How can I arrange flower delivery if the recipient might be out?

If the recipient might be out, choose a delivery time that fits their routine, provide their phone number and agree a fallback with us before delivery. Our courier calls about 15 minutes before arrival; if the recipient is absent, we agree a second delivery that day or a handover to a neighbour or concierge with your consent.

When you are sending flowers to Russia from abroad, the most useful preparation is to separate what you know from what needs checking. You may know the home address but not the recipient’s working hours, or know that a concierge is present without knowing whether they can accept flowers. Tell us those uncertainties so the delivery arrangements reflect the recipient’s actual circumstances.

Choose a time that matches the recipient’s day

Start with the hours when the recipient is most likely to be at the address you provide. Someone working away from home may find an evening window easier, while another person may regularly go out in the evening. If you are unsure, a brief question about their plans can be more useful than guessing from an old routine. You do not need to reveal what you are sending.

We offer delivery in time windows of 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 and 18–21, or at an exact time with a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes. Choose a window the recipient can realistically accommodate. An exact time still needs that allowance, so avoid arranging it immediately before they must leave for a train, an appointment or another fixed commitment.

You can pre-order 1–30 days ahead. Express delivery in large cities takes 1–2 hours after the order is confirmed, but speed only helps when someone can receive the flowers. If you are ordering from another country, state the intended delivery date and time in the recipient’s city explicitly; do not assume that your own time zone makes the date or hour clear.

Provide the details that make a handover possible

Give the recipient’s name, phone number and full delivery address, including the flat or office number where relevant. Add useful access information you already know, such as the entrance or how to find the reception desk. Check the phone number carefully: the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so a missing or incorrect digit can prevent that conversation.

Tell us whether the address is a home, workplace, hotel or another setting, and identify any uncertainty about access. A street address alone does not explain where someone can accept a bouquet inside a large building. Share concrete instructions rather than assumptions, and avoid listing a workplace as the destination unless you know the recipient will be there and can receive a personal delivery.

Use WhatsApp to contact a manager for help choosing a bouquet and agreeing the time, address and card text. You can also arrange a photo of the bouquet before delivery. Keep the agreed details together so an important note about the recipient’s availability is easy to find; our guide to recipient details for delivery can help you prepare.

Bouquets we can deliver

Bouquet of 1 yellow sunflowers

$13

Bouquet of 3 white French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 red French roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Bouquet of 3 pink roses with eucalyptus, 50 cm

$18

Agree a specific fallback before the courier arrives

If you already suspect the recipient may be out, explain which alternative you would prefer. The available arrangements are a second delivery the same day or handing the flowers to a neighbour or concierge with your consent. These need to be agreed for the situation; do not treat a second visit or a particular person’s availability as something that will happen automatically.

For a neighbour or concierge handover, make your consent clear and identify the intended person as precisely as you can. Consider whether the recipient knows and trusts them, and whether collecting the bouquet later will be straightforward. Permission to hand flowers to one named neighbour should not leave anyone guessing about whether you also mean another household in the building.

Avoid an instruction such as “leave them somewhere safe”. A doorstep, corridor or exposed entrance gives no clear answer about who will take responsibility for the bouquet, and unattended drop-off is not one of the arrangements described here. If you have no suitable person in mind, say that you would like to discuss a second delivery that day if the first handover cannot happen.

Keep the surprise considerate and easy to receive

A surprise works best when receiving it does not create a problem for the recipient. You can check whether they will be home without describing the bouquet, or tell them to expect a delivery if their schedule is unpredictable. For someone who rarely answers unfamiliar numbers, a short advance message explaining that a courier may call can make the practical arrangements easier.

Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. That gives you a choice about the message you include, but it does not remove the need to coordinate the handover. A card with your text is free. If you want the recipient to recognise the gift immediately, sign the card with a name or a familiar reference rather than relying on the courier to explain.

Think about the setting as well as the occasion. A public workplace delivery may delight one person and make another uncomfortable; a private home delivery may suit them better if they will be there. Write a card that feels appropriate if a receptionist or concierge briefly handles the flowers, and keep sensitive personal information out of any delivery instructions that others may need to read.

Choose the bouquet with the eventual handover in mind

When browsing the bouquets catalogue, consider where the flowers will go after they are received. Someone collecting them from a concierge may need to carry them upstairs; someone receiving them at work may need to take them home. Tell the manager about those practical details and ask for help choosing, rather than selecting by appearance alone and discovering an awkward carrying problem later.

Choose colours and flowers with the recipient’s preferences in mind. If you know they enjoy pale colours or strongly dislike a particular scent, mention that when discussing the bouquet. You do not need to force a symbolic meaning onto every stem. A clear card message often expresses affection, thanks or congratulations more accurately than expecting the recipient to interpret a traditional flower meaning.

Do not use the bouquet choice as a substitute for arranging a proper handover. Fresh cut flowers benefit from prompt care, and no variety should be treated as a reason to leave a delivery unattended. If a neighbour will receive them, check whether they can pass them on reasonably soon. For a longer absence, discuss the timing before ordering rather than assuming the flowers can simply wait.

Check the order and plan for the flowers’ arrival

Before completing the order, review the city, address, recipient’s phone number, delivery date, chosen time and your fallback instructions. We deliver flowers across Russia. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order. See delivery and payment for the ordering information, and make any location uncertainties clear before confirmation.

Online checkout uses CloudPayments. Check the payment options displayed at checkout, especially when ordering from abroad, because acceptance of every foreign card is not guaranteed. Keep the delivery arrangements separate from assumptions about payment: completing checkout does not tell us that a neighbour has agreed to receive the bouquet or that the recipient’s availability has changed.

Once the flowers reach the recipient, a clean vase and fresh water are a useful first step. Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, trim cut stems with clean tools and keep the bouquet away from direct sun and radiators. If someone else accepts the flowers, a short message telling the recipient who has them helps the bouquet reach its intended place without unnecessary delay.