A birthday bouquet is probably the only gift out there where the effort and thought you put into it is right there for everyone to see the moment the wrapping comes off. The colours, the arrangement; it’s all laid out before you even have a word to say. It’s not about being a flower expert; it’s about noticing the person you’re giving it to.
Most people go about choosing a bouquet all the wrong way around though, starting with the flowers and then trying to make the rest fit. Start with the person you’re giving the birthday bouquet to and it all starts to make a lot more sense.
Why Birthday Flowers Work Differently Than Most Gifts?
A bunch of flowers will take up space in a room. They’ll sit on a desk or a dining table, pretty much marking the occasion for days on end. And they can change the atmosphere in a way a gift card or a subscription box just can’t. What I’m saying is that a birthday bouquet says something special, and says the giver took a little time and effort to get it right.
Melbourne florists have noticed that people are more likely to request custom designs for birthday arrangements than for any other type of occasion, and that’s not just because people want to splurge. It’s because people want birthday gifts to feel less like a transaction and more like someone actually cares. So before you order, you might want to ask yourself more than “what flowers look nice?”How about “what would this person like in their own home?”
Reading the Recipient Before Choosing the Arrangement
Big, bright colours like oranges and deep reds are probably best for someone loud and proud, while pastel shades and white arrangements are more suited to someone looking for a more understated vibe. And then there are the native Aussie flowers with that earthy feel; you know the ones I’d love to see in the home of someone with a bit of a free spirit.
And it’s not just the colours that make an arrangement. How they’re presented matters too. A vase arrangement is a good fit for someone who is pretty settled in their home or office. A hand-tied bouquet is probably a better bet for someone who likes to do their own thing. And a flower box is a great surprise. But a small posy is perfect for that more intimate setting, or when you just don’t want to overwhelm the place.
What Seasonal Availability Does to the Flowers You Receive?
Buying out-of-season for a particular type of flower will mean that the stems have already been shipped a long way and have spent more time in refrigerated storage. This affects the vase life directly. Stems collected and arranged in season will always last longer than those shipped from afar to meet your out-of-season request.
There are several strengths to the different Australian seasons, some of which you might like to know:
- Spring and summer seasons are great for peonies, tropical flowers and native flowers at their peak freshness.
- Winter is a good season for tulips, lilies and roses, which all work well in Melbourne’s colder temperatures.
- Autumn allows for dahlias and native flowers in warmer tones suitable for autumn.
Asking about seasonality when making the purchase will take only a minute but usually gets you a better arrangement than a specific request does.
The Extras That Carry More Weight Than Expected
The extras accompanying a bouquet are often almost as important as the flowers themselves. A hand-written message on a card is far more meaningful than the generic card with the printed message; something unique, specific, only the sender could think of will make it more special and memorable than anything else.
A candle, some chocolates, or a small soft toy are all appropriate extras that add to the bouquet without taking the focus from the flowers. Including a vase to go with it is a great idea for people who don’t have one available. All these extras don’t have to be fancy; what matters is that you show the person that the bouquet was put together with them in mind.
The Detail Most People Leave to Chance
The time of delivery has a bigger impact on the mood created by the gift than most people realise when placing the order. The bouquet for someone’s birthday, arriving in the afternoon the day before, or the morning after, has lost something regardless of how nice the bouquet looks. Scheduling a morning delivery on the birthday itself, and not relying on the courier to arrive in time before dinner, will allow the recipient to spend the entire day with the flowers, instead of a shortened period before it is over.
The thought behind the gift is only as good as its execution.
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