What Does "Recipient" Mean When Sending Flowers?
When you send flowers, the recipient is the person who will physically receive the bouquet: the friend, parent or partner whose door the courier knocks on. You, the person placing and paying for the order, are the sender. On an order form, every field marked "recipient" is about them, not about you: their name, their phone number, their address.
It sounds obvious, yet mixing up the two is one of the most common reasons a delivery goes wrong. People type their own phone number into the recipient box, put their own city in the address, or sign the card with the recipient's name. Below I will walk you through what each recipient field is for, what the courier does with it, and how to fill it in so the flowers reach the right person at the right moment, including when you are ordering from abroad for someone in Russia.
Sender and recipient: two roles on one order
Every flower order has two people in it. The sender chooses the bouquet, writes the card and pays. The recipient gets the flowers. Sometimes they are the same person, for example when you order a bouquet for your own flat or office, but in most gift orders they are different people, often in different countries.
Order forms keep these roles apart because each one is used by a different part of the process. Your details as the sender are for payment, order confirmation and questions about the order. The recipient's details are for the courier only: where to drive, whom to call, whom to hand the flowers to. If you put your details in the recipient section, the courier ends up calling you in another time zone while the bouquet waits in the car.
A simple test before you submit: read the recipient block aloud as if you were the courier. Does it describe the person standing at the door? If yes, you have filled it in correctly.
What the recipient fields are actually used for
Name. The courier uses it to make sure the bouquet goes to the right person, which matters in shared flats, offices, hospitals and hotels. Write the name the person actually answers to. If your mother uses her first name and patronymic at work, a receptionist will find her faster by that than by a nickname.
Phone number. This is the most important field. With us the courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so the number has to belong to the recipient, be switched on and include the country code. A mobile number is better than a landline. I explain this field in detail in Recipient Phone Number Meaning: Why Flower Orders Ask for It.
Address. Give the full address of where the recipient will be at the delivery time, not where they are registered. Add the entrance number, floor, flat, door code and anything the courier would need: "office on the third floor, ask for the reception", "yellow gate, ring twice". In large Russian apartment blocks the entrance number alone can save ten minutes of searching.
Delivery time. The window you choose is about the recipient's day, not yours. Think about when they are at home or at work and awake, especially if you live several hours ahead or behind Moscow.
Bouquets we can deliver
Surprises and anonymity: what the recipient learns about you
Many people search this question because they want to know what the recipient will see. With us delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender. The recipient learns only what you choose to tell them, usually through the card.
The card with your text is free, and it is your voice in the delivery. If you want the recipient to know who sent the flowers, sign it clearly: "With love, Anna and Mark from Berlin" leaves no doubt. If you want a playful mystery, leave it unsigned or give a hint only they would understand. Just remember that a fully anonymous bouquet can worry some people, so for elderly relatives a signed card is the kinder choice.
One practical point about surprises: the courier still has to call the recipient before arriving. That call is short and does not reveal the sender, but the recipient will know a delivery is coming. If the surprise matters a lot, it helps to ask someone close to them, a partner or a colleague, to make sure they are in. More ideas are in How to Send Flowers as a Surprise Without Revealing the Sender.
When the recipient is not at home
Because the recipient is a real person with their own plans, sometimes they are out when the courier arrives. In that case we do not leave flowers on a doorstep. Either we agree a second delivery the same day, or, with the sender's consent, we hand the bouquet to a neighbour or a concierge.
This is where the sender and recipient roles meet again: the decision about a neighbour is yours as the sender, because you know whether the recipient would be happy with that. If you already know the person is often out, say so when you order and name a trusted neighbour or the building's concierge in advance.
From a florist's point of view, a short wait does not harm a well-made bouquet. Flowers that sit in their water pack or aqua box for an hour or two at room temperature are perfectly fine. What harms them is cold stairwells in winter and sunny windowsills in summer, which is another reason we prefer handing them to a person rather than leaving them.
Filling in recipient details from abroad
If you live outside Russia and send flowers to family or friends there, a few habits help. Write the recipient's phone number in international format, starting with +7. Write the address the way it would appear on an envelope in Russia: city, street, building, entrance, flat. You can type it in Latin letters if that is easier for you, and if you are unsure about spelling, our manager can check it with you.
Choose the time with the recipient's time zone in mind. Russia covers many zones, and a bouquet booked for "morning" by your clock may arrive late at night by theirs. In large cities we deliver express in 1-2 hours after the order is confirmed, at an exact time (+/-30 minutes), in windows 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-ordered 1-30 days ahead. For birthdays and anniversaries, a pre-order with a time window is the most relaxed option.
City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. You pay online on the site by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay. All the details are on the Delivery and payment page.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Your own number in the recipient field. The courier calls you instead of the person at the door. Always double-check this field; it is the one that decides whether the delivery goes smoothly.
An address without an entrance or flat number. In a building with eight entrances the courier will need to call, and if the recipient does not pick up, time is lost. Add every detail you know, even if it seems excessive.
The wrong name on the card. The card goes to the recipient, so it should be addressed to them and signed by you. "Dear Grandma, happy birthday! Love, Sasha" works; a card that just repeats the recipient's name does not.
If you want to be sure everything is right, message our manager on WhatsApp. They can help you choose a bouquet, agree the time, address and card text, and send you a photo of the bouquet before delivery, so you see exactly what your recipient will get. You can start by browsing the Bouquets catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Is the recipient the person who pays for the flowers?
No. The person who pays is the sender. The recipient is the person who receives the bouquet, and their details are used only by the courier for delivery.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Not unless you tell them. Our delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender, so the recipient learns who you are only from the card you write.
Why does the order need the recipient's phone number?
The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival to make sure they are in. Without a working number the delivery can be delayed, so give the recipient's mobile with the country code.
What happens if the recipient is not home?
We agree a second delivery the same day, or hand the bouquet to a neighbour or concierge if you, the sender, agree. We do not leave flowers unattended.
Can I be both the sender and the recipient?
Yes. If you order flowers for yourself, simply put your own details in both sections. The important thing is that the recipient block describes whoever will be at the address at delivery time.
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