The Card Message

Sometimes when I’m taking someone’s order, people will stumble when we get to the card message. They often ask what others usually say. Since we have written thousands of card messages, I can confidently say that our favorites are those that are your unique words conveying heartfelt feelings or even family humor. Remember! The card often outlasts the flowers with a place of honor on the fridge or mirror. Here are some tips for crafting the perfect card message! Card messages on Margie's fridge

Length

When I was in college, my Creative Writing teacher told me that “the quality of the words you use is more important than their quantity”. A card message doesn’t have to be long to be meaningful! One of my favorite examples of this is a recent message for Valentine’s Day: “A flower for my lady, a bouquet for my queen; let us always set time aside to dream.” 

 

While short messages always work, it’s important to consider more than just the standard “I love you” or “Happy Birthday/Anniversary/Holiday.” A message that means something to the recipient, even if it’s long, will be remembered long after the vase is empty. For example, there’s a pair of sisters who frequently order flowers for each other. Their card messages are always lyrics to a rock song. The messages can get lengthy, but it’s their sister thing!

Tone

The tone of the message is also important to consider, and that depends on the occasion for sending flowers. A sympathy message will have a very different tone than a birthday message. Being specific about the tone you’d like to use–for example, letting us know whether to include exclamation points or not. This ensures your message contains the intended enthusiasm or serenity as needed. 

Content

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, honesty and sincerity make the best card messages. There’s a time and a place for stock-standard well-wishes, but in my experience, the messages that stick are the personal ones. Perhaps there’s an inside joke you could include, or a phrase that has special meaning for you and the recipient. Here are some of our favorites:

“I love you today, more than the day I met you, and tomorrow I will love you even more. Happy Valentine’s Day, my beautiful wife! I love you!” It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events: “I will love you if I never see you again, and I will love you if I see you every Tuesday.”

The Simpson's "Whale of a Wife"

Surprisingly, something few people consider using is humor in their message! One recent sender referenced The Simpson’s scene, “To a whale of a wife.” (He promised us his wife would laugh!)

Anything that shows that you put thought and care into the card message you send will make the recipient smile!

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