Order Instructions: How to Brief a Florist So the Bouquet Arrives Right
Order instructions are the short notes you add to a flower order so the florist and courier know exactly what to make, who receives it, when, and what to do if something goes wrong. Good instructions cover five things: the recipient (name, phone, full address), the bouquet (style, colours, anything to avoid), the timing, the card text, and a backup plan if nobody answers the door.
Most disappointing deliveries are not caused by bad flowers but by missing information: a phone number with a typo, a gate code nobody mentioned, a card that reveals a surprise too early. Below we go through each part of an order as a florist reads it, with examples you can copy, and explain how this works when you send flowers to Russia from abroad with us.
What a florist actually reads in your order
When an order lands on the workbench, the florist looks at it in a fixed order: which bouquet, for what occasion, delivery date and window, then any special notes. The notes field is where you can change the outcome. A line such as "she dislikes lilies, prefers soft pinks and white" lets the florist adjust a mixed arrangement within its style instead of guessing.
Keep instructions specific and short. "Make it beautiful" tells us nothing, because we already try to do that. "Birthday, 70 years old, loves garden roses, please no strong scent - she has a small flat" is four facts a florist can act on immediately. Write in plain sentences; English is fine, and if you are unsure how to phrase something, you can simply message us.
Separate what is for the florist from what is for the courier. Bouquet wishes go in one place, access details (entrance, floor, intercom code) in another, and the card message in its own field. Mixing them is how a door code ends up printed on a greeting card.
Recipient details: the part that must be perfect
Give the recipient's full name as they would answer the door, a working mobile number, and the complete address: city, street, building, block or korpus if there is one, entrance, floor and flat number. In Russian apartment blocks the entrance number matters as much as the flat number, because a large building can have ten entrances with separate doors.
Our courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so the phone number is not a formality. Double-check the country code and the digits. If the recipient is elderly or rarely answers unknown numbers, add a note such as "call twice, she answers slowly" or give a second number of a family member at the same address.
Think about where the person will actually be. Office deliveries need the company name, floor and a reception note; hospitals and schools often have their own rules about visitors, so it is worth checking with someone on site before you choose the address.
Check the spelling of street names carefully. Many Russian streets have similar names in neighbouring districts, and transliteration varies: Ulitsa Lenina, Lenin Street and ul. Lenina are the same place, but a courier needs to be sure. If you can, copy the address in Russian from a message the recipient sent you, or add a nearby landmark such as a metro station or a shop on the ground floor.
Bouquets we can deliver
Bouquet wishes: how to describe what you want
Start from a bouquet in the bouquets catalogue rather than describing one from scratch. The photo sets the style, size and overall palette; your instructions then fine-tune it. Useful notes are about colour direction ("warmer tones", "no red"), mood ("calm, not too bright"), and allergies or dislikes.
Mention the occasion even if it seems obvious. Flowers for a funeral, an apology, a first date and a grandmother's birthday call for different choices of ribbon, wrapping and card tone. A florist who knows it is a condolence will keep the wrapping restrained; for an anniversary the same flowers might be wrapped more festively.
Say what matters most to you if a substitution is ever needed. Fresh flowers are seasonal, and a specific variety can occasionally be short. A note like "colour is more important than the exact flower" or "must include peonies, adjust the rest" tells the florist which way to lean. If you want to see the result before it leaves, ask on WhatsApp for a photo of the bouquet before delivery.
Timing instructions that couriers can follow
Choose the delivery type first, then add notes. With us you can ask for express delivery in large cities, which arrives 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, pick an exact time (plus or minus 30 minutes), choose a window - 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21 - or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. Each fits a different situation.
For birthdays, a morning window is usually best: the flowers are in water early and stay on the table all day. For office deliveries, avoid the first hour of the working day and lunchtime. For surprises at home, think about when the person is actually in - many people are out during the 12-15 window on weekdays.
Remember the time zone. Russia spans many of them, and "deliver at 10" written from Berlin or Toronto can mean something very different. Write the time in the recipient's local time and say so explicitly: "10:00 Novosibirsk time".
Card text and anonymity
A card with your text is free, so use it. Write the message exactly as it should appear, including the signature. If you write in English but the recipient reads only Russian, consider adding a short line in Russian or asking us to help with wording; a heartfelt sentence the person can understand beats a long one they cannot.
Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. If you want the recipient to know who sent the flowers, sign the card. If you want to stay anonymous, leave the signature out and add a note for the florist so nobody accidentally mentions your name.
Keep sensitive information out of the card. Don't put gate codes, surprise plans or other people's phone numbers into the message field - put those in the delivery notes instead.
Backup plans: what if nobody is home
Add one line telling us what to do if the recipient is out. Our standard approach is to agree a second delivery on the same day, or to leave the flowers with a neighbour or a concierge - but only with your consent. Writing "OK to leave with concierge" or "please don't leave with neighbours, redeliver instead" saves time on the day.
If the delivery is a surprise and the recipient must not be called in advance, say so and give an alternative contact who knows about it. Without that, a courier who cannot reach anyone has very few options. For more examples of courier notes, see our guides on delivery instructions and a delivery instructions example.
Finally, pay online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and keep the confirmation. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order, so it's worth checking that message before the delivery date. Details are on the delivery and payment page.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I write special instructions for the florist?
Use the comment field in the order for bouquet wishes and delivery notes, and the card field only for the message itself. If something doesn't fit, send it to a manager on WhatsApp.
Can I ask for a photo of the bouquet before delivery?
Yes. A manager can send you a photo of the bouquet before it goes out, which is especially useful when you order from abroad.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Not unless you tell them. Delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender, so sign the card if you want to be recognised.
What happens if the recipient is not at home?
We agree a second delivery the same day or hand the flowers to a neighbour or concierge, but only with your consent. Add your preference to the order instructions.
Which time should I write if I live in another country?
Always the recipient's local time, with the city named. Russia has many time zones, so "10:00 Yekaterinburg time" avoids confusion.
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