Get Your Studio Ready: The Ultimate Valentine's Day Prep Checklist
You know that feeling when you look at your calendar and see February 14th approaching? That mix of excitement and dread that only a florist truly understands?
Valentine's Day can feel overwhelming. Orders multiply overnight. Your phone won't stop ringing. You're wondering if you ordered enough roses, if your cooler has space, if you'll even sleep that week. You're not alone in this.
I've been exactly where you are. Thirty-two years in this business, and I remember my first Valentine's Day like it was yesterday. I remember the panic, the exhaustion, the feeling that I was barely keeping my head above water. But here's what I've learned: Valentine's Day doesn't have to break you. With the right systems and preparation, you can move through the holiday with confidence instead of chaos.
That's why I'm sharing this four-part series this week. Think of me as your experienced guide who's already walked this path and knows where the pitfalls are. I'm going to show you exactly how to prepare, organize, and execute Valentine's Day so you can deliver beautiful work without sacrificing your sanity.
This first post focuses on the foundation that makes everything else possible: prep work. Let's dive in.
Before we dive into the specifics, let me walk you through the essential prep work that will set you up for success. These aren't just suggestions; they're the systems that will keep you organized when orders are flying in and your phone won't stop ringing. Each section below addresses a critical piece of your Valentine's Day operation, from physical supplies to order management. Take these one at a time, check them off as you go, and you'll have a solid foundation before a single rose arrives. Oh, and I’ve included a checklist for easy reference with each section.
Check out part 2: Design Smart, Not Hard
Vases, Containers & Studio Supplies
Your physical workspace is the engine room of your Valentine's Day operation. When things get hectic, the last thing you need is to be hunting for supplies or tripping over misplaced containers. This is where the groundwork pays off.
Start by thinking through your workflow. Where will arrangements be assembled? Where will completed designs wait for delivery? Every item you'll reach for repeatedly should be within arm's reach, and everything else should have a designated home.
This prep work might feel mundane, but it's what separates a smooth operation from a stressful one. When your studio is organized, you can focus on design instead of searching for scissors. Set out extra folding tables now if you have them. You'll need every inch of workspace when production ramps up. Clean your buckets thoroughly. Stock your flower food and processing supplies where your team can easily access them.
Count and purchase vases based on your recipes. (We’ll look at recipes later.) Try to base your purchasing on what you sell. For example, if you typically sell 60% medium arrangements, 30% small, and 10% luxury, you should not overstock on those beautiful, but expensive, crystal vases!
Once your vases and containers arrive, unpack, clean, and remove every label. Yes, it's tedious. Yes, it's worth it. You don't want to be peeling stickers on February 13th. Organize vases by size and label them with prices. When you grab a vase, you should know instantly what you're working with.
Your Checklist:
Count vases needed based on typical sales mix
Order vases
Unpack, remove labels and clean vases
Organize by size
Label with vase name & prices (and use)
Pull out extra folding tables
Clean buckets
Delivery Boxes & Packaging Materials
Get your delivery supplies ready now so you can just grab and go later. This includes any delivery boxes, labels, tissue paper and ribbons you typically use for delivery.
Your Checklist:
Count delivery boxes and labels. Order more if needed.
Add labels or stamps to boxes
Cut tissue paper to size, sort by style or color.
Stock tape, staples, ribbon
Organize all packaging supplies in one spot
Office Supplies
Nothing is worse than looking for a pen when you’re trying to take an order! Stock up on pens, tape, printer paper and printer ink. Count your enclosure cards and envelopes. If you hand-write messages, make sure you have enough. Label or stamp envelopes now, not during the rush.
During the holidays, we use color coded dots for the delivery day and for add-ons (chocolates, candles, etc). Red for add-ons; green for Feb. 14 deliveries, blue for Feb 13 deliveries, etc. Each order AND each enclosure card gets a dot. It’s much easier to find all the green dots in the cooler than it is to look for written dates or names.
Your Checklist:
Stock extra pens, tape, staples, printer paper and printer ink
Get color-coded dot labels (if this system appeals to you)
Count enclosure cards and envelopes; order more if needed.
