’ll gladly assist you. Also, we’d love to hear what you thought of this DIY card tutorial and how your own cards turned out.

PS: You are welcome to share this tutorial and our templates if you like them, and let us know if you publish them on your website.

So how do you orchestrate the perfect Mother’s Day experience? Well we’ve put together a number of ideas that will ensure Mom is treated to a Mother’s Day surprise she will never forget! We’ve included ideas for buying her a gift, doing something fun and making something nice for her. Pick just a few of the ideas, or do them all, it’s entirely up to you...

Buy Her Something Nice

Mothers Day Flower Ideas

Flowers are one of the best ways to express your feelings. If you’ve never sent your mom flowers before, then this is a great time to start, as it will come as a wonderful surprise she will always remember. Don’t know what flowers to send? Well, if you are sending mom flowers to her office, we recommend a lovely bouquet in a vase, a basket or arrangement. This way they come in a container she can keep in the office, and they can easily be transport home.

If you are on a tight budget, a mixed bouquet of flowers will not only delight mom, but you’ll also get great value for your money. For the more eccentric, creative moms, call your florist and ask her to make up something special for you with moms favourite flowers and colours! Remember, no matter how big or small the bouquet, it’s the thought that counts.

• 

  Bouquet in a Vase

• 

  Flower Basket

• 

  Flower Arrangement

Gifts & Hampers

Believe it or not, some people don’t like flowers and find it impractical to give or receive them. In this case, they might prefer a gift or a hamper. If this sounds like your Mom, no need to worry, as there are nice options for her too. Consider sending her a fruit and nut hamper, nougat hamper or chocolate hamper. If you prefer something that will last longer, a bottle of her favourite perfume, will do the trick.

• 

  Nougat Hamper

• 

  Chocolate Hamper

• 

  Perfume

Do Something Nice

Arrange a special surprise date for you and mom. For example, if you live in different cities, make a reservation at a restaurant for breakfast, high tea or lunch, or even a day at the spa. Hop on a plane and whisk her away to your secret destination. To make it extra special, get all your brothers and sisters to join you. If you live close to your mom, plan a picnic in the park, at the beach or cook her a nice lunch. Alternatively, organise a braai/barbeque with the whole family.

Make Something Nice

DIY Mothers Day Card

Making your own Mothers Day card for Mom is a rewarding gift in more ways than one. It will give you a sense of accomplishment because it’s something you made yourself, and it’s a gift mom will cherish forever. Moms, get the kids together to make cards for Granny. Not only is this good bonding time with your children, but it will be loads of fun too! And by the way, this one is not only for the girls... Dads, jump in, grab the scissors, paper and glue, and help the kids make mom a special Mother’s Day card too!

To make it easier for you, we’ve put together a tutorial with instructions on how to make very cute little Mother’s Day cards. We’ve even included templates you can download for free with various shapes and patterns to get you started. Click here for our Mothers Day card tutorial.

So, get creative! There’s no right or wrong way in doing this, it’s all about the time, effort and love that went into making it.

You should also take a look at our latest Mothers Day gift ideas and tips for ordering online, and if you have any creative Mother’s Day gift ideas of your own, we’d love to hear about them in the comments below... and Mom’s, let us know how you were spoiled by your loved ones this Mother’s Day.

Who We Are

To kick things off, we’ll tell you a bit about ourselves first. We’re a small family run florist based in Durban, South Africa. In January 2010, we decided to build a website and expand our local florist service to cover the delivery of flowers, hampers and gifts nationwide through a network of trusted partner florists. We’re still this same small florist in Durban, passionate about pleasing our customers and bringing joy to their loved ones, we’re just able to do this on a larger scale now.

Our core values since day one have always been to offer exceptional quality and value, and personalised customer service, values we still uphold to this day, which is why we have purposefully kept our business small and intimate. You can read more about us here.

Why this Blog & Why You Should Follow It

We’re always looking for new ways to offer our customers more. We also want to share our knowledge and experience we‘ve gained over the years with those who are interested. Of course, we realise that not everyone is interested in flowers per say, but we have a whole range of topics we want to write about, including topics that even the guys can benefit from.

What this Blog Isn’t

We know we’re not the first company to start a blog, and in fact almost every company is doing it these days (for better or worse). However, we don’t want this just to be another corporate blog intended to drive business and sell more products etc. We actually want to build a community of people who share similar interests and a resource for those who are just looking for creative ideas or advice.

What You’ll Get

What you can expect to see and read over here in the coming weeks and months, is a variety of content ranging from helpful tips on caring for your flowers so they last longer, how to pull off the ultimate Mother’s Day experience for Mom, advice on wedding flowers, tips for picking the right types of flowers and gifts, easy DIY crafts such as how to make cute handmade cards, and much more...

Here’s a list of categories we’ll be adding, and more will come as we need them.

• Flower Care
• Weddings
• Create Your Own & DIY Crafts
• Valentine’s Day
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day

Get Involved

What we’d really love more than anything, is for you, our customers and readers to get involved in any way you like. We want to hear from you in the comments on articles we publish and you can send us questions, feedback or ideas you might have by email or even phone us.

Also, if you want to write your own articles about topics you think would interest our readers; you are welcome to send them over to us. If they are relevant and add value to our readers, we will happily publish them here.