A floral savoir vivre
Floral soir vivre, or the basic principles of giving flowers
There are many occasions to give flowers throughout the year, so it is worth remembering the basic rules for giving flowers. The most important occasions are: Women’s Day, Grandma’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Birthday, Name day, Anniversaries, Wedding, Mother’s Day. We can hand out flowers, also without occasion, causing a smile on the face of a loved one.
Steady or not?
It is assumed that the number of flowers should be odd. Of course, this is not about unfortunate superstitions, but about aesthetic considerations. A bouquet of five flowers looks better than that of four flowers. The exceptions are bouquets, handed out during anniversaries, e.g. by handing out 15 roses on the occasion of the fifteenth wedding anniversary. It is similar with birthday bouquets.
Cut flowers or potted flowers?
There is a fundamental rule to remember: only cut flowers are the most elegant gifts. We can donate potted flowers only if we are sure that the recipient is a flower lover and that the given specimen will surely please her. When you donate potted flowers, you spend time caring for them. Therefore, such a gift must be tailored so as not to create additional obligations for the host. A very suitable gift in this case will be a forest in a jar or a desert composition with succulents, both versions do not require frequent care.
Who, whom, how?
In addition to handing out flowers on well-known occasions, the hostess should also be given the bouquet when she comes to a party or other social event. If a couple goes to dinner with friends, the man always hands the lady of the house flowers. When we add a gift to the bouquet, the flowers are given by the man and the gift by the woman. The exception is when the owner of the house is the birthday party, then the bouquet is handed by a woman. If we attach a bottle of alcohol to the flowers, the man hands the bouquet to the woman and then gives the drink to the host. If a man comes to visit a woman’s house for the first time, it is appropriate to bring flowers for both the girl and her mother. Bouquets should not be identical. Women are usually given flowers. But there are situations in which they can be handed over to a man, for example to a professor after defending his master’s thesis. Very important is, to hand a bouquet with flowers face up, never the other way around. Previously unwinding it from the paper, unless it is part of the composition. We hold the bouquet in our left hand, greet each other, turn it to the right and hand it over. In the opposite situation, when we are gifted, remember to place the flowers in a clearly visible place. In this way, we will show respect and show that we are happy with the gift.
