The red rose is the queen of romantic flowers, representing sacrifice, passion, health, and immortal love. The abundance of red, however, can get boring fast and designing a V-day bouquet presents a real challenge for florists, who constantly strive to create innovative and unique arrangements.
Veteran floral designer Ingy Teymour spills the tea on what makes a good, great, and grand flower arrangement for Valentine’s Day in an Ahram Online exclusive.
Teymour, who founded a floral design school a decade ago, has a few tricks up her sleeve.
With decades of experience, the designer believes that adding bursts of colour — orange, yellow, and white — to predominantly red bouquets can make an arrangement memorable and infuse it with more meaning.
“These four colours, red, orange, yellow, and white are the only ones I find suitable as a maximum combination for Valentine’s bouquets,” Teymour tells Ahram Online.
The veteran florist explained that white roses, representing sanctity and purity, create a visually striking contrast with red. On the other hand, orange roses imbue the bouquet with fiery energy and symbolize life and excitement. Finally, yellow roses are a silent expression of joy and hope, like the sun finally breaking through gloomy clouds.
“Pink or purple flowers do not match well with red for this occasion,” Teymour adds. “The colour wheel tells us that red does not harmonize with purple or pink, making orange or white preferable.”
Several factors influence the shape and size of a Valentine’s bouquet, including budget, quantity, and the recipient. After all, Valentine’s Day celebrates both romantic love and love in its broader sense.
She highlights that the red rose is available in multiple varieties, with differing petal arrangements, bloom sizes, and stem lengths. The price of a rose increases the longer the stem and the larger the bloom.
Flower prices triple on Valentine’s Day due to import costs and a massive surge in demand.
Teymour notes that over 98 percent of consumers in Egypt express interest in purchasing floral gifts on this day.
As a result, arrangements dominated by red roses are pricey, so florists often incorporate complementary flowers such as calla lilies, gerbera, eustoma, baby’s breath (Gypsophila), and tulips to accommodate people's budgets.
Teymour emphasizes that Valentine’s Day is particularly challenging for floral designers due to the limited range of colours and elements that suit the occasion. Thus, creating distinctive bouquets requires constant innovation.
In contrast, occasions like Mother’s Day allow for greater creative freedom, enabling designers to use a broader spectrum of colours that align with personal preferences.
To personalize a V-day bouquet, Teymour recommends asking florists to combine flowers with chocolates or small gifts. Even simple details, such as a heartfelt card, can elevate the gift's impact and make it more memorable.
She argues, however, that “A single rose is enough.” She suggests simplicity can often speak volumes, and a lone rose can be as meaningful as an elaborate bouquet.
Teymour aspires to see floral design incorporated into Egyptian school curriculums.
The designer believes such an initiative would enhance artistic appreciation, promote relaxation, and encourage the enjoyment of nature’s beauty.
She revealed that her greatest sense of achievement comes from seeing her students transform their passion into successful careers.
Short link: