Send Flowers and Support Charities with Flowers for Dreams

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• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked
• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked
• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked
• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked
• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked
• Photo by James Rand and Chuck Olu-Alabi for Racked

Flowers for Dreams has been in the Chicago area for a long time, but perhaps you're just hearing of them now as they recently rebranded and partnered with social media app Popular Pays to get the word out. We stopped by their new space in West Town and chatted with Co-Founder and CEO Steven Dyme to learn about more about they've made it possible to send affordable $35 bouquets and still find the resources to donate to charities. The business started as an unassuming college project. The goal was to sell a few hundred roses to parents outside a high school graduation ceremony to make a little money. They would then use half the proceeds to buy backpacks for low income students they tutored during the summer. Dyme tells us, "Flowers for Dreams has been a bit iterative. We didn't start with a master plan."

As they learned more about the flower industry, they knew they could do it better. They realized they could cut out the middle men and create an innovative new business model. "We felt the way the big online florists worked was deceptive, and small local flowers were prohibitively expensive. We want to make flowers more accessible and inspiring, so people can send them more often... We're making it as easy as sending an email"

It's true. We've often thought about sending flowers, only to reconsider at checkout when faced with total charges. Combining elements of big online florists and local florists, Flower for Dreams has made it possible to deliver flowers for just $35 by reducing spoilage and not having a storefront. Wrapped in recyclable coffee burlap, their signature bouquets have an artisan aesthetic and are often delivered by bicycle.

Now with the new space on Hubbard Street, which neighbors Salvage One, they can accept same day orders up until 1PM and deliver by 5PM. Customers who don't remember to order by 1PM will now have the option to pick up.

Even as a college project, Flowers for Dreams involved a charity component. Every month they work with a different local cause, and they see themselves as spokespersons for these charities. They use their bouquets and website as an opportunity to promote many noteworthy causes.

Now if you'll excuse us, we have some flowers to send.

· Flowers for Dreams [Official Site]
· Whoa! These Valentine's Day Flowers Are Actually Not a Ripoff [Racked Chicago]