Flowers for a graduation

A graduation bouquet has a requirement no other has: it's going to be in every photo, and someone is going to hold it for hours. That shapes almost every decision.

How to choose it

• Lightweight. A heavy arrangement becomes unbearable after twenty minutes on your feet.
• Tall and compact, not wide: it has to fit in one arm without covering the face or bumping into people.
• Colors that contrast with the gown or dress. A white bouquet against a black gown stands out; a dark one disappears.
• No strong scent. It'll be right next to their face the whole ceremony.
• No loose pollen. If there are lilies, have the anthers removed: they stain clothes and it doesn't come out.

Which flowers

• Sunflowers: cheerful, with presence, and they work for any gender.
• Brightly colored roses: the classic, and they photograph very well.
• Gerberas: pure color and very light.
• Bouquets with prominent greenery (eucalyptus, large leaves) if you want something more understated and less "flowery."
• Alstroemeria and carnations if the ceremony is long: they hold up best over hours out of water.

What to avoid

Red roses on their own (they read as romantic, and this isn't the occasion) and arrangements in a foam base, which weigh three times as much and can't be held.

If you can't go to the ceremony

Send it to their home, the same day but early, before they leave. A bouquet waiting for them when they get back works too. What doesn't work is sending it to the venue: nobody knows who receives it, and it ends up lost among three hundred people.

A format that wins

For a college graduation or a graduate degree, a plant (a bonsai, an orchid, a good succulent) is often valued more than a bouquet: it goes on the first desk at the new job and lasts for years. The bouquet is for the photo; the plant is for afterward.

Availability of each flower changes with the season. If you are looking for a specific flower, ask us before ordering and we will confirm whether we have it.