Flowers By Darlene/North Shore Fruit Basket

truly has an eye for what you’re looking for. We told her our general colors, showed her some swatches, and the first example she made to show us was perfect. All the bouquets were so beautiful and working with Darlene was an absolute delight. She was available to be reached on her cell phone very easily and she worked with our venue (the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem) so coordinating between the two of them was super simple. Definitely check out Darlene for wedding flowers (or any other custom arrangements you may need!) and talk to her about what vision you have in mind.

as reasonable and she really listened and didn’t try to up-sell. I would definitely recommend Darlene!

. Thanks Darlene

ver 40 years of experience. I would definitely recommend using her to anyone.

RECOMMENDED 🤍

for my 10 month old daughter to hold which was incredibly special for me. I would recommend Darlene to anyone looking to have a beautiful floral arrangement or bouquet at their wedding.

s how beautiful they were.

rdable, with no up charge for last minute booking. I’m so glad I found Darlene. I originally planned to do bouquets & centerpieces myself and I’m soooo glad I didn’t.

ne would create and she delivered!!! Everything looked amazing!!!

long they stayed fresh after the wedding! We highly recommend!

flowers for boutonnières and corsages were lovely. The color choices she made were amazing. Darlene really knows what she is doing and is an industry vet. I highly recommend her, thank you Darlene.

She was responsive to all my questions and her prices were very reasonable, in my opinion. I recommend her highly - I don't think you can go wrong with Darlene!

backdrop for our ceremony that our guests raved about and took tons of pictures in front of. We would recommend Darlene to anyone and everyone!

my bouquet the day before to make sure it was what I wanted. I highly recommend Flowers by Darlene and cannot wait to use her again for my big wedding in July!!

We wouldn’t go anywhere else for our floral needs!

hat a close friend made and delivered with all her gorgeous floral arrangements. The flowers were stunning and the service exceeded or expectations!! I highly recommend her...I didn’t just get a florist...I found a friend 🖤 Thank you so much for everything Darlene 💐🌹🌼🌺

evolving wedding plan. She sent me a text photo of my bouquet the day before the wedding which I thought was a very nice touch! Thank you Darlene!!

tion next year and the headaches that come with this are not small. However I cannot say enough about Darlene and how great she was throughout the whole process. She made sure to check in on us throughout the shutdown and reassure us that she was there when the time came. Darlene really took the time to make sure the small wedding this year would still have everything we had wanted floral wise. She even added a swag for the homemade arbor last minute! I cannot say enough about how much I loved my flowers and quite frankly all the flowers that she did for our wedding. I would recommend using her every time!

oston but due to COVID we had to cancel and decided to have a microwedding in Newport. Darlene was beyond accommodating with the change in date and driving 2hours from the Northshore to deliver our flowers! The stress of COVID and canceling the wedding of our dreams was quite the emotional rollercoaster, but with Darlene’s help and phenomenal organization skills she made the process effortless. For me seeing patients at a busy practice it’s always difficult to find time to communicate with vendors. We corresponded mostly through email, but she was accessible and very responsive through text and phone calls in the evening and weekends as needed. She was better at responding to me than I was to her! She was very understanding and considerate of my work schedule. Even when I had a 15 minute lunch break to go over final details before the wedding Darlene was so organized when reviewing flower arrangements and costs. I highly appreciated her efficiency and transparency with everything. When arranging to meet in person she was so hospitable to the days and time that I proposed, which meant a lot to me. For our meeting we were welcomed by a STUNNING, LUSCIOUS, BEAUTIFUL bouquet of flowers based on a dusty rose colored bridesmaid fabric that I previously mailed to her! I was truly impressed by her work, she has an impeccable eye for color palettes and knows what combination of flowers to produce a breathtaking bouquet. Also with COVID, her shop was clean, we wore our facemasks and felt comfortable and safe during our consultation. Like a true professional she was prepared with emails and pictures printed out of what I envisioned for the wedding. The day of the wedding, we had an early First Look photoshoot and the flowers arrived on time and on point! I was not only thrilled by her punctuality but was so amazed with how fresh and vibrant the flowers were after the 2 hour trek to Newport! With last minute additions, she came through with flower petals for the ceremony aisle and flower clusters for the cake. The bridesmaids bouquets, table centerpieces, corsages for our moms came out beautifully! And don’t get me started on my cascade bouquet and ceremony arch! Words can’t express how gorgeous and elegantly crafted the flowers were. It’s truly an artform that Darlene has perfected. You can tell she’s been doing this for a long time, she is passionate about what she does and it’s reflected in her work. She is very knowledgeable and an expert in her field, I’m beyond happy with the quality of her work. Throughout the process she has been personable, accessible, and accommodating. I highly recommend Darlene at Northshore Fruit Basket. She will definitely exceed your expectations!

