Send Flowers to make a romantic statement to the one you love, to wish someone a happy birthday, to receive good wishes, or to commemorate a person who has died.
But each of these situations has its own label – a set of recommended activities, and you don’t have to make sure your careful present doesn’t accidentally send the wrong message or offend someone’s sensibilities.
There are many things that influence the correct etiquette of flower giving – from location to relationship, to occasion. Here are some tips for a suitable label for a variety of occasions for which you could send flowers.
One of the most popular reasons to send flowers is for sympathy and a funeral to commemorate a lost loved one. However, keep in mind that this can often be very difficult advice for people, so you will want to be extremely careful in your approach to sending flowers and make sure you use a proper label.
In general, the flowers are sent to a funeral home so that they can be displayed for viewing or at a memorial service. Find out what your service plans are before you send them – many people may not want a flower attack at home when they are already overwhelmed.
The funeral home often handles this and ensures that flowers or other gifts are received and displayed.
Keep in mind, however, that many people want donations made on their behalf to a charity instead of flowers – find out if that’s what the family asked for, and respect their wishes.
You may think you are paying attention, but there is nothing ruder than explicitly ignoring the request of the deceased and their family.
In addition, although most Christian denominations display flowers at memorial services, there are a lot of religions (or non-religious families) that do not, so be careful and make sure they do not go against the dictates of their faith.
Finally, pay attention to the flowers you choose – traditionally, flowers sent with sympathy are meant to celebrate the life of the person who passed by, so choose something wonderful and uplifting. White is the most traditional color, and lilies are always an amazing choice. Avoid anything too bad or heartbreaking, such as balloons, stuffed animals, etc.
Of course, a better reason to send flowers is to tell someone you love them, whether it’s a holiday like Valentine’s Day or just because.
Red roses are always a classic when it comes to expressing your romantic feelings, but the best choice is to go with someone’s favorite flowers.
It will show them that you care and that you pay attention to even the smallest details.
If they like flowers that are particularly rare or difficult to obtain, it will be a huge romantic gesture to send this.
If you plan to send flowers as a romantic gesture, it is best to send them to a private location, such as your loved one’s home.
Sending them to a public place, such as an office, can make your partner subject to unwanted gossip and attention.
If your goal is to make a flashy public gesture, make sure it’s something your special someone is okay with.
If you have been married for a long time or your relationship is well known to co-workers, it is a little less problematic, but make sure it is something they would respond to well.
Sending flowers for birthdays or holidays
If you want to send flowers to celebrate someone’s birthday, the birth of a child or any other holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Easter, etc.), there are a lot of things to consider.
First, be careful and aware of the message you want to convey – if it’s a dear friend, but not someone you’re romantically involved with, don’t send red roses or other romantic flowers in the traditional way.
And, as mentioned above, it is better to send them to a private location and not to their place of work.
Whether you are sending flowers for a birthday, a new baby or a more celebrated holiday, it is best to choose something thematically appropriate.
If it’s someone’s birthday, send them a cheerful arrangement of their favorite flowers in their favorite colors – whether it’s a pink tulip spray or a multicolored assortment of gerbera daisies with a balloon. For a new baby, send flowers to celebrate new life.
Depending on the parents and their position on gender norms, send a blue or pink bouquet for their new boy or girl. If you want to make sure you’re not offended, send something in a gender-neutral, green, yellow, or orange palette, etc.
The other holidays are much more specific – choose an arrangement that talks about the holiday.