They are advertised online and on the radio, and they usually all promise the same thing: Free Delivery! However, your local flower shop will probably charge a delivery fee. Why is that? A delivery fee is exactly what it sounds like, a fee a florist will charge to cover the cost of physically delivering the flowers.

As a general rule of thumb, a custom flower arrangement from an independent florist that's not part of FTD or Teleflora will run between $55 and $300, again remembering, the higher the price the higher the number of flowers included. The types of flowers used can also affect the cost.

If you've ever purchased flowers at Kroger, Publix or even Trader Joe's you've probably noticed they are cheaper than purchasing flowers at a traditional flower shop, also called a florist. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is the amount of wholesale flowers being purchased.

A local florist means you're buying directly from the source. So you won't pay the added markup that comes with ordering online. The markup is the difference between what retailers pay the florist for the flowers and what they charge customers. So you'll skip this when buying locally and get a better deal.