e had a vision, she was able to execute on it, and when we didn't, she had great suggestions and examples. Also, as a true testament to her, we changed the date of our micro wedding at the last minute due to weather, and she was able to accommodate everything with beautiful centerpieces, bouquets, and a perfect chuppah. She did a great job with our micro wedding and I look forward to working with her for our larger celebration next year!

rything. She knew exactly what to do and the vision I wanted. Working with Darlene was also so easy and none stressful. It was great to be able to work with someone like that for such big events. I would highly recommend Darlene to anyone in the future for any events or weddings. Thank you again Darlene for everything!

nd a pleasure to work with! If I could give her 10000 stars I would! Thank you Darlene!

d great ideas to tie the flowers together with other parts of the wedding and was very inclusive in terms of what she provided as part of the package. She included a variety of flower types and colors, was a pleasure to work with, and the centerpieces were gorgeous! Thank you, Darlene!

ce. Since we were planning from out of state, we really appreciated her responsiveness and accommodating our schedule. When our big day came the flowers/arrangements were better than we expected, they were AMAZING! We were blown away with how our flowers turned out!! They really helped make everything pop (from the photos to the ceremony & reception).

to know what other florists quoted us. We told her the amount that was given to us and she gave us an amazing quote of $1400 well under what others quoted us for the same work. Both my wife and myself left there pumped to have found someone with such great prices who didn't seem to be high balling us to do our wedding. My wife a few weeks prior to the wedding kept asking for the invoice so that we could pay it off. Darlene said she was still preparing it and would get it to us shortly. 4 day prior to the wedding we finally got an invoice for over $1000 more than she quoted us. She went back and forth and was very short with my fiancé when trying to figure out what happened. Finally after stressing my fiancé out the week of our wedding I had to intervene the day before our wedding I politely explained that her initial quote was 1400, and wanted to know how it increase but such a great amount especially without either of our approval and we were only told 4 days prior to the event. Darlene was very short with me, and said maybe we added more tables. I advised here that I had been extremely organized and was in charge of all the numbers since day 1 and when we first met with her we gave a number of 200 guests to play safe and then reduced it to 140 well before the wedding, so the amount of tables wouldn’t have only reduced. Darlene was very short with me and completely unapproachable. Finally I just told her “here is my credit card number to pay the amount”. she at first kept saying she just wanted us to be happy and I explained we were quoted what you said and now it’s almost doubled for no reason just days prior to our event, she refused to have understanding or try to resolve it so i told her i'm trying to pay my invoice, since we weren’t getting anywhere. In no way do I possibly see the amount increasing that much even if a few changes could have been made. Instead of giving us an explanation Darlene just kept going in circles, a simple I apologize flower prices went up or a clear explanation of such a change would have gone a long way in my opinion, but we couldn't even be given anything of the sort. I am shocked at the customer service and lack of respect or compassion shown, we both feel like we got robbed and that she had trapped us by undercutting the competitions price and then just mere days before up charging giving us no other options. She also left out some very important meaningful simple details in our wedding plan, such as a simple yellow rose to place on a seat with a picture for my wife's mother who had passed away in her memory. I am disgusted by this practice. Flower by Darlene does great flowers but to avoid the stress the week of and the feeling of being taken advantage of I would honestly recommend going somewhere that charges more but doesn’t play these games. I am very sad to say that they have lost a loyal customer, I truly hope no one ever has to deal with this treatment the week of their wedding!

we were all on the same page. Guests and other vendors for our wedding couldn’t stop asking where the displays and flowers were from. We highly recommend and will use again.

t of! She listens and answers any questions thoughtfully. She is very professional. She also was able to bring some flowers for my cake. I would 100% recommend her. Multiple guests commented on how beautiful the flowers were at both my rehearsal dinner and wedding.

and so excited. She is the best!

uggestions. She was so detailed and professional to work with and made the flowers stress free. Highly recommend using Darlene for anytime you need flowers!!

nue, she was there and made sure we were happy with the chuppah and the flowers she made for us. All my guests made comments about how beautiful the center pieces were. I would definitely recommend as you can tell she takes a lot of pride and cares about her work!

lasted as well!! Thank you so much Darlene for making my wedding day so much more special!

