LOVE will be a family affair for a North Yorkshire florist this St Valentine's Day when the owners' husbands and sons dress up in the name of romance.

Business partners Celia Page and Marilyn Baldwin, who own Easingwold florists Flowers By Design, will kit out their nearest and dearest in dashing black tie and tuxedos for their round of St Valentine's deliveries for Saturday.

The pair, who both live in Haxby, were helped to open the shop by the Small Business team at Barclays, York, and they wanted to mark their second St Valentine's Day in business with something customers would remember and what could be sweeter than bouquets and best bib and tucker?

"St Valentine's Day is very special for our customers and we wanted to do something a bit different to add that extra touch of romance," said Celia.

Marilyn added: "People often comment on how nice the shop window displays look, so we needed to go one better and think of an idea that was slightly more unusual.

"We feel our customers buy a little part of the whole shop each time they make a purchase. For St Valentine's Day we will be taking that feeling direct to their door.

"Being a good florists is not just about business skills, it is also about creativity."

So, for the weekend of February 14, husbands Mike and Keith and their sons, both called Andrew, will don their best bib and tucker to help North Yorkshire lovers.

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