Label or stamp enclosure card envelopes
Ecommerce & Your Website
Your website is your hardest-working employee during Valentine's Day. While you're designing arrangements and coordinating deliveries, your site is taking orders, answering questions, and generating revenue 24/7. But only if it's set up correctly. A confusing website costs you sales. Outdated pricing eats your profits. This is the time to make sure everything is dialed in and ready to convert browsers into buyers.
Double-check your pricing. Wholesale prices go up around Valentine's Day. Adjust your recipes OR your prices to maintain profit margins.
Simplify your offerings. Three designs at three price points gives you nine options for your customers. Decision fatigue is real. By limiting the options, you help your customers and your designers.
Your Checklist:
Review and adjust pricing
Confirm recipe costs match prices
Simplify to 3 designs at 3 price points
Print ecommerce page
Taking an Order
Keeping track of orders is critical, especially when your volume increases during Valentine's Day. But here's the good news: your system doesn't have to be complex or costly. It can be a dedicated point-of-sale system, a simple spreadsheet, or even a hand-written order form. What matters is that it's consistent and it works for you.
The key is having one central place where every order is recorded with all the essential details. When you're juggling dozens of orders and the phone keeps ringing, you need to know exactly what's been promised, when it needs to go out, and what still needs to be made.
If you have a Point of Sale (POS) system, use it. If not, create a spreadsheet for orders or make sure you have plenty of copies of your order form.
Print an order form and keep it by the phone. When you're exhausted, a standardized form ensures you capture everything: size, colors, vase preference, customer requests, all of it. If you’re using a POS, follow the prompts so you don’t miss getting critical information.
Print and sort orders as you go. Prepare cards immediately.
In our shop, we use a POS with SuperTickets. As each order comes in, we print it out, highlight the delivery date and any special requests, place the card portion of the ticket in the envelope, and put our color-coded dots on the order and the envelope. Envelopes are stored in a box by order number. (The ticket is placed on the design once it’s made & the arrangement is placed in the cooler. Once we pull the arrangement for delivery, the ticket is replaced by the card.) Orders are placed in a bin by delivery date.
Your Checklist:
Make sure you’re familiar with your POS system if it’s new.
Set up Google Sheet
Print or order order forms
Set up your system for organizing orders.
Print orders as taken & prepare according to your system (see below)
Organizing Your Orders
When orders start piling up, the difference between smooth operations and chaos comes down to one thing: organization. You need to know at a glance which arrangements are for which day, what's already been made, and what still needs your attention. Without a clear system, you'll waste precious time searching for orders, risk mixing up delivery dates, and create unnecessary stress for yourself and your team.
The good news? A simple organizational system takes just minutes to set up and will save you hours of confusion during the rush. Here's how to keep everything flowing smoothly:
Set up boxes, bins or clipboards for each delivery day. Create a spot for incoming orders that haven't been processed. Create another spot for completed orders. Label everything. (Helpful tip: add the matching colored dot to the the label for easy reference.)
Use colored dot labels for different days, add-ons, and timed orders. This visual system shows you at a glance what needs attention. Label everything!
Your Checklist:
Create your system for sorting orders.
Label boxes, bins or clipboards for each delivery day
Create spot for incoming unprocessed orders
Create spot for completed orders
Set up color-coding system (days, add-ons, timed orders)
The Bottom Line
Here's what you've accomplished by working through this prep checklist: You've organized your physical space so you can move efficiently. You've set up systems that will keep orders flowing smoothly even when things get hectic. You've prepared your digital presence to work for you around the clock. Most importantly, you've built a foundation that will support you through the busiest week of your year.
This preparation isn't just about surviving Valentine's Day; it's about thriving during it. When you have these systems in place, you can focus on what you do best: creating beautiful arrangements that make people feel loved and appreciated. You'll spend less time scrambling and more time doing the work that fills your cup.
Remember, you don't have to implement everything perfectly. Pick the systems that resonate with you and adapt them to fit your shop. The goal isn't perfection; it's progress. Even implementing half of these strategies will make a noticeable difference in how smoothly your Valentine's Day runs.
Take a breath. You've got this. And I'll be right here with you for the next three posts, walking you through recipes, production flow, and delivery logistics.
Next up: recipes, pricing, and studio flow so production day runs like a well-oiled machine.