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 twentieth year in business, the staff of floral experts at this Dundas Street flower shop create designs customized specifically for each client that walks through 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 and Professional 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...

Personally speaking...

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 Geraldine Peters, an award-winning floral designer. Growing up in the wholesale flower industry, Geraldine knows flowers from the roots up. She has been an accredited designer of all types of floral arrangements for over 20 years. Geraldine also teaches floral design and performs demonstrations at group meetings. She is very committed to fund raising events in London.

Geraldine said that Jim Anderson Flowers "works with brides online who will be getting married in London but need to organize their wedding long distance – from anywhere in the world!" She said that in 2009, 60% of their business was online. She adds that, "we are conscious of the bride's background, we will accommodate all nationalities, traditions, and religious customs."

The staff of designers at Jim Anderson use their collective 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 Best Western Lamplighter Inn, the London Hunt Club, the Idlewyld Inn, the LPGA 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 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 sixty weddings and seventy-five corporate events 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 for a design that is personal to you and your wedding day, the staff here makes it their priority to have it come to life. We were told that they haven't had a challenge presented to them that they couldn't satisfy.

Stop everything! Service for brides...

The team at Jim Anderson Flowers has 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 don’t 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.

Staff at The Ring was told, "If we have a customer who has a problem, we stop what we’re doing to address and correct the concern. Every attempt is made to accommodate the bride’s wishes. It doesn't matter what is happening at the time." They had that "We’ll get back to you" isn’t in their vocabulary. “We work together to solve the potential problem before it becomes something to worry about."

Your flowers, in person

When we met with the owners and staff at Jim Anderson Flowers, we were impressed with 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.

And when it comes to putting together the perfect flower arrangements for your wedding, the team at Jim Anderson flowers will go above and beyond what you might expect. For example, Geraldine has over 3000 square feet of gardens at home, allowing her to grow just about any type of flower that a couple could dream of for their wedding day. Geraldine does have some personal wedding favourites though, "The sturdiest flowers include hydrangeas, roses, peonies, orchids and tulips."

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 $200, depending on your design and floral choices. Bridesmaid bouquets are usually $75 to $125 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.

Details, details, details

• Prices are subject to 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 recommends booking approximately 12 months before the wedding. At this point, you'll be able to see what flowers are in season (and will in season onyour wedding day!). However, if you've waited a little longer, you can give them a call regarding your specific date and they'll give you the best advice.
• There is no delivery charge for weddings. Set-up and delivery is always included!

In other words...

"Thank you so much for the beautiful floral arrangements for our wedding. They were beautiful - everyone commented on how stunning they were." - M. C.

"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.

"Thank you so much for the gorgeous flowers on my wedding day! I loved my bouquet and it made my day even more special. Thanks again!" - K. F.