Personalized touch makes florist shop unique

Personalized touch makes florist shop unique
By Anita Stratos
Correspondent

There's not a single occasion we can't help our customers with." Once you check out the incredible array of flowers, gifts, edibles and other specialty items at Mr. Alan The Original Florist in Brick, you'll see why this statement is entirely true.

For more than 40 years, Mr. Alan has been the original florist in Brick; the shop's outstanding reputation is so well-known that they have been the exclusive florist for three generations in many families. For Mr. Alan "every day is a special occasion" because helping customers select a single rose is just as important as helping them make arrangements for a large reception.

Take a walk through Mr. Alan's shop, and you'll start to get an idea that there are no limits to the number of original and beautiful ways to show someone you care or to create the perfect ambiance for your special day, from the simplest settings to the most dramatic. Flowers of every color of the rainbow share space with eye-catching plant stands and unique indoor planters, vases and crystal pieces; select from the wide assortment of chocolates, gourmet desserts and savory treats to create a customized gift basket, and even add a Yankee candle, bath item or other novelty to further personalize your gift.

Mr. Alan treats every party and reception in a personal way. For weddings, he'll sit down and talk with the bride and groom in order to get a true understanding of their desires. Today, many brides opt for very natural looking bouquets for themselves and their attendants, with longer stems extending beneath bows. Anything is possible for the wedding reception, from simple bud vase centerpieces to elaborate candelabras and stands; Mr. Alan will even make a sample of the larger centerpieces ahead of time for the bride to see first hand. The shop can also provide pew bows as well as attached or freestanding candelabras down the aisle for church weddings; traditional chuppas ornamented with flowers are created for temples. Mr. Alan said that some of the most popular color themes for spring of 2003 are silvery lavender, red and black with white.

As for favors, today's couples are selecting more practical things like miniature bottles of wine, boxes of candy, frames containing individual seating cards (later to be replaced with their wedding picture) and small live plants that can grow over time as an everlasting reminder of their special day. Of course, the more traditional favors are always available, and you'll find hundreds of selections both in the shop and in specialty catalogues.

Anniversary parties for milestone years are still in vogue, with the only difference being the tone of the party for each. The silver anniversary, a celebration of 25 years of marriage, is usually an evening affair with a party atmosphere decorated with silver and white themes. Fifty years marks the golden anniversary: this tends to be a daytime event with more of a reunion overtone in which gold and white decorations are used. Mr. Alan and his staff keep up on the latest for any kind of formal celebration and can help advise customers of the latest and best ways to approach their special events.

Sweet sixteen parties for girls are making a big comeback, and themes usually include shopping, beauty and clothes, which are also the main themes for bat mitzvahs, whereas bar mitzvahs typically focus on the boy's interest in sports. Mr. Alan has plenty of fun pieces for all of these interests, from frames to stuffed bears and many other types of keepsakes. Dance recitals are getting a lot of attention too, and it isn't unusual for parents to have a celebration after the show. Besides bouquets of flowers, girls also enjoy receiving one of the many other dance-related gifts like ballerina dolls, snow globes with a ballet theme dressed up jewel boxes, and more. Graduation parties are filled with flowers and/or balloons in the graduate's school colors, along with the graduation year imprinted on the balloons.

The goodies begin even before you enter the shop. Wood lawn signs that you can use to express yourself and perk up your landscaping are displayed for a variety of interests including sports and holidays. There's no end to the smiles you can bring to others - and to yourself as well.

Once you stop in for a visit, you'll see why Mr. Alan The Original Florist is so much more than just a florist: the caring staff, versatility and individual attention afforded each customer along with literally hundreds of choices for each and every occasion are just some of the perks you'll find here.

"You can buy a rose anywhere; it's what we do with the rose that makes us so unique," Mr. Alan said.

Mr. Alan will deliver your order throughout the area, and he also belongs to two wire services for those long-distance deliveries. The shop is located at 1893 Route 88 in Brick and is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (732) 202-0222 or visit Mr. Alan's Web site www.mralansoriginalflorist.com.