How to Place a Floral Order to Russia: A Florist's Step-by-Step Guide

A floral order is a request to a florist to make up a bouquet or arrangement and deliver it to a named person at a set address and time. To place one well, you need four things ready: the flowers you want, the recipient's name, address and phone number, the delivery time, and the text for the card. With those in hand, ordering a bouquet to someone in Russia from abroad takes about ten minutes.

Most problems with flower orders do not come from the flowers themselves but from missing details: a wrong flat number, a phone that nobody answers, a card message that arrives blank. Below I walk you through the order the way we see it from the florist's side, so you know what to choose, what to write and what to check before you pay.

What a floral order actually includes

When you place a floral order, you are asking for three separate things at once: a composition (the bouquet, box or basket), a delivery (the courier, the route and the time slot) and a message (the card and, if you wish, anonymity). It helps to think about each one separately, because each has its own decisions. A beautiful bouquet delivered while the recipient is at work, with a card that says only "From me", is a weaker gift than a modest bouquet that arrives at the right moment with a few warm lines.

The composition is the part people spend the most time on, and rightly so. Look at the photo, but also read the description: the number of stems, the main flowers, the size and the type of wrapping. A bouquet of 25 roses and a mixed seasonal bouquet of the same height feel very different in the hands. Roses look formal and generous; a mix of spray roses, eustoma, chrysanthemums and greenery looks softer and lasts well. If you are unsure, browse the bouquets catalogue by occasion rather than by flower.

The delivery is where timing matters. With us, express delivery in large cities is possible 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed. You can also ask for an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), pick one of the windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1-30 days ahead. For birthdays and anniversaries, a pre-order is the calmest option: you choose once, and the date is fixed.

The message is the smallest part and the one recipients remember longest. A card with your text is free, so always use it, even if you only write a line.

The details to prepare before you order

Before you open the order form, write down the recipient's full name, the full address and a working phone number. In Russia an address usually means city, street, building number, sometimes a block (korpus) or structure (stroenie), entrance (podezd), floor and flat number. The entrance and the door code, if there is one, save the courier a lot of time in large apartment buildings. If the person lives in a private house in a suburb, add a landmark.

The recipient's phone number is not a formality. Our courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so the number must be one that the person actually answers. If you want the flowers to be a surprise, do not worry: the call is short and simply checks that someone is at home. If you prefer, you can give the number of a family member who will be there and can open the door.

Next, decide when the flowers should arrive. Think about the recipient's day rather than yours: a time zone difference of several hours is common when you order from abroad. Russia itself spans eleven time zones, so a morning slot in your country can be evening in Novosibirsk or Vladivostok. Choose the window by the recipient's local clock, and if you need a precise time for a party or a ceremony, ask for an exact time instead of a window.

Finally, check the delivery cost. City delivery costs 500 RUB. For remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, so you will know it before anything is finalised. All the terms are collected on the delivery and payment page.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Choosing flowers for the occasion

Flower etiquette in Russia has a few rules worth knowing, especially if you are not Russian yourself. Bouquets for living people are given with an odd number of stems: 5, 7, 11, 15 roses, and so on. Even numbers are traditionally reserved for funerals and remembrance. In large bouquets of 25 stems and more the rule relaxes, because nobody counts, but for small bouquets it is noticed. Yellow flowers once carried a meaning of parting; younger people rarely care, but an older relative might, so choose warm pinks, peaches or whites if in doubt.

For a birthday, bright mixed bouquets and roses in any colour work well. For a mother or grandmother, softer tones, peonies in season, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria are a good choice, because they last long and do not need much care. For a romantic occasion, red or deep pink roses remain the clear statement. For a colleague or a teacher, a neat medium bouquet or a box arrangement is polite without being too personal. For an apology, white and pastel flowers say more than a large red bouquet.

Think about practicality too. A tall bouquet of long-stem roses needs a tall vase, and not every flat has one. A box or a basket arrangement stands on its own in floral foam and needs only a little water poured in, which is convenient for older recipients or for an office. If the person has allergies, avoid lilies, which drop pollen, and strongly scented flowers.

Writing the card message

Keep the card short: two to four lines read best. Start with the person's name, say what the occasion is, and end with your name or the way they usually call you. "Mama, happy birthday! I miss you and I am counting the days until summer. Your Lena" says more than a long paragraph. If you write in Russian, double-check the spelling; if you write in English to someone who reads Russian better, keep the sentences simple.

Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. That is useful for secret admirers, but if you want the recipient to know the flowers are from you, sign the card. Many people forget this and the recipient spends the evening guessing. If you prefer to stay anonymous, a hint works nicely: an inside joke or a date only the two of you know.

Avoid putting practical information in the card that you would not want others to read, because cards are often shown to the whole family. And if your message is long, consider sending it separately and keeping the card for one warm line.

Paying and confirming the order

You pay online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. After the order arrives, it is confirmed, and that is the moment from which express timing is counted. If anything in your order needs clarifying, such as an unclear address, a remote district or a flower that is out of season, we contact you before delivery rather than guessing.

If you want to agree details with a person rather than a form, write to a manager on WhatsApp. There you can get help choosing a bouquet, agree the time, the address and the card text, and ask for a photo of the bouquet before it leaves. For orders from abroad the photo is especially reassuring: you see exactly what your recipient will hold.

What happens if nobody is at home? The courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival. If the recipient is not there, we agree a second delivery the same day, or with your consent hand the flowers to a neighbour or a concierge. It is wise to decide in advance which option you prefer and mention it in the order comment.

After delivery: helping the bouquet last

A good floral order does not end at the door. If you are sending flowers to someone who is not used to caring for them, you can add a short tip to your message or simply pass it on afterwards. The basics are simple: trim 1-2 cm off each stem at an angle with a sharp knife, remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, and put the bouquet in a clean vase with cool water.

Change the water every day or two and trim the stems again each time. Keep the vase away from radiators, direct sun and the fruit bowl: ripening fruit releases ethylene, which ages flowers faster. Roses usually stand 5-7 days with this care, chrysanthemums and alstroemeria often two weeks. If a rose head droops early, recut the stem and stand it in deep water for a few hours; it often recovers.

For a box or basket arrangement, do not remove the flowers from the foam. Pour a little water onto the foam every day so it stays damp, but not so much that water collects at the bottom.