Watanabe Floral, Inc. — Attraction in Honolulu

I was looking for a florist for my wedding reception and realized, I don't know anyone in the floral industry! Naturally, I came up with a Top 3 based on Yelp reviews, a method that's worked so many times before. I added Watanabe as the 4th, because I've always been curious and I drive by on the daily commute. Had I only visited Watanabe, I might have been more impressed.

Watanabe Floral had an okay selection of flowers, but was missing specific items we were looking for (for bouquets, table decorations, and leis). This wouldn't have been an issue, except another one of the florists I visited (and 1/5 the size) had every flower. Watanabe was generally priced higher than the other florists too with similar quality, though I didn't inquire about bulk discounts (if there were any).

The customer service was okay, given that I walked in without an appointment. However, again comparing to other shops, someone was always available regardless of how busy they were - if for even 5 minutes. In all honesty, I never gave Watanabe a shot at leis though, since I already have (what I consider) the best lei shop.

A plus was that they had more parking than any of the other florists, and convenient operating hours. In the end, I decided not to order from Watanabe though, despite the positive reviews. For any other function I might have, but needed to feel I was making the right decision for a once in a lifetime occasion - something other florists were...

I have a lot to say about Watanabe Floral. Having been raised in the islands, I prefer giving leis to bouquets. My mother and mother-in-law still live in the islands. They prefer leis to bouquets as well. That alone pretty much means I need to use Watanabe for birthdays and Mothers Day, but then there is the quality of their leis. They're beautiful, stunning in fact. And Watanabe's delivery is a guarantee... even the delivering gets rough. With the Mothers Day, the governor first approved flower deliveries and then changed his mind. Watanabe informed all customers about the reversal the moment it happened and provided us a website we could contact to complain. (I know I sent a complaint, and I bet a lot of other customers did as well.) The moment the governor changed his mind about changing his mind, Watanabe sent out a letter letting customers know the situation. The flowers were delivered at a good hour on the requested day. Nothing wrong with Watanabe's delivery service. And how was the lei? It was the Kory. The real lei like the one in the pictures. Not a wilted petal to be found! I can't thank or recommend Watanabe...

I couldn't be happier with the flowers and the service from Watanabe Floral.

My wife and I live on the mainland and our friend in Makakilo checks in on my wife's 92 year old father from time to time.

Our friend is such a good person, and I found out on Friday last week her birthday was the very next day (Sat), so it became extremely important to have flowers delivered the very next day.

We send flowers throughout the year, but the online floral services I usually use could not/would not deliver in Hawaii until this week.

Doing a search of local florists, I found Watanabe Floral, Inc. They had great reviews, very kind words from their customers, a very nice selection of arrangements, AND would be able to deliver the very next day.

Our friend was so thankful for the beautiful flowers and sent us a picture. And I must say, the arrangement was beautifully done.

Communication is also excellent. I had to change the card message after the order was made, and in a very short time, Kelci responded by email that the message was updated

6 stars out of 5. I highly recommend...