An Idiot’s Guide to Sending Flowers

Flowers: they’re undeniably romantic, hugely impressive and every girl loves receiving them – but how do you pick out the perfect bouquet? Follow these top tips and you’ll be on the road to flower success in no time!

On a first date

If you want to make a good impression on a first date, then you certainly can’t go wrong with flowers. Men usually shy away from roses first of all; erhaps because they can be expensive and can make quite a grand impression. They’re probably best left to when you’re further into a relationship! However, a single red rose can be super romantic…if you can pull it off without looking too cheesy. If you want to impress with a bit of passion, think about the bouquet colors: hot pinks, reds, oranges and golds are all good and it doesn’t matter too much about the flower type.

Just remember when it comes to first date flowers: don’t go too over the top because it can be a bit much, especially if the date doesn’t end up going that well. And, if it’s a blind date, it’s probably best not to bring any flowers at all. Since you’ve never met, the flowers will be practically meaningless and will come across as contrived.

For your girlfriend

The trick to a super special bouquet for the one you love is putting one together that uses your girlfriend’s favourite flower. If you don’t know what that is, there are a few ways to subtly find out. If you’re organised enough to plan in advance, try taking her to a garden for the day and pay attention to what she likes (and what she doesn’t!). If that’s not an option, try the age-old classic of working the question into conversation – perhaps leave the bouquet for a little while after this if you don’t want to be too obvious!

Another thing you can do is take note of flowers that she buys for herself, or perhaps a bunch you bought her on your first date. These will have the most meaning and will be far less generic than roses. After all, it might turn out that she doesn’t even like roses…so don’t waste your money!

If you can’t seem to be able to decipher her favourite flower, try using her favourite colour instead. Yes, you should know this and shame on you if you don’t! But hey, at least it’s easier to find out.

“I’m sorry” flowers

Flowers are a classic way to say I’m sorry when you’ve done something a little bit silly or unreasonable – but they might not work for major relationship issues! Try yellow roses for something a little bit different from classically cliché red, which might be seen as the easy way out. If you don’t have much money, it’s better to buy one stunning singular flower than a cheap bouquet, which will look exactly like that: cheap. The key point to remember here is that the flowers should be an extra bonus on top of your grovelling apology; don’t expect them to do all of the hard work for you. With a truly heartfelt apology, a little bit of humbleness and a very special bouquet, you might just find yourself forgiven.

When you’re apart

Nothing could be more special when you and your significant other are apart, than a surprise bouquet arriving from you, as if by magic. If you can’t be there yourself, then at least some beautiful flowers can! Sending a stunning bouquet with a personalised note just to show that your lover is on your mind is undeniably romantic and you’ll be sure to gain a million bonus points for the gesture. Perhaps even more special than sending flowers for a birthday or anniversary, is sending flowers just because. If you’re in a long distance relationship or find yourselves in different countries for whatever reason, sending flowers internationally with a company such as FloraQueen will earn you mega relationship points.

Top tips

If you’d like some more help with picking out your bouquet, talk to your local florist! Learn all about what flowers are in season, what’s fresh, what’s new or what’s popular. A monobotanic arrangement is one that contains only one type of flowers, such as a bouquet of tulips or lilies. A monochromatic bouquet is mixed flowers that stick to the same colour range. Besides that, go with your instinct and don’t be afraid to spend more to fail less!