Planning Florals for a Valentine’s Day Wedding in NYC
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.
Flowers aren’t just beautiful blooms with pleasing scents – the variety of plants available has led to the use of flowers to send coded messages at many points throughout human history. The practice of sending flower messages is called floriography. NYC flower lovers have been practicing floriography since before there was a flower market in NYC. The messages may be seem subtle and cryptic but Valentine’s Day flowers in NYC by Starbright delivers the message loud and proud for all to see “I love you!”.
References to flower codes go back as far as the Ancient Greeks, but very little is known about what the codes actually were – chances are the codes were passed on orally, their meaning transferred from one illiterate message-sender to another by word of mouth. Romans, Egyptians and Persians also used flower-codes to send messages, but just like the Greeks we know little about the codes themselves.
The Victorian-era world was obsessed with flowers – and Victorian-era England was obsessed with the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire, in the early half of the 18th century, was going wild for tulips – and had started using tulips to send very complex notes, with colors standing in for words and arrangement standing in for grammar. As England’s interest in botany grew, so did interest in the more dramatic side of flower history.
Lady Mary Morley Montagu is the woman credited with bringing flower codes to the British court. From 1716-1718 Lady Mary lived in the Ottoman Empire with her husband Lord Edward Montagu, British ambassador to the Ottoman Court. She wrote wildly-detailed letters back home to friends in London, capturing Ottoman life with a deeply revealing lens. Her letters detailed many mysteries – bath houses, women’s rights and flower codes. The flower codes captured Georgian-Victorian era attentions – by 1809, Joseph Hammer-Pugstall’s Dictionnaire du Language des Fleurs would present the formal code used by nobles across Europe, driving further adoption (and further dictionaries!) There were literally hundreds of dictionaries about – we found one digitized on archive.org. Let’s take a look inside for some ideas to personalize your Valentine’s Day floral gifts!

Calla Lily – Magnificent Beauty – It’s clear how these flowers got their symbolic meaning, they’re simply magnificent!
Yellow Tulips – Hopeless Love – These are the perfect gift for your partner-in-life – sometimes, “hopeless” can be a good thing. If these are for you check out Solar Flair.
Amaryllis – Pride, Timidity, Splendid Beauty – These are a great gift for someone who likes to grow flowers inside their New York City apartment. Uptown, downtown, East Side, West Side – these flowers will do great anywhere. Starbright offers these blooms in both arrangements and potted. Check out this post for tips on taking care of an amaryllis plant in NYC.
Red Roses – Pure and Lovely – Note that these meanings are typically intended for lovers…if you’re giving roses to a family member, according to this book, it’s best to go with white (which means “innocence”) or bouquet of mixed colors. No matter the color, size, or shape – roses in NYC are a Valentine’s Day favorite. Check out this post for a look at the value of roses through history.
Dwarf Sunflower – Adoration – They must’ve chosen this one because the lil’ guys are so adorable! These guys are available in summer and fall, but they’re such a favorite that we wanted to include them anyway.
Next week we’ll take a look at some of the floriography traditions from Asian cultures!
Looking for flowers in New York City? Visit our Event Gallery for inspiration. Or see our daily selection at Starbrightnyc.com.

Gladiolus
Gladiolus is the August birth flower. It has been dubbed the flower of the Gladiators and a much-loved flower in NYC. It represents strength of character, sincerity, generosity. In the Victorian age with its secret language of flowers it was said to represent “love at first sight”. Gladiolus derives its name from the Latin word for sword and is sometimes called the sword lily. As a member of the iris family it contains about 260 species. Only about 10 are native to Europe the rest are native to southern Africa. The species vary from very small to the spectacular giant flower spikes you see in floral designs. The flower stalk of the Gladiolus contains an extended row of trumpet-shaped, fragrant flowers, all of which face in one direction. Their colors include pink to reddish or light purple with white, contrasting markings, or white to cream or orange to red.
For some great ideas on summer flowers in NYC please visit our website at http://www.starbrightnyc.com/ and take complete advantage of all the great flowers that the season has to offer!
Hope you are staying cool and are surrounded by the splendor and beauty of Gladiolas!
Sincerely,
Nicodemus Faitos and The Team at Starbright Floral
Every year for over a decade the NYC Orchid Show at the NY Botanical Gardens has helped usher in Spring. This year’s show is opening on March 2nd and running through April 22nd, 2013. NYC flower lovers are sure to delight in the unmatched spectacular display of orchids in NYC. Orchids have long been used in Chinese culture for medicinal purposes. New York City flower enthusiasts can look to the show for its therapeutic effect in warding away the winter blues.
