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Wed Sep 11, 2024
Huzzah! It’s graduation day! A most special day that embarks the next stage of many young adults’ (or even older adults) lives. Going from student to employee is no minor feat, and what better way to celebrate with some stunning celebration flowers.
You’re just in luck - Forest of Flowers happens to be comprised of professional florists ready to offer you the best ideas for graduation floral gifting.
The first thing you have to decide before you purchase flowers as a graduation gift is whether you plan on being there in person or not. This is going to be very important to determine many crucial factors.
If you want to honour your favourite grad in person or from afar, you can either bring the arrangement/bouqouet yourself or plan a drop-off of a floral arrangement or potted plant at their house ahead of time.
However, if you ARE going to be there in person, we suggest you go for something like a bouquet or a smaller arrangement along with a card.
An important note is that if you go the bouquet route, you’ll want to wait until after the ceremony before handing them over as your grad may not have a convenient place to put them. Additionally, giving them flowers right after the ceremony will be perfect for photos.
With so many options to choose from for your recent grad, so we don’t blame you for not knowing exactly what to give them. If you happen to know the person well, though, you can honour them best by gifting them a bouquet of their favourite flowers - or even just a bouquet that features flowers of their favourite colour.
If you don’t know what their favourite flower is and just want them to have a beautiful bouquet to celebrate their big day, we have some suggestions for you!
Some cultures suggest that tulips represent both wealth and love, a perfect sentiment for someone moving on to the next stage of their lives. This is an excellent wish to offer someone as they celebrate their next major milestone. They come in a variety of beautiful colours, too, like pink, yellow, and white - a perfect combination for occasions such as graduation celebrations.
Sunflowers have long been regarded as perfect for photoshoots, with sunflowers being the pinnacle theme of the photos. The sunflower, as the name suggests, is associated with happiness and joy, a beautiful sentiment for wishing a graduate well on their very special day. Many people consider sunflowers to be one of their favourites, especially if they love yellow!
Check out our Sunflower Celebration with Happy Sunflowers.
Ah - roses, a classic that is usually associated with romantic feelings, but in our modern age, they can hold significant meaning for other occasions, too, especially combined with other flowers in a bouquet. It helps that they come in a myriad of colours, such as purple, blue, white, pink, yellow, orange and more, so they’re very customizable!
Want some options for beautiful roses? Check out our Stunning Multi-Coloured Roses.
If you want to send a flower arrangement or potted flower to the special grad in your life, hydrangeas are an excellent option. The blooms are large and come with a few delicate colours, such as white, blue, and even green, making a classic combination. They also live for a long time when they’re potted and cared for properly, so they can be a lasting memory for the grad in your life.
Before sending flowers, it's important to verify if the recipient has any allergies to certain flowers or plants. If they're a recent college graduate and belong to a sorority or fraternity, consider including flowers that symbolize their organization.
Where you may find yourself running into confusion is what to gift for both male and female grads. Girls are a little easier, as flowers are generally seen as a more “feminine” gift, but there’s plenty of options even for the boy grads out there.
So, let’s break it down:
Chocolate Bouquet: If you don’t feel bold enough to offer your boy grad a floral arrangement, you could get them a stunning bundle of alternative blooms - in the form of decadent chocolate. Ferrero Roche, chocolate roses, dipped marshmallows with gourmet toppings are all great stand-ins for traditional flowers. Wrap them up in a black and gold themed bouquet wrapping and bow, maybe add a card (with or without cash) or graduation themed bear and you have an excellent he/him-inspired bouquet.
Blue Blooms: A classic approach to presenting blooms for him is keeping the tradition alive. Blue roses, delphinium, hydrangeas - you name it, you can customize a nice, blue-themed bouquet is an amazing way to customize a bouquet for him. Slap some snacks, concert tickets, or a thoughtful card in there and you have an excellent option for your boy grad.
Colour-Themed Bouquet: Design a bouquet to match a specific colour scheme - ideally, based on your girl grad’s favourite colour. Maybe your girl grad loves the traditionally glitzy theme of pink and gold, or the sultry allure of smokey purples and delicate whites. Whatever her preference is, you can have your local florist create something tailored to your girl grad.
Destination Inspired Bouquet: This isn’t always the case, but often, after finishing a major milestone like graduation, your grad may want to celebrate with a girl’s trip! You may even be paramount in planning said trip, and gifting a tropical-themed or travel inspired bouquet could be great gift for your girl grad. Especially if the trip is a surprise. Add accents like Polaroid pictures and destination-inspired blooms like stargazer lilies for an amazing trip-inspired gift for her.
Of course, maybe your grad isn’t traditional or doesn’t have him/her preferences, which is totally OK. You can do something a little more out of the box and offer some more muted or gender-neutral colour schemes.
Beiges and Neutral Tones: Soft whites, gentle beiges, greenery and muted peach colours are a great gender-non-specific option for your grad who wants something a little bit different. You can add some extra treats in there ranging from macarons or chocolates, or even a gift card just to show a little bit of extra appreciation. Also - a graduation bear is appropriate for anyone of any age, creed, or preference!
Yellow, White, and Green: When gifting flowers for a baby when you’re not sure about the gender, a lot of florists will suggest offering yellow as the foundation of whatever you plan to gift. In the case of grads, yellow mixed with more non-specific colours like white and greens makes something that is both bright without seeming too feminine or masculine either way.
We’ve already mentioned a few additional gift ideas to add into your floral offering, but there’s always a little bit extra you can consider giving the hardworking grad in your life. Here’s some additional suggestions to go along with your floral gift:
Champagne/Sparkling Wine: Only appropriate if your grad is of age, but if they are (and they are responsible, of course), a nice champagne is a lovely gift addition to some beautiful blooms. You can even match the notes of the champagne with the scheme of your flowers - for example, pink Moscato would go great for a grad with a pink themed bouquet. While crisp, golden champagne would go great with the classic theme of black and gold.
Graduation Plushies: Outside of just the graduation bear, you can get commemorative plushies with the date of the graduation and is often customizable. A crocheted plushie of your grad’s favourite animal with a little cap is sure to bring smiles to a very special day.
Customized Mug or Tumbler: Everyone needs a drinking vessel - and luckily, they can be customized just for about anyone. If your grad enjoys a coffee or tasty beverage on the go, this is an excellent accompaniment to your floral offering.
Commemorative Plaque: A paper degree is great, but something more solid could is a great way to capture the memory. Getting a commemorative plaque with the name, date, and degree achieved is something that can sit on your grad’s mantle for years to come!
Handmade Preserved Roses: If you want roses that last a little longer without the need for pressing, you can also offer a bundle of preserved roses that your lucky grad can keep for the long term. Without the need for care, pairing these along with a fresh arrangement ensures that your grad gets to hold onto something special for the future. You can also customize the colour.
Hopefully, this gives you a good idea of how to pick the best flowers and gifts for your prospective grads. If you need something tailored specifically to their unique wants, browse our full graduation selections here.
