A viral trend of massive bouquets, some costing hundreds of dollars, is finding an audience in the Twin Cities among social media-savvy florists and their Latino clientele.
Ramos buchónes is what 21-year-old Brittany Vega of Designs by B calls the big bouquets of roses she sells as a side gig between working full-time and going to school.
These aren’t your typical flower arrangements, and most florists in Minnesota don’t make them. But they’re all over social media where some #ramobuchon videos on TikTok have more than 30 million views.
According to one Mexican newspaper, a ramo buchón is characterized by being very ostentatious in its decoration and size.
The elaborate arrangements start at about 50 flowers, usually roses, and can go up to as many as 100. Ramo” is Spanish for bouquet.
“It’s not a necessity, but it’s a luxury,” Vega said from her makeshift workshop at her Bloomington home, as she dipped roses in glitter, “It’s not every day that a girl gets a big ‘ramo.’”
In addition to the sheer quantity of roses, florists like Vega wrap them in carefully folded Korean paper, and add LED lights, glitter, pins, chocolates, ribbons, and even stuffed animals. Some even include money in the form of folded bills.
Vega said she’s been getting two to five orders a day in the weeks before Valentine’s Day. It’s her first year selling the arrangements.
She isn’t the only florist driving the ramo buchón trend locally.
Joselyn Chacon, owner of Siempre Con Amor, was in the middle of a gap year in college when she started selling flower arrangements to a majority Hispanic clientele.
“We really consider flowers, and especially roses, a love language,” Chacon said. “Giving someone flowers is really a sign that you appreciate them, and that you love them.”
Chacon has since moved to New York to finish college but still makes occasional trips back home to Minnesota to fill orders for her customers.
She’s even scheduled a weeklong break in early February to be in town for Valentine’s Day and fulfill her orders.
According to her, Ecuadorian roses are the main flower used to create ramos buchónes because they’re bigger and sturdier.
Prices for bouquets start at around $50 but can go up to more than $400, depending on the number of flowers and customization required.
A single bouquet can take a florist between one to three hours to create.
The bouquets are arranged with tightly arranged roses with the majority of the leaves cut off; they’re meant to be displayed as a bouquet rather than in a vase, according to Vega, who said she’s still waiting to be gifted one.
“Nothing big, but I want one,” Vega said. “I mean I’m making them for other people and I see how nice it looks, I want one.”
The bouquets are typically used as a grand romantic gesture. But can also be given to friends and family.
Vega said Valentine’s Day is always a popular day for flowers, but Mother’s Day was equally busy for her because of having to plan out two days of orders as Latin American countries don’t always celebrate the holiday on the same day as the United States.
Chacon said many of her customers send her photos of bouquets they’ve seen on social media for inspiration, and that she’s always willing to accommodate their wants and needs, but because the bouquets can get expensive she also offers budget-friendly options.
These limit customizations but at the same time allow Chacon to express herself creatively, sometimes leading to the creation of a favorite bouquet for the florist.
Chacon features different types of flowers in what she calls her “freestyle” bouquets. She also works with colors not commonly used, like orange.
“They were very aesthetically pleasing to me, so they’re my favorite ones to make,” Chacon said. “I put a lot of work into it.”
Both florists are nearing the end of their Valentine’s Day preorder period but say they have extra flowers available for last-minute orders.
“Anything you have in mind, we’ll work together with you to make it happen,” Chacon said. “Everything we do is with love.”
