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vendor reviews: floral designers
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Inspiration, attention and quality meet at Jim Anderson Flowers on Dundas to deliver full service for brides Reviewing Gloria and Bob Dugdale, Owners & Geraldine Peters, Floral Designer, Jim Anderson Flowers Limited
Jim Anderson Flowers has been making its mark on London with flowers for as long as many of their brides have been dreaming of their wedding. Having just entered their fourteenth year in business, the staff of floral experts at this Dundas Street flower shop creates designs customized specifically for each client that walks in their doors. The experts here have the ability to look at a magazine and create your dream bouquet within your realistic budget while offering the safety of a long-standing reputation for excellence.
Many brides choose this company knowing that they're working with industry leaders who are almost as much a part of London as any local landmark. Staff at The Ring met with Owner, Bob Dugdale, and Floral Designer, Geraldine Peters to find out what has made Jim Anderson Flowers such a big part of local weddings for so long. Let us explain...
Jim Anderson Flowers is a full service flower shop. From the daily busy retail side of their downtown location to the detailed, high-end wedding and corporate events that they pride themselves on, there is never a dull moment or a lack of inspiration inside these doors.
The shop is owned and managed by Bob Dugdale, a long-time floral and business professional. The staff of designers here use their collective one hundred years of experience to provide intricate, detailed floral designs for some of the most private high-end locales, nationally televised media events, and of course, beautiful London weddings. They are the official florist for the CN.LPGA (Ladies Professional Golfing Association), for the London Hunt Club, Idlewyld inn, and the London Convention Centre, among others.
Living up to expectations If you're the kind of bride who feels that reputation and personal attention are the biggest deciding factors in hiring a florist for your wedding, Jim Anderson Flowers is one visit you'll need to make. For Bob, Geraldine and the rest of the staff, weddings are a large part of daily life and at the top of the priorities list. "We instill trust in our abilities to please the brides," Geraldine told us. Jim Anderson Flowers takes on a minimum of fifty weddings each year.
They offer extensive options for styles of bouquets, floral décor from centrepieces to ceremony arrangements, and details, details, details. If you are looking a design that is personal to you and your wedding day, the staff here makes it their priority to have it come to life. As Bob told us, "We haven't had a challenge presented to us that we couldn't satisfy."
Stop everything! Service for brides... The team at Jim Anderson Flowers have always prided themselves in the personal service they give. Their doors are open six days a week and you can visit them between 8 am and 5 pm Monday to Friday, or between 8 am and 2 pm on Saturday. For your convenience, staff takes phone calls from 8 am to 9 pm, seven days a week, for any questions and inquiries you may have. They have no charge for delivery of wedding flowers to the bride’s home, the groom’s home, the church or reception hall (within city limits), and they guarantee that your flowers are beautiful. "Quality is our guarantee," says Geraldine, who is most often the person to meet and work with brides throughout the planning process.
Your flowers, in person When we met with the owners and staff at Jim Anderson Flowers, we were impressed at the personal touches they manage to give to each client's arrangements. As always, the store was busy with orders, but it didn't seem to faze anyone here. Organization and teamwork are obviously at work within these walls. Offering friendly, professional service and one-on-one meetings with brides in a stress-free environment is just one less worry for the bride-to-be.
The creativity that you'll experience at Jim Anderson Flowers is unbelievable. As you speak with her, Geraldine will likely be plucking flowers out of coolers, putting together colours and arrangements, taking you through albums of floral ideas, and helping you incorporate what you want in every floral detail. "We’re here to design what our brides want and not push our ideas on them... Often, brides have been heard to say 'That was easy!' after their consultation is finished," Geraldine told us.
Budgeting for brides Jim Anderson Flowers bends over backwards to meet your needs within your budget. Through smart suggestions, colour and floral coordination, meetings and ideas, your initial wedding idea can come to life in colour, within your price range. Geraldine explained, "We try to fit to the bride’s budget and yet design creative floral arrangements." Most importantly, when you receive the finished product, you don't feel slighted, and your bouquet shouldn't hint in the least that you might have had budget limitations.
As a guideline, bride’s bouquets typically range from $90 up to $300, depending on your design and floral choices. Bridesmaid bouquets are usual $70 to $150 each, corsages are $12 to $20 each, and boutonnières range from $7 to $10 each. For church arrangements, Geraldine says that many brides spend between $60 and $200 each, and approximately $10 to $100 for each centrepiece arrangement for the reception.
• Prices are subject to GST and PST tax. • There is a $50 deposit due on initial booking with Jim Anderson Flowers Limited. • Your balance is to be paid 1 week before the wedding. • Geraldine and Bob recommend booking approximately 6 months before the wedding but please call regarding your specific date and they'll give you the best advice.
Inotherwords... "Thank you so much for the beautiful floral arrangements for our wedding. They were beautiful - everyone commented on how stunning they were." - M. C., July 2005 "Thank you so much for the flower arrangements for our wedding day. It was breathtaking and they were so beautiful! You did an amazing job! Many thanks!" - K. M., April 2006
"Thank you so much for the gorgeous flowers
on my wedding day! I loved my bouquet and it made my day even more
Reaching them... To visit the storefront location of Jim Anderson Flowers Limited, find them at 451 Dundas Street in London. To speak with Owner Bob Dugdale or Floral Designer Geraldine Peters, give them a call at 519-434-3266 locally, or toll-free at 1-800-561-5545. You can also email questions to them at bdugdale@bloomen.net. Check them out online for more information at www.jimandersonflowers.com.
- The Staff at TheWeddingRing.ca * Prices are all approximate and are subject to change and verification by authorized staff and management of Jim Anderson Flowers Limited. |