The orchid show has something for everyone. In addition to the splendor of the orchid displays, visitors will indulge their senses with the majesty of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The largest greenhouse of its kind in the world is a site in of itself. Daily orchid care demonstrations and Q&A sessions provide valuable care information to the neophyte orchid grower and the veteran orchid aficionado alike. The romantics amongst us can revel in romantic orchid evenings at the NY Botanical Gardens. Start off the night with a glass of wine, beautiful music and beautiful blooms. Don’t forget to stop by and say hello to Tom Sebenius, Starbright’s Creative Director and one of the Botanical Garden’s floral design instructors.
If you see something you like at the conservatory and would like orchid delivery in NYC let us know. Starbright is fortunate to be situated in New York City’s Flower Market allowing us to offer a
wide variety of orchid plants in NYC. Let Starbright Floral NYC help liberate those spring smiles from the winter blues and keep you smiling with orchids in NYC. Choose from a vast array of orchid plants in NYC from Starbright’s NYC orchid plant spectacular.
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, NYC, Voted NYC’s “Best” florist. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers in NYC. Starbright Floral Design NYC delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

New Yorkers it is time to rejoice. Spring flowers are here to whisk away the winter blues. Bright colored blossoms a plenty. A plethora of flowers to choose from. Where do I start? A good place would be with perhaps the most symbolic and popular images of spring; the Dutch Tulip.
Originally a wildflower growing in Central Asia, the Tulip was introduced in Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century. Colors, textures and shapes never seen before contributed to the Tulip’s meteoric rise in popularity amongst Europe’s elite.
Today they are commercially available all year long but their vibrancy and quality are peaking in springtime.
Starbright is fortunate to be situated in New York’s Flower Market making every variety and color Tulip available to our clientele. Let Starbright Floral NYC help liberate those spring smiles from the winter blues with flower delivery in NYC. Choose from a vast array of springtime NYC flowers from Starbright’s Springtime Collection.
For pictures follow this link. Click here for another blog entry on Dutch Tulips!
This scribe is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, NYC, Voted NYC’s “Best” florist. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright NYC delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of the City that Never Sleeps” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com

It has become common place to give or receive flowers on V-Day. Everyone knows you can’t go wrong with a floral gift on Valentine’s Day. What if you want to wow your love and go above and beyond? What if one day is not enough to express the depth of your affections? What if you want an innovative way of expressing your love on V-day that will have the effect of reinforcing your feelings well beyond February 14th? Starbright’s “Flower me with Your Love” subscription flower service is meant for you.
Starbright’s “NYC Flower Me with Your Love” flower subscription service is completely customizable and able to serve an incredible range of clients for budgets large or small. Whether you are interested in a large, elaborate flower arrangement designed to make a NYC statement or something more modest the program will work for you. Our clients love how quickly and simply they’re able to arrange for weekly, monthly or quarterly fresh flower delivery in NYC. Setup your delivery once and on the agreed upon dates a beautifully designed floral arrangement will be delivered in NYC by Starbright Floral Design.
If you’re interested in Starbright’s NYC “Flower me with Your Love” subscription flower service, simply email me at nic@starflor.com for the personal service you deserve.
Starbright Floral Design is located in the heart of New York City’s historic flower district in a second floor loft at 150 West 28th Street. Our services include local, national and worldwide flower delivery as well as consultation and execution of social and corporate events. To learn more about us and the type of work that we do, please visit our website at www.starflor.com. You may also go directly to our online portal for ordering gifts at www.starbrightnyc.com or to our Event Gallery to see thousands of photographs from our recent work. You may also call us at 1.800.520.8999. We are always thrilled to hear from you and to be of service in every way possible….
Flowers delivered in NYC during the Valentine’s Day holiday the logistics of which rivals that of preparing for the Berlin airlift. Preparation for a NYC Valentine’s Day starts well before the day itself. Now, as Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, I stop to ponder Gertrude Stein’s famous quote, “Rose is a rose is a rose.” During this time of year, our store is inundated with requests for red rose arrangements for Valentine’s Day. It is not atypical to have over 15,000, long stem, red roses in our fridge during the week of Valentine’s Day. While roses are gorgeous and will always remain a popular declaration of one’s love and devotion, I have to agree with Stein – a rose really is a rose.
Luckily, Starbright gives its designer’s the creative freedom to offer unique options with wide appeal. Why limit yourself to a vase of red roses? During the Valentine season, the price of roses can be shocking. Our wholesale cost goes up and customers can see that reflected in the price of a dozen roses. Instead of roses, consider sending a lush, hand tied, nosegay of eggplant colored calla lilies. With their sculptural shape that has been eroticized by artists such as Georgia O’Keefe and Robert Mapplethorpe, calla lilies should evoke a passionate response from any recipient.
Orchid arrangements are another option that will both delight and inspire. The exotic shapes, textures, and colors of the orchid speak to the tropical fantasies of many lovers. During the winter months, wouldn’t it be wonderful to remind your loved one of your past trip to the islands? Perhaps the flowers will help to promote a future trip. One benefit of orchids that can not be overstated is their longevity. While long stem roses typically last an average of five days, fresh cut orchids will remain lovely for up to two weeks. For a masculine approach to the orchid, a floating cymbidium stem artfully arranged inside a glass cylinder is a very modern choice. This option is long lasting and costs about $25 less than a dozen roses.
Orchid plants are another option as they are deceptively easy to care for and their beauty can brighten a room for months.
If your other half is more traditional and may be disappointed if they don’t receive roses, let your florist use their creativity to come up with a special mixed arrangement. Rather than the typical tall vase, try a tight and compact cube arrangement. Not only will the flowers be easier to take home, they will last longer! Low and lush arrangements are a modern trend and appeal to most discerning consumers. Hydrangea, tulips, and roses make a romantic mix certain to please even the most pernickety lover. Because the roses are being added to other flowers, the cost will be significantly less then a solo vase of roses. While cost is often not the deciding factor when choosing a gift for someone special, in these times it is very nice to have some economical options.
As a floral designer, the scars and calluses I’ve acquired from years of thorns from Valentine’s Day roses may negatively influence my opinion of roses. However, I have the unique opportunity to see the wide variety of flowers available to customers during this romantic holiday. While roses are certainly the star of the show, there are many flowers that are waiting in the wings for their moment to shine. No matter what, when the flowers are sent with love, they transcend and aspire to more than Stein’s observation. “Rose is a rose is a rose…” unless it comes from you!
This scribe is brought to you by Tom Sebenius. Tom is Starbright Floral Design’s Creative Director and has a part of the Starbright team for most of the modern history of our company. Tom’s work has helped build our brand and has helped maintain our Gold Standard in customer service. Tom will always do what is right for our client and knows that preserving our reputation is the most important function of all.
This public service memo is brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, voted “The Best Florist of New York City”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design, Voted “NYC’s Best Florist”. We deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
The Official Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: http://www.starbrightnyc.com/
NYC and Manhattan residents are renowned lovers of roses. A NYC Valentine’s Day is a virtual harvest of the world’s rose bushes. Each year there are millions of roses delivered in Manhattan and throughout New York City. Millions of roses are not enough. Every year the incredible demand for roses creates a shortage that drives the prices through the moon. The colors of roses sold in NYC are as diverse as Manhattan itself; ranging from the traditional red rose, yellow rose, white rose to the hybrid blue rose, NYC roses on Valentine’s Day never disappoint.
Singles in Manhattan and NYC have a secret rule book of dos and don’ts of dating decorum that is fervently abided to. Accordingly Starbright gets many inquiries about the symbolism of roses.
Each Rose color has a different meaning and message:

Combination colors
What the Number of Roses Mean
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official NYC Valentine’s Day Florist of Romance” . We deliver flowers, love, passion and smiles everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: http://www.starbrightnyc.com
Starbright is a proud NYC president’s club member of Teleflora. Accordingly, we are privy to certain information not available to the general public. Every year millions of people tune in to the Super Bowl. Many viewers have little or no interest in the game. Rather, their sole interest lies in finding out who the new spokesperson will be on Teleflora’s Super Bowl Ads. This has been a guarded state secret, until now! We can no longer sit silent and watch our fans and patrons suffer through another Super Bowl just to watch a commercial. Accordingly we have decided to make this announcement: The new Teleflora spokesperson is super-model Adriana Lima.
Shop the new Adriana Lima inspired Teleflora NYC Valentine’s Day Collection here or our full range of Teleflora and Starbright’s NYC floral arrangements.
This has been public service memo brought to you by Starbright Floral Design, voted “The Best Florist of New York City”. Along the way we try to find and write about the fun side of flowers. Starbright delivers flowers all over the world for the endless romantics everywhere.
Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of NYC” and most of the time we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com
Flowers have long been regarded as art created by Mother Nature. Just as art’s beauty is open for interpretation by the individual, so too are wedding floral arrangements. NYC wedding preparation season is upon us. Whether preparing for an intimate NYC destination wedding or a New York City wedding florals extravaganza, some preparation is necessary. To that end we bring you an article originally published by Creative Director of Starbright Floral Design, Tom Sebenius, Enjoy…
To be bold or subdued; bright or muted; classic or trendy… should the colors complement the venue or your complexions? Does my mother have to wear a matching dress? Invitations, bridesmaid dresses, table linens, vests and neckties and of course the flowers are just a sample of items affected by the color scheme a couple chooses for their wedding. Since color can set the tone, it is best to choose wisely. Through my years as a designer, I’ve seen some fun combinations. Some color schemes have been more successful than others. Over time, I’ve developed some dos and don’ts that I have shared with countless couples. Although I contend that there are no rules when planning a wedding, I’m always willing to share my opinion on choosing a winning color combination.
