Red roses are cliché.

Carnations: pedestrian.

Daisies’ friendly faces look pitifully eager.

Orchids make you work too much for their beauty.

Lilies’ quiet elegance masks a faint bridal whiff.

Tulips: unassuming and perfect.

Later, I offer her the painstakingly-selected bouquet. “No!” she yelps, slamming the door. “I’m allergic to those!”

Nina Sudhakar is a writer, photographer, lawyer and wanderer. She writes about travel and culture on her website.