Merci Bouquet

By Christian Jay B. Quilo

Cover Illustration by Dexter Duran

A beautiful bouquet of flowers is a tried and tested way to show one’s affection for another. Flowers are classic and timeless but don’t you think the traditional bouquet arrangement is getting a bit predictable and boring? If you want to give flowers but veer away from the standard bouquets, there are so many fun iterations of flowers available online and from the good ol’ brick-and-mortar. Check out these flower shops that take bouquets to a whole new level.

Blush Flower Creations & Events

@blushflowerscreationsandevents on Facebook

Feel a sense of wanderlust with this mini gold tone suitcase filled with dainty blooms. As if the flowers weren’t sweet enough, this arrangement is made even sweeter with the addition of Italian chocolate truffles.

Rosette Fresh Flowers

Stall #147, Freedom Park, Corner Magallanes and Escaño St.

Flowers take a quirky form with Rosette’s spin on arrangement – blossoms are arranged to form animals such as this owl with an adorable little mortarboard or square cap. It makes the perfect gift for a loved one who’s graduating in the coming months.

Luzvisminda Crafts

@luzvisminda.crafts on Instagram and also available at Craft Story Cebu in Crossroads Mall, Banilad

Ideally, fresh and bright blooms are preferred for bouquets but Luzvisminda Crafts deviates from the norm by using dried flowers. These dried flora placed in cards and wooden boxes exude a profound sense of romance and a kind of beauty often overlooked.

OnlyFlowers Cebu

@onlyflowerscebu on Instagram

If you’re a fan of Beauty and the Beast, you’ll want one of these Enchanted Flowers from OnlyFlowers. As seen on the Disney classic, the Enchanted Flower is a preserved Ecuadorian rose laced with fairy lights and placed in a glass dome. But this one is more than just décor as the glass case has a Bluetooth speaker base, so you can also use it to listen to your favorite tunes.

Flowers Cafe Cebu

Gov. M. Cuenco, Kalubihan, Talamban

For something a little more rustic, this arrangement by Flowers Cafe features muted blooms perched on a wooden basket with a bottle of wine as an extra touch – a creation reminiscent of the tranquil Italian countryside.