Don’t Go for Complements:
Most brides and grooms are familiar with the idea of complementary colors. The three primary colors of red, blue and yellow are placed opposite their corresponding complementary color on the color wheel. Blue is paired with orange, yellow with purple and red with green. You will notice that the primary color is paired with the secondary color that is made by mixed the other two primaries. This creates a bold and loud contrast between the colors. These color combinations are often used for things like gas-station logos, or sports team uniforms. The contrast between the colors catches the eye and forces the viewer to take notice. When trying to use these colors together in floral design, it’s very difficult to fight off thoughts of the Mets or the Lakers. Red and green together also bring their own unique challenge of constantly conjuring thoughts of Christmas for many of us. For these reasons, I suggest trying to avoid using complementary colors as the basis for wedding décor.
Do Go for A Bold Statement:
While complementary colors may be too bold a choice for most, it is a great idea to choose at least one bold color to inform the design. Purple, fuchsia and orange seem to be the go-to colors these days for couples looking for a pop of color. Vibrant and rich tones such as these can provide a warmth and personality to the occasion without detracting from the proceedings. When choosing a bold pop, I suggest limiting the palette to just one bright tone. This brings me to my next tip.
Do Go Green:
Green is your friend. I frequently suggest adding lime green to the floral arrangements we make for weddings. If a bride or groom favors a brilliant tone such as purple or orange, adding a touch of green into the mix tends to heighten and embolden the arrangements. Green is a neutral color and is found in abundance in nature. Green “goes” with everything! (Although it’s good to keep in mind the challenges when pairing red and green, Jingle Bells…) It’s soothing and calming qualities pair beautifully with the lush colors found in the floral world.
Don’t Count out the Classic:
A white wedding seems to have become a less popular choice these days. Perhaps with all the fantastic color options found both in fabrics and flowers, couples would rather have more fun with the color palette. This is understandable, however white has been the traditional wedding color because it’s clean, pure, and simple and it allows for the couple to be the stars of the day. There are also so many flowers available in white; it’s easy to make arrangements interesting by using different textures, shapes and scales. This is another instance when lime green can be helpful. It’s also a good idea to choose one color to add into the mix of white. One of my favorite weddings used all white flowers with accents of huge and lush coral colored peonies. Simple and chic, this color scheme still resonates with me all these years later. It was unique and yet remains a classic and elegant choice.
Don’t Tempt the Humor Gods:
If you’ve never seen your color combination used at a wedding, there might be a reason. Sometimes when a couple chooses to be unique, it can backfire. I’ve had to explain to a bride and groom why yellow and brown is not a great choice for a color scheme. Without going into the specifics of why, (think about it people, yellow and brown… really?) certain color combinations elicit subconscious responses or connotations. It’s the same reason why yellow and black can be difficult to use together; taxi cabs and bumble bees! Yellow and red always makes me think of Ronald McDonald and ketchup and mustard. These are not thoughts I want to have at your wedding!
Don’t Over Indulge:
No matter what colors are finally chosen, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything has to be covered in these tones. You don’t have to dye your Maltese puppy to match the bridesmaid’s dresses. It will be just fine. Choose key locations and items for the colors to be used. You don’t want your guests to feel like they just stepped into a Pepto-Bismol bottle if your color happens to be pink. Touches here and there will suffice. Also, everything doesn’t have to be the exact same shade or hue. I have learned to beware of the bride who carries the Pantone chip! Relax!
Do Listen to Our Advice but…:
We have seen it all… or close to it anyway. Your vendors have been involved with hundreds of events and weddings. Most of the time, our advice is free and is often given weather you ask or not. We will tell you if your colors won’t work or if they should be rethought. Although we can offer some sage wisdom, remember that it’s your day and your decision should be the final word. You write the check so ultimately you must be happy with the colors you chose. Maybe you are both huge Lakers fans. So go for it! Don’t let us get in your way.

Starbright Floral Design is the “Official Florist of Romance” we deliver flowers, love, passion and hope everywhere in Manhattan and worldwide.
Give us a call, visit our website or pop on in! We would love to meet you….
Passionately yours,
Your New York City Wedding Florist
Starbright Floral Design
Located in the heart of New York City’s Historic Flower District
150 West 28th Street, Studio 201.
T. 800.520. 8999
Web: www. starflor.com
E-commerce portal: www.starbrightnyc.com
Wedding: http://www.starflor.com/tag_manhattan_florist_nyc_wedding_flowers
.html