For years, I've used Marietta-based Carithers Flowers for my metro Atlanta flower delivery needs. For Valentine's Day this year, I decided to mix things up and try out a different florist. A simple Google search for "atlanta flowers" yielded Peachtree Petals as one of the top results. I like supporting local businesses and saw Peachtree Petals is located not far from where I live, on West Peachtree in Midtown. After that, a quick glance through their web site was enough to convince me to try an order through them.
Like other florist web sites, Peachtree Petals' web site was very easy to navigate and use. I did find it strange that at the time, mid-January, their web site made no mention of Valentine's Day, which I believe is the single busiest day for florists. Flowers are arranged by collection, price, and occasion (e.g. birthday, anniversary, hospital delivery).
Since I couldn't browse a Valentine's Day selection, I sorted by price and looked at the pictures to find a floral arrangement I liked. It didn't take me long to find one: the "Lovely Lavender Bouquet" (priced in the $40-50 range). This arrangement consists of lavender roses, alstroemeria, white spray roses, and bells of Ireland inside a green frosted vase. The green frosted vase is different from previous vases I've ordered (normally, clear glass vases).
Some arrangements are only available locally. Local deliveries are hand-delivered. They aren't packed in an impersonal box which is how many of the national retailers deliver. Peachtree Petals' web site has a helpful delivery map (http://www.peachtreepetals.com/pages/atlanta-florist-delivery-area).
The delivery prices are reasonable. It's a flat rate of $9.99 for hand delivery in metro Atlanta. All orders received by 3pm are delivered the same day. Rush orders are only $12.99 and must be placed by 2pm to be delivered within 2.5 hours same day. In comparison, Carithers' delivery fee is a flat $14.99. Peachtree Petals has the best delivery fees. You can also pick up in-store for free.
I ordered the flowers *over one month* before Valentine's Day and was not able to select Valentine's Day as the delivery date. I was too late -- their delivery people must have already been fully booked for the day. That was fine. Instead, I arranged to have the flowers delivered earlier, two days before Valentine's Day on Wednesday, February 12, 2014.
Little did I know Atlanta would be hit hard with an ice storm precisely on February 12th so my flowers couldn't be delivered that day. They also couldn't be delivered on the 13th because the office the flowers were being delivered to was closed due to the weather. At that point, I was concerned about when the flowers would be delivered (since Peachtree Petals was already booked up for Valentine's Day) and whether or not the flowers would be fresh.
[Side note: CBS Atlanta visited Peachtree Petals yesterday and did a news story about florists' challenges with this week's ice storm: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/24718627/ice-storm-challenges-florists-for-valentines-day]
I emailed Peachtree Petals and Todd Hausman, the manager, promptly replied. He assured me the flowers would be fresh and let me know my delivery options. He was accommodating enough to allow for Valentine's Day delivery. On Valentine's Day (today), I received an email around 1:50pm letting me know the flowers were on their way. The flowers were hand-delivered just before 5:00pm and I received an email confirmation around 5:40pm.
My girlfriend is very pleased with the flowers and say they "smell really great." She posted photos of the arrangement on Instagram and this is one of the comments: "I vote yours the best looking flowers posted on Instagram for vday."
The ordering process was a breeze. You don't have to register for an account when ordering flowers, but if you want to, the registration process is very easy to do at the end. After placing my order, I received instant email order confirmation with delivery date and other pertinent information.
I'm not aware of any specials or discounts. Peachtree Petals' email to me said, "Like us on Facebook & SAVE!" When I clicked "Like," I was given a discount code for a free box of chocolates which had already expired in November 2013.
Peachtree Petals has a 7-day, full refund/replacement satisfaction guarantee.
Bottom line: If you're looking to send flowers in metro Atlanta, Peachtree Petals is an excellent option. read more