Emilia’s Flowers

The day before my wedding, frustrated by the browning selection at indoor shops, I came here. They helped me pick the flowers I’d always imagined (with peonies to die for), and were so kind. The flowers were fresh enough to survive a pretty tough out-​of-​water journey to my wedding venue and still look perfect. I had many adoring comments upon the inclusion of sea holly in my arrangements. Others mentioned that they understood why I never tossed my bouquet.

I had high expectation for this place. The flowers on display are beautiful, however the arrangement the girl made for me was meh! Nothing very exciting and definitely overpriced. I could make a better bouquet from Trader Joes flowers.
I do not recommend this place.

They make the most beautiful arrangements! I have bought and received several flower arrangements from them and they always amaze me. The only place I would want to get flowers for anyone

I had a $ 25 gift certificate that I purchased at an auction for Emilia. I stopped to in to use it to buy a hostess gift. The young woman behind the counter had limited ideas about how to maximize its presentation and I walked away with a sweet but anemic bouquet. To further challenge the situation, she refused the gift certificate until she had called her boss at home to verify that it was real — I didn’t have a «valued customer» experience. I’ve been shopping at Freshly Cut for years and I’m running back to the fold. ..

I had high expectations for bouquets at Emilia. The flowers on display are beautiful, they’re located in a high-​profile area, and they have passable pre-​made bouquets. I asked for 2, small bouquets that I planned on decorating my house with. She asked how much wanted to pay, I told her about $ 10 each. She took out a dahlia, a gerber daisy, a lily, and a rose and said that was $ 10. That was her idea of a bouquet? Horrible! The flowers looked ridiculous together. The colors were all different, the styles were totally different, it looked stupid. I went there hoping for someone to pull a little bouquet for me; someone who knows flowers better than I do.
I ended up choosing some flowers myself, a couple stems of hydrangea and some dahlias. The woman helping me added some pine branches which looked a little weird with the hydrangea, but I guess that’s what I get when I ask for some greens. She kept asking another woman questions about what she was doing. I couldn’t hear her exact questions, but the other woman was quite surly and answered her brusquely.
I do not recommend this place at all. If you’re looking for a full service florist to create a bouquet for you, don’t come here. They’re not very friendly, lack knowledge and artistry, and it’s too much money for what you get.

Lovely flowers, but a bit pricey. Nonetheless, the best florist in North Berkeley, I think, and quite personable. Most importantly for me, they open quite early. Hours earlier than anyone else, actually.
They will make you a gorgeous, unique bouquet. You will pay for it, but it is worth it.

Yes, I’m a flower snob. I don’t want your stupid alstroemeria or daisies. Where them blood red peonies at?
So, the only place that’s close to me in Berkeley that can give me beautiful flowers is Emilia’s. I gave this place five stars besides it’s a wonderful, high-​quality flower shop. Yes, they’re pricey. But their flowers are high-​quality and the staff put together beautiful arrangements. (Emilia herself and the very blond girl are the best by far). They’re also always pretty candid about price points («How much are you looking to spend?» «Don’t get the freesias, they’re pretty expensive. Here’s a nice alternative.») while still taking into account my tastes.
Flowers are fresh, selection is seasonal and beautiful.

I am really lucky. I have the benefit of being good friends with one of the delightful florists at Emilia’s. This is a double win for me, because it means that I get to be friends with someone awesome who also happens to know a whole lot about flowers! Which is exactly what I needed when planning the flowers for my wedding because anyone who knows me knows that I don’t know much about flowers other than they look pretty and smell nice.
Jess and the folks at Emilia’s took my unclear ideas — a jumble of adjectives and a wrinkled photo from SF Bride and turned them into a work of art. I have never been too good at the small details and probably wasn’t that helpful when I said things like «Oh, you know whichever flowers you think are best» or «I don’t know, I kind of like the roundy, pointy, purpley yellow ones.» However, the ideas some how got communicated because the flowers at the wedding represented everything I had dreamed they would be. Unique, jauntily vibrant and locally inspired.
Whether it’s for an everyday pick me up, a lovely hostess gift or a wedding, you can count on the florists at Emilia’s to help you make a beautiful statement in a poem of flowers. I completely recommend them for lovers of floral niceties of all kinds!

I bought a bouquet from Emilia last weekend. They definitely have beautiful flowers — I’ll give them that. I got fuschia dahlias, tube roses and pink hydrangeas. The tube roses lasted forever and smelled amazing, but the dahlias and hydrangeas died the next day. For a $ 50 bouquet, I would like it to last a few days.
The owner was not friendly, and it wasn’t the first time I have experienced a sour mood from her. After I picked out the flowers, she asked me if I wanted her to arrange them. Yes, I want them arranged. Isn’t that what I’m paying $ 50 for? There of plenty of great flowers spots in Berkeley. I don’t think I’ll return to Emilia.

A certain somebody had a really bad day (it involved a dead rat) and so I though I’d get her some flowers. I walk by this stand daily and decided to try them out. This was the first time I had ever purchased flowers in person, so obviously my ignorance was overflowing. I basically only knew I wanted something blue.
The two ladies working were exceptionally nice. They put together a small bouquet for me (yes, featuring blue) that was simple and tasteful and I was pleased. It came out to just under $ 9.
In the end, she loved them and therefore I loved them. Thanks emillion, Emilia.

Beautiful flowers but just a tad pricey. The owner was very friendly (she was helping other customers) and all the customers seem to like her a lot as they were engaging in conversation. However, the girl that helped me was nice but a bit passive aggressive to my limited knowledge of flowers. I was looking at flowers one day and I was told that they accept credit cards, then I made my purchase and was given the smart a** remark that they do have a minimum and I can go to the ATM if I have no money. Maybe I just have to get used to living in Berkeley. Are people usually this arrogant around here?

maryam (the owner) has been running this stand for years now… and she really rocks your socks off, both in her mad floral skills and in her unbeatable wit. she can get you just about anything from the sf flower market, and her creations are always unusual and beautiful, never any baby’s breath! i wouldn’t get flowers anywhere else… especially not from that plastic-​wrapped elephant pharmacy stand down the street… blegh!

I really highly recommend Emilia’s. This stand has the nicest flowers in Berkeley, in my opinion. She’s been wonderful about special ordering flowers for me. If the owner is there (whose name I’ve forgotten– sorry!) she will put together a truly stunning bouquet for you, based on your description. She put a wedding bouquet together for me, on one day’s warning. She’s made me a couple of gorgeous bouquets for men (very elegant, not to frou-​frou or girly). She has a wonderful eye– really an artist!