Valentine's Day is the flower holiday. Ordering a bouquet is now easier than ever, but are you getting what you paid for?

Channel 3's Barbara Gauthier recently tested four online flower services.

She ordered four Valentine-themed bouquets online and sent them to four television stations in Greensboro, Grand Rapids, Washington D.C. and Knoxville.

Her budget was approximately $50 each.

First up, a "Valentine Magic" bouquet from 1-800 Flowers. It looked pretty online.

The cost was $59.99, slightly higher than our budget, but okay.

But what we didn't anticipate was the shipping costs, which brought the total to a whopping $73.98.

The bouquet was pretty, but not worth $73.98, according to Greensboro florist, Tammy Yow who said, "You have about $30 worth of flowers. There were little things that could have been done to make it a little more valuable as far as flowers."

Next up, FTD and their "Lasting Romance" bouquet.

It lists for $49.99 but with service charges came to $63.98. We sent it to a station in Grand Rapids. The bouquet was pretty and the flowers fresh, but on the small size.

"It's a little smaller kind of an arrangement. It looks like we got a bunch of roses, carnations and mixed greens," said WZZM consumer reporter Lambrini Lukidis.

From Teleflora, we ordered the "Pink Blush" bouquet. The online description listed all pink flowers including roses, carnations, alstroemeria and a pink vase. With shipping and tax, it came to $62.94.

The arrangement, which we sent to WUSA-TV in Washington, DC was beautiful, but looked nothing like what we ordered online. No pink vase and mainly white flowers with pink accents.

Finally, from Proflowers, we ordered 2 dozen assorted roses for $39.97. With add-ons including vase, fuel charge, a Monday delivery charge, service fee and tax, that brought the price all the way up to a staggering $75.24.

We sent our bank-breaking bouquet to Knoxville where a local florist gave it a good assessment, "I think for 2 dozen roses $75 is a fair price. I just think they could look better overall than they look. But the price is okay for that amount of roses."

So how can you get your money's worth when sending flowers long distance?

First, try your local florist first. Often times they have a network of trusted florists in other cities. Those referrals are important to florists, so they aim to please. Plus your florist knows what you like. And sometimes, you can avoid those pricey service charges.

If you do go with a service, ask for specifics. What flowers will they use? Will they substitute for availability? What are their charges?

Be clear on what the flowers will be used for. Is it for a centerpiece on a table? This will affect how your arrangement is put together.