Danversport - I simply could not be happier! Do not hesitate to choose Darlene for your special day. The flowers are absolutely gorgeous!! My guests are still talking about how beautiful her floral centerpieces are!!!

finalize the details. She was easy to reach on the phone and by email, and she even texted me a photo of my bouquet on the morning of the wedding to make sure I liked it! She matched our vision perfectly: the flowers were colorful, summery, and looked natural. They were exactly what we wanted and more! They added so much to the vibe of the wedding and we were thrilled. And her prices cannot be beat!

't find anything quite like it online, but she listened to me and completely understood what I was going for! I've received so many compliments on the flowers from guests, as well. Darlene is exceptionally talented, knowledgeable, and professional. I highly recommend her!

floral decorations. Darlene made our vision come to life! The flowers were fresh and so so beautiful. We received some many compliments. Working with Darlene was easy and she is so professional. Truly the best florist out there! I have already recommend her to everyone I know getting married!!

d our vision beyond belief and made our dream wedding a reality. She was exceptionally professional and a delight to work with. You would be so lucky to have her as your florist and we can not say enough about her work. Run don’t walk if you are looking for the best of the best!

ded all of my expectations! She put so much care into making sure that I was happy - including finding the exact color succulents for my bouquet and centerpieces to sourcing the particular gold flower stands that I wanted for my ceremony. She didn't blink an eye when I described the floral chandelier that I had to have or when I showed up with 40 gold and glass terrariums to be filled. Each arrangement was stunning and reflected her genuine care and craftsmanship! You will not regret choosing Darlene to do your wedding flowers!

knew exactly what I wanted on my big day. I had showed her a picture of a bouquet I found that I thought might go well with my wedding colors. When our day arrived, I was so incredibly pleased to find the exact same bouquet I had showed her. All the arrangements, centerpieces and bouquets were absolutely beautiful. They complimented our wedding colors so well and added elegance to our wedding. My bridal party also enjoyed the centerpieces well after our wedding day. I would highly recommend Flowers by Darlene for your wedding day flowers.

e talking about different styles, and she wrapped my bridesmaids bouquets in ribbons to match their unique dresses (they wore dresses ranging from gray to navy). Most of all, she is so reasonably priced and her work is so stunning. I will be using her for all my floral needs moving forward-she’s that good!!!!

cific bouquet I wanted and she executed it exactly how I envisioned. She was the only florist who offered to make us samples, and she let us borrow a couple clear umbrellas when the forecast showed rain. Darlene and her entire staff really made our day so beautiful.

he same page and help make our vision come to life. Then, when we came back a few months later, Darlene put together samples of our bouquets and centerpieces and they were exactly what I dreamed of. To see them in real life got me so excited for the big day! She was so reasonable and knowledgeable about what flowers would look good and which ones would be in season. If you want your guests to go crazy over your flowers work with Darlene! She will not disappoint :)

centerpieces and bouquets were exactly what I had asked for - white, green, and a small pop of color. Darlene was kind and easy to work with. She responded promptly to my requests and always called me back quickly if I had any questions. I would not hesitate to hire her for wedding flowers!

hing. We also chose the lucite chuppah with orchids per Darlene's recommendation and WHAT a chuppah!! Darlene was always there to provide thoughts or recommendations without ever pushing anything on me - she really wanted the flowers to be what WE wanted. Highly recommend working with Darlene for your wedding (and rehearsal dinner)! Thank you Darlene for making our wedding so special!!

t. Darlene really exceeded our expectations and made our daughter’s wedding so memorable. We received so many compliments and were so excited to give Darlene a huge “SHUT OUT”! Darlene, you are the best! Already booked for my son’s upcoming October wedding!

ce. Darlene was responsive, honest, transparent and listened to me so well. She helped make my vision become a reality within my budget. She thought of things I had forgotten to request and worked with me to prioritize the arrangement I needed most. I received so many compliments on the arrangements and bouquets and loved everything!

t with me twice to discuss options and worked with me to incorporate the bridesmaid dress colors and a bow from my grandmother's dress into the bouquets. Highly recommend her and her team!

