Burke Florists Get Ready For Prom

As prom night approaches for many high-schoolers, local flower shops prepare for the influx of customers looking for unique and dazzling corsages and boutonnieres.

Flowers N’ Ferns

Flowers N’ Ferns, located on Old Keene Mill road in Burke, specializes in customizing corsages to match the customer’s dress and personality.

“We try to keep up with the trends. This year, we’re doing a lot of work with specialty bracelets for the corsages, with rhinestones, pearls, or wire. We can even do arm cuffs with stones. It’s really fun to make unique corsages that are truly customized towards the girls dress,” Flowers N’ Ferns manager Karen Fountain said.

As well as stylish bracelets, sweetheart roses and dendrobium orchids are also ‘in’ for this prom season.

“The dendrobium orchids are elegant and make sense for prom. They offer different colors than you’re used to seeing for homecoming,” Fountain said.

While bracelets and dendrobiums are ‘in’, carnations are definitely ‘out’, and have become more appropriate for homecoming than for prom.

“On the west coast, clutch bouquets, a small bouquet of flowers that the girl holds, are very in, while we don’t do a lot of them. On the east coast, the trend is for traditional corsages and boutonnieres,” Fountain said. 

The shop often fills as many as 500 corsage order per weekend during prom season, especially when Lake Braddock or West Springfield hold their proms. Though they receive much business from the local high schools, the shop has seen prom-goers from Annandale, Edison, and Woodson high schools, who travel to the shop for their wide selection of flowers and unique customization. Flowers N’ Ferns expects around 300-400 orders for the weekend of the 10^th, as Lake Braddock, along with Thomas Jefferson, South County, and other area schools, will be holding their prom; the following weekend promises around 150 orders  for West Springfield’s big night.

Due to the nature of prom season and the amount of schools that hold their prom on the same night, the staff at Flowers N’ Ferns encourages patrons to get their orders in as soon as possible, as they will be able to pick from a wider selection, a greater number of styles, and fancier corsage bracelets.  

A four bloom Sweetheart or orchid corsage runs around $22.95, though corsages can be made to order with more or less flowers. Rose boutonnieres cost $9.95, while double dendrobium boutonnieres run $10.95.

As prom is such an important event in Burke, Flowers N’ Ferns strives to complete the night with their one- of a kind creations.

“No two people walk out with the same corsage,” Fountain said. 

Flowers N’ Ferns is located in the Burke Town Plaza shopping center on Old Keene Mill road in Burke, and can be contacted by calling (703)455-3100.

Burke Florist

Burke Florist at University Mall, owned by the mother- daughter team of Diane and Maureen Dorsett, is another local flower shop getting prepared for the prom season. The shop specializes in rose corsages, beautifully done up with calla lilies and dendrobium orchids.

“If a young man or lady comes in and wants something special, we can do anything with any type of flower,” Diane Dorsett said.

Dorsett has also noticed the recent trend moving away from carnations, and notes that the big mums that were popular for prom years ago are definitely no longer a hot item for the big day.

The shop usually receives upwards of 500 orders for prom night, from students who go to Robinson, Lake Braddock, Paul the VI, Woodson, Thomas Jefferson, West Springfield, and even as far as Lorton.  Though they receive so many orders, most of the patrons they see come prepared, filling their order ahead of time—though Dorsett is not afraid to fill an order at the last minute.

“Most kids are great and ready, but we can take care of them at the last minute, too,” Dorsett said.

Corsages run $25 and up. The orchid corsages contain 3 flowers and mini calla lilies contain four flowers, but corsages can contain five or more flowers if the buds are small enough. All boutonnieres cost $12.50, for any type of flower.

“Prom night is important. The girls come in and talk about getting their hair done and their nails done. It’s very exciting,” Dorsett said.

Dorsett hopes to add to the excitement of prom night by providing patrons with a wide variety and the flexibility to customize their creations however they want.

Burke Florist is located on the lower level of the University mall in Fairfax, and can be contacted by calling (703)-352-3633.