What Should You Actually Bring to Thanksgiving Dinner in Dallas?

John Torre here, lead florist at Flower Boom Dallas. I get asked this question probably 50 times every November. Usually it's someone calling the shop saying "I'm going to my [mother-in-law's / sister's / friend's] house for Thanksgiving and I have no idea what to bring. Can you help?"

So here's what I tell them. And yeah, I'm a florist, so obviously I'm going to suggest flowers - but I'll also tell you about some other stuff that actually works based on what I've seen over the years.

Okay, Real Talk About Flowers as a Hostess Gift

I've been doing this since 2017 when we opened Flower Boom Dallas. I've personally designed and delivered probably three thousand Thanksgiving arrangements over the years.

Here's the honest truth: flowers work really well as a Thanksgiving gift. Not because they're trendy or whatever, but because:

• They last about 10 days if you take care of them, so the hostess is looking at them for over a week thinking "oh that was nice of them"
• She can actually put them on the table for Thanksgiving dinner which makes her look good
• Most people don't buy themselves fancy flowers, so it feels special
• You don't have to worry about her already having 6 bottles of wine or being on a diet or any of that stuff

The main complaint I hear about bringing flowers is "won't she have to stop and put them in water right when guests are arriving?"

We solve this by delivering them already arranged in a vase or box - she literally just sets them down somewhere. That's it. No work required on her end.

What We Actually Charge and Why

I'm just going to be straight with you about pricing because I think it helps you understand what you're getting.

Our most popular Thanksgiving arrangement is $190.

Here's the actual breakdown of where that money goes:

• Flowers wholesale: $62
• Box: $12
• Labor (my design time, about 25 minutes): $38
• Delivery: $15-$55 (included)
• Overhead (rent, utilities, insurance, website, etc): $28
• Our profit: $15-$21

So we're making about 9% profit on that arrangement. We're not getting rich here, but it keeps the business running.

For $190, here's what you actually get:

• Usually 20-24 high-quality roses depending on which variation I'm using
  
• Delivered in a box that's theirs to keep
• Lasts 10-14 days typically if they follow the basic care (change water, trim stems)

We also do a bigger version for $230 which is basically the same design but with about 30 stems instead. More flowers, bigger impact.

And we have rose boxes that start at $180 - those are 50 roses in our white box. The box itself costs me $12 because it's nice quality, not the cheap cardboard ones.

One thing about timing: Our delivery fee is included - if you order ahead of time, including same-day delivery. Last minute delivery after cut-off time is $50 because I have to rearrange my whole route. So if you know you're going somewhere for Thanksgiving, order by November 20th and save yourself $75.

What About Wine or Food Instead?

Here's my completely biased opinion: I think flowers are better than wine.

Wine is fine. People bring wine all the time. But here's what usually happens:

• The hostess already bought wine for dinner
• Or she's serving something specific and your random bottle doesn't match her menu
• Or it just goes in a cabinet and she forgets about it for 6 months

That said, if you want to bring wine AND flowers, nobody's going to complain about that combination.

Food is tricky. Like, don't bring a whole dish unless you cleared it with her first. She has a plan. She's been planning for days. You're messing with her plan if you show up with a random casserole.

The only food that really works is:

• Really good chocolate (not grocery store stuff - like from Dude Sweet Chocolate or something)
• Fancy olive oil from Central Market
• Or pecans from Texas because Thanksgiving and pecans go together, it's a Texas thing

But honestly? Flowers are simpler. You order them, I deliver them, done. No thinking required.

Other Stuff That Actually Works (If You Really Don't Want Flowers)

If you really don't want to do flowers - I mean, call me anyway, but if you really don't want to - here's what I've seen work well over the years:

A nice cutting board - $45-60
The wooden ones. You can find them on Amazon or at HomeGoods. They're useful. The hostess can actually use it for Thanksgiving prep or put cheese and crackers on it later. People keep these for years.

Candles - $30-50
The fall scented ones. Pumpkin spice, cinnamon apple, whatever. People genuinely like these. Get them from Anthropologie or one of those stores at NorthPark Center. Just don't get weird scents - stick to fall/vanilla/cinnamon.

A throw blanket - $40-80
This seems weird but it actually works. After Thanksgiving everyone sits around watching football and someone's always cold. A soft blanket gets used immediately and then for years after.

Monogrammed cocktail napkins - $25-40
If you know the hostess well enough to know her monogram, these are actually great. She'll use them for every party she hosts for the next 10 years.