at I wanted. I put full trust in her, which I rarely do. I was not disappointed at all. My bridal bouquet was gorgeous, to the point where I am going to have it preserved. The table arrangements were very fresh, and perfectly done. I had a few unique asks, flowers for a sign, a mailbox on the card table, and she did a wonderful job making them as well. Darlene also was great at giving us suggestions, since I knew little about flowers. She told me what was typical at a wedding, what she thought would look nice, and what would look good at my venue. She was very professional and I didn’t worry about a thing on the day of. And to top it all off, her prices were very reasonable. While I didn’t have a ton of flowers at the wedding, it came in below budget and much less than other florists in the Boston area quoted me. Darlene was recommended to me by a friend, and I would recommend her to any bride around Boston.

ur wedding rehearsal dinner as well! The flowers were gorgeous and exactly what I wanted. Working with Darlene was so effortless, she listened to what I wanted and offered suggestions when I didn't know exactly what I wanted! I would use her for any occasion, she really does such a wonderful job :)

ng even better than I could have imagined. That first moment I walked into the venue, surrounded by the most gorgeous floral arrangements, accents and colors she worked so hard to design for us-- that's truly the moment when everything hit me. I was absolutely stunned by the environment she was able to create for us on our once-in-a-lifetime day. Being a professional artist, I am quite picky when it comes to trusting others with creative projects. Originally, I was planning on tackling the flowers for my wedding alone because my concepts and vision were incredibly specific. I wanted what I pictured, exactly-- no sacrifices, no wiggle room. I had a lot of reservations about hiring a florist because of my own creative abilities. That being said, I am SO DAMN HAPPY we hired Darlene to bring our vision to life. She absolutely FLOORED me with her design prowess, her consideration towards my concepts, her kindness and adaptability. Our centerpieces, our arch, the mantels, the bar top tables-- everything was literally breathtaking! I could NOT have created what she was able to create for us. I'm a very picky artist. I don't feel I was a difficult bride, but I KNEW what I wanted and I wasn't willing to budge on any details. Darlene captured every single detail, accommodated for all my floral desires, and absolutely blew me away. Thank you SO MUCH, Darlene! Your flowers made our wedding and reception TRULY magical, which is exactly how I wanted it to be. I really cannot thank you enough for being able to get inside my head and bring my very particular vision to life. In short, stop looking for a floral designer for your wedding-- you found the best one right here!

s commented on how beautiful her arrangements were. Darlene was so pleasant to work with. She was so calm and required very little direction from us. She seemed to know exactly what we wanted. We were very happy with the whole experience and highly recommend her for any event you may have. We are looking forward to working with her in the future. Thank you Darlene!

n flower options (something I greatly appreciated and needed). The day of the wedding, I was so excited to see the centerpieces and bouquets! They were stunning! Definitely recommend using Darlene for any important event!

my mom or I called with any small or big question. If you are having a wedding on the north shore, look no further.. amazing!

Absolutely amazing!!!!!

perfect for our seaside wedding. The color scheme of flowers worked perfectly with the bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen suits. The flowers are definitely top quality - we still have some of the flower arrangements in our home 2 weeks later! Thank you again Darlene!

most gorgeous lucite chuppah. I had never seen a chuppah like ours before. It was amazing to almost see through the chuppah and it looked like the flowers were floating in the air. It was perfect to enjoy our harbor side view all thanks to Darlene's recommendation. I can't even get started on our reception flowers. The high and low arrangements looked like they were out of a magazine. I absolutely loved our sweetheart table flowers and what she did for our place card table. On top of how they looked in person, the photos of our reception tent show me that Darlene provided the exact vision of what I was looking for on my wedding day - at a very reasonable and competitive price I might add. Thank you, Darlene!

t a picture to Darlene beforehand and when we went for the consultation, Darlene had put together a sample and it was exactly what I wanted and had in mind. Both my bouquet and the flowers in the church lasted two weeks. Darlene was so easy to work with and very professional. If you are looking for flowers for your wedding or for any occasion look no future then "Flowers By Darlene". You will not be disappointed. I want to say a special thank you to Darlene. With so many things to worry about on my wedding, my flowers were something I trusted to Darlene and she went above and beyond. So, thank you. Rita and Marc Deschenes

. I would use her in the future for any flower needs. Thank you for making my day beautiful Tara briggs for making my day beautiful

setup were seamless. I highly recommend Flowers by Darlene.

s to keep expenses low with quality flowers and vases. We greatly appreciated working with her!!

ents to make certain it was exactly what we wanted. I highly recommend her to be your wedding florist.

made all the more beautiful with Darlene's embellishments. She was able to integrate some atypical lighting requests from the groom without batting an eye. The bouquets were magnificent and the arbor was just perfect. For future events, I wouldn't even bother to interview another florist! Darlene is the best!!