For their first Valentine’s Day in their first downtown Elgin location, White Orchid Designs has a special holiday surprise for customers: deliveries made by the god of Love himself, Cupid.
Or their version of Cupid — a deliveryman donning a Cupid costume they ordered from amazon.com.
Either way, it’s a new take on an old tradition that they think will add a bit of fun to deliveries being made Wednesday.
When the deliveryman shows up with a Valentine’s Day bouquet from the newly opened White Orchid Designs in downtown Elgin, he’ll be dressed in this Cupid costume the business purchased from a retailer on amazon.com. (White Orchid Designs)
“It’s something new for us,” said Jose Garcia, one of the partners in the floral shop at 8 N. State St. that until last month was a home-based business. “We thought it would be a good avenue to promote our new location.”
He credits one of his partners, Ofelia Moreno, with the idea. It’s something flower shops in Mexico have done so why not try it here, Garcia said.
They’ve hired someone to don the skimpy costume that offers an adult take on the god, who is often depicted as a baby or toddler.
“It’s a toga with little red wings, a hat, and an arrow,” Garcia said. “Amazon has everything, apparently.”
Moreno said the business started in 2006, providing flowers for weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and quinceaneras birthday celebrations. They like to incorporate balloons, chocolates, wine bottles and other items into their displays, she said.
Quinceaneras — a Hispanic tradition celebrating a girl’s 15th birthday and her passage from being a girl to a woman — have been a big part of their business, Moreno said. Decorations incorporate fresh flowers and whatever items the birthday girl wants, like crystals and feathers, she said.
The partners are always looking at trends to incorporate into the business, she said.
Opening a storefront was a huge step, Garcia said. He finds Hispanics prefer going to a store to pick out floral arrangements rather than going online and often prefer to use cases, so it’s more convenient to have a physical location, he said.
White Orchid Designs is also focusing on being a kind of one-stop shop where customers can also get help planning events, he said. The business has a party planning consultant who can help with every aspect of planning a wedding, quinceanera or other event, he said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