Don't bring:

• Anything that needs refrigerator space (she doesn't have room, trust me)
• Anything that plugs in (where's she going to put another kitchen appliance?)
• Live plants (they're work to keep alive, flowers are not work)
• Anything fragile or complicated

Dallas-Specific Stuff You Should Know

Okay so I've been doing this in Dallas for 8 years now. Here's some local stuff that might help:

Flowers that actually grow in Texas this time of year:
Nothing. It's too hot in summer and too cold in November. Everything is flown in from California, Ecuador, or Colombia. Anyone telling you they have "local Texas flowers" for Thanksgiving is lying or confused about what local means.

We CAN get local greenery - cedar, magnolia leaves, stuff like that. I use those in arrangements sometimes. But the actual flowers? They're coming from somewhere else. That's just how the flower business works.

Where I deliver:
I cover all of DFW. Dallas, Fort-Worth, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, McKinney, Allen - all that is complimentary delivery if you order ahead.

Timing for Thanksgiving this year:
Thanksgiving is November 28th in 2025. Here's when you should order:

• Order by November 20th: You get your pick of everything, complimentary delivery, no stress
• November 21-25: Still fine but popular stuff starts selling out. Still free delivery though
• November 26-27: Same day delivery after 1pm ($50), I'll have something but it might not be your first choice
• Thanksgiving Day: We're closed, sorry. I'm spending time with my family

Real talk: I sell out of the $230 fall mix arrangement every single year by November 23rd. If you want that specific one, order early. I'm not trying to create fake urgency here, I literally run out of the specific flowers I need for it.

Why Not Just Pick Up Flowers at Kroger?

You can. They're like $20-30. They're fine for what they are.

Here's the difference from what I do:

Grocery store flowers:

• Usually 5-7 days old when you buy them (they've been sitting in a warehouse, then a truck, then the store)
• They're not arranged, just bunched together with a rubber band
• You have to find a vase at home
• They last maybe 4-5 days
• You have to drive there, park, wait in line, etc

My flowers:

• Cut 2 days ago maximum
• Already arranged in a box by me personally
• Delivered right to the door at whatever time you specify
• Last 10-14 days because they're fresher
• You literally do nothing except place the order

Is that worth the extra money? Depends on how much you like the hostess and whether you have time to deal with grocery store flowers.

If it's your mom or mother-in-law, I'd spend the money. If it's your coworker's casual Friendsgiving, grocery store is probably fine.

Just Call Me, Seriously

Look, I get that you're reading this online and that's fine. But honestly, just call the shop. (469) 468-9333

Tell me or whoever answers:

• Where you're going (what part of DFW)
• When Thanksgiving dinner is
• Approximately what you want to spend
• If you know the hostess's style (modern, traditional, colorful, neutral - whatever you can tell me)

I'll figure out the right thing for you. Takes like 3 minutes on the phone. It's easier than trying to figure it out from pictures on a website.

You can also order on our website at flowerboomdallas.com but I find most people have questions and it's just easier to talk it through.

We're open:

• Monday-Friday: 9am-6pm
• Saturday: 10am-4pm
• Sunday: Closed (unless it's the week before Thanksgiving, then I'm open 11am-3pm because I have to be)

What If You Completely Forget?

If you're reading this on November 26th or 27th and you totally forgot to order flowers, call me anyway. I'll probably have something. It might not be the exact arrangement you saw on the website, but I'll have something nice enough for Thanksgiving.

Worst case scenario, I'm completely sold out, and I'll be honest with you and tell you to go to Central Market. Their flower section is actually pretty decent for a grocery store.

One More Thing About Price

I know $190 seems like a lot of money for flowers that are going to die in a week and a half. I get it. My wife says the same thing sometimes.

But think about it this way: you're paying for about 10 days of the hostess thinking "that was so thoughtful" every single time she walks past her dining room table. That's worth something, right?

Also, she probably spent $300+ on groceries for Thanksgiving dinner and like 6 hours cooking. Your $190 flowers are saying "I see what you're doing and I appreciate it."

Is that worth it? I think so. But I'm obviously biased because I make my living selling flowers.

If $190 is too much for your budget, I have smaller arrangements for $170. They're still nice. Still delivered. Still in a heart shaped box. Just fewer flowers. No judgment - work with what makes sense for you.

Final Thing From Me

Order by November 20th if you possibly can. Saves you $20 on delivery and you get exactly what you want instead of whatever I have left.

Call me at (469) 468-9333 if you have questions about anything. I'd rather spend 3 minutes on the phone with you than have you order the wrong thing online.

And yeah, bring flowers to Thanksgiving. I've been doing this long enough to know your hostess will genuinely appreciate it. It's one of those gifts that actually works.

Ready to order?

Order Thanksgiving Flowers

Or call: (469) 468-9333
Free delivery on orders $99+ | Same-day delivery available
Serving Dallas, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, McKinney, Allen, and all of DFW

— John Torre, Lead Florist
Flower Boom Dallas - Veteran-Owned Since 2017