Love Notes
My Favorite Messages of Love Through the Years
When a Valentine’s Day order hits my inbox, I like to scroll all the way down to the message the purchaser wants to send along with their loved one’s bouquet. Just like my floral designs, each of these notes conveys so much personality and conjures up a whole wonderful story in my head. Plus, I do love to play the messenger.
From the super-sweet to the slightly silly, here are the three types of love notes I’ve delivered with flowers over the years.
The heart-felt mushy note.
These are my favorite notes—the classics—and they usually say something like, To the love of my life or Love your forever Valentine. So sweet! I immediately wonder what this partnership is like, and I can sense how important these two people are to one another, whether they’ve been together for a few months or a few decades. Other heart-melting messages include the ones from one parent and some kids, We love you so much! The “we” here really makes me feel so good as a business owner—the thought that my flowers are giving a whole family a chance to say “I love you.” You might think that the sweetness of these messages gets old for a florist, but it really doesn’t!
So silly.
There’s a certain kind of person in a certain kind of relationship that sends a silly love note to their Valentine, and I LOVE IT. I usually deliver a few gorgeous bouquets coupled with messages that are goofy inside jokes—sometimes jokes I can’t even begin to understand, but which I have a funny feeling will make the audience very happy. I can just picture the amused look on the recipient’s face, the joy of being seen and known in this playful way. I see a couple that laughs a lot, two people who have been together for a while, who don’t take themselves too seriously but who still take time to express their love in a way that’s fun for them.
Signed, Secret Admirer.
I guess this signature could be intriguing, and I remember it being the go-to for love notes in the third grade, but wouldn’t it feel a little creepy to receive this as an adult? I’m not sure I’d suggest using this signature as part of a romantic gesture, but then again, no one’s asking my opinion. I’m just the messenger!
Very often, an order arrives with the message “No note.” To me this feels so special, like the message is so personal it can’t be shared with—or transcribed by—anyone else. Maybe they need a little more time to put together the perfect message. Maybe their vision of giving this gift to their valentine involves a special moment. The fun part is in the imagining.
Messengers of Love
For every floral designer, it’s an honor to have our work involved in the love stories of our clients and customers, whether it’s a birthday bouquet, wedding arrangements, or a special delivery on Valentine’s Day. Sure, there have been February seasons where I haven’t exactly been emotionally on board with all the red hearts, chocolates, and roses, but these love notes always make me smile. They remind me of how differently we all show love, how relationships have their seasons—from the lovey-dovey to the totally playful—and how a floral bouquet is just one way to make a person feel special.
I hope you know that no matter how someone tells you they love you on Valentine’s Day, that you are loved. You can take that from me, your not-so-secret admirer.
Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day message from your past? What’s your relationship to Valentine’s Day?
Hope your Valentine's Day business was good, and you survived!