What Flowers Symbolise Congratulations?

What Flowers Symbolise Congratulations?

Let's explore some of the most popular flowers and flower colours when it comes to saying "Congratulations!"

We humans are very good at coming up with reasons to celebrate the successes of our friends and family. From small achievements to major life milestones, there’s definitely no shortage of occasions to congratulate those we love.

Flowers are a popular gift of congratulations. This is especially true when we can’t physically be with the person we’re congratulating; for example, if we’re overseas or working on their special day.

With so many beautiful flowers out there, it can be tricky to know which blooms are best for congratulating someone. In this blog post, we’ll talk you through some of the most popular flowers and flower colours for saying congratulations. 

Or, if you’re looking to buy the best congratulations flowers, you can explore our range via the button below.

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When should you send congratulations flowers?

congratulations flowers in a box

There are many occasions that call for congratulations and, in turn, congratulations flowers. Some of the best occasions to send a stunning congratulatory bouquet include:

  • Graduations—Graduating from high school, university or from any kind of study or training program is a major life achievement, and flowers are a perfect gift to congratulate the graduate. Plus, the bouquet will make a lovely accessory as they’re posing for their graduation photos.

  • Engagements—Getting engaged is probably one of the most exciting occasions of all. If your bestie has just been proposed to or even if you find out a colleague has just gotten engaged, you can help them celebrate by sending them congratulations flowers.

  • Pregnancies and births—The joy of bringing new life into the world is second to none. Share in that joy and congratulate the new or soon-to-be parents with a beautiful bunch of flowers.

  • Promotions, getting a new job or landing the dream job—Our careers are a big part of our lives, so it makes sense to celebrate and congratulate someone when something good happens for them in this arena. 

  • Passing exams—Life finds plenty of ways to test us—literally. We think congratulating someone who’s passed an exam or exams of any kind is a lovely gesture. 

  • Moving out or buying a new house—Whether your loved one has moved out of home for the first time or they’ve just purchased their very own property, flowers are the perfect way to congratulate them.

  • Anniversaries—Wedding anniversaries can be difficult to remember (even for the couple whose anniversary it is!), but if you do remember the date your parents, grandparents or close friends were married, why not congratulate them with a bouquet of elegant flowers? You could even gift them a bouquet featuring the traditional flower of a particular anniversary year (for example: carnations for a first anniversary, or daffodils for a 10th anniversary).

  • Recovering from an illness—If someone has endured chronic illness and beaten it, this is absolutely worthy of congratulations. Flowers are the perfect gift for the job.

This is by no means a complete list! We’re sure there are plenty of other occasions where you may wish to send congratulations flowers to someone.

What colour flowers are best for saying congratulations?

orange marigolds in a field

Different flower colours have different meanings, and these can vary depending on the type of flower. When it comes to saying congratulations, our top flower colour picks are:

  • Yellow—Bright and cheerful, yellow flowers are often representative of happiness. They also represent friendship, optimism and loyalty. Yellow flower options include sunflowers, yellow roses and yellow tulips.

  • Orange—Vibrant orange flowers symbolise excitement, joy and enthusiasm. Orange flower options include marigolds, orange roses and zinnias.

  • Pink—There are lots of different shades of pink, from pale pink to coral pink to hot pink. This can change their meaning slightly, but in general, pink flowers are associated with friendship, happiness, non-romantic love, admiration and gratitude. There’s an endless array of pink flower options, including pink tulips, pink roses, peonies and gerberas.

  • Purple—One of the rarer flower colours, purple represents royalty, pride, success, wealth and power. Purple flower options include irises, violets and primroses. 

  • White—White flowers typically represent purity, innocence and sympathy, but they also symbolise honour, respect and admiration. White flowers are a particularly good choice for congratulating someone on an engagement or a pregnancy. White flower options include white roses, orchids and daisies.

What flower symbolises congratulations?

Interestingly, there’s no flower that specifically symbolises congratulations. But there are several different flowers that convey some of the sentiments and emotions associated with saying congratulations, such as love, pride, hope and happiness.

What are the best flowers for saying “Congratulations”?

While we think flowers of any kind make a perfect congratulations gift, we do have a few favourites!

Peonies

hand holding pink peonies

Our favourite springtime blooms! Peonies may have an unfairly short season, but luckily this also happens to fall right around the time of graduation season in Australia.  

Peonies symbolise good luck and prosperity, making them an ideal choice for congratulating someone on their graduation, on starting a new job, or for becoming engaged. They also represent love, honour and happiness.

Roses

yellow roses

Roses are typically thought of as a romantic gift. But with their vast array of colours, roses are the perfect flower gift for so many other occasions besides Valentine’s Day.

Yellow roses symbolise friendship and warmth, orange roses convey enthusiasm and pink roses represent happiness and admiration. A bouquet with roses in any of these colours will be an ideal choice for congratulating someone, no matter the occasion.

White roses are associated with innocence and purity, and are a popular flower choice for engagements, weddings and births. If you’re congratulating a loved one on any of these things, consider a bouquet of white roses.

Sunflowers

sunflowers

So bright, so cheerful. Sunflowers are sunshine and happiness personified, inspiring joy in anyone who sees them. They’re the perfect gift to congratulate someone on pretty much anything, from graduating to passing exams to moving home to beating an illness. 

Sunflowers are also the official flower of a third wedding anniversary. If you’re congratulating someone on reaching this particular milestone, sunflowers are the perfect flower to send!

Lilies

orange lilies

Like roses, lilies come in many different colours, each with different meanings. Any colour lily is a great choice when you're saying congratulations, from pink lilies that symbolise prosperity and love, to orange lilies that symbolise confidence and honour. 

Tulips

dark pink tulips

Yet another bloom that comes in a multitude of colours, tulips are elegant and timeless. An interesting fact about these blooms is that they continue to grow once placed in water, which means the tulips you send your loved one will actually be taller after they receive them. 

Pink tulips are especially good for conveying congratulations, but purple, white, orange and yellow tulips are also great.

Gerberas

yellow gerberas

One of the happiest blooms around, the humble gerbera adds colour and personality to any bouquet it’s featured in. Gerberas come in all your classic colours, and those colours have traditional meanings associated with them: orange for energy and enthusiasm, purple for pride and respect, yellow for happiness and so on.

We love gerberas as a congratulations flower simply because of how cheerful and happy they look. When congratulating someone, you want them to know how happy you are for them, and gerberas are one of the best blooms to convey this!

Irises

irises

These striking purple blooms symbolise hope, courage, wisdom and admiration. They’re the perfect bloom for congratulating someone who’s done something remarkable, such as beating an illness or embarking on a whole new career journey. 

Irises also happen to be the official flower of a 25th wedding anniversary, a huge milestone and definitely one worthy of congratulations.

Chrysanthemums

dark pink chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums belong to the same family as sunflowers and gerberas, and are just as good at inspiring happiness.

Chrysanthemums generally symbolise optimism, joy and longevity. With these meanings in mind, chrysanthemums are a great flower for congratulating a person who’s just graduated, started a new job or been promoted.

In Asia, the chrysanthemum symbolises health, happiness and a long and happy life. This also makes them ideal for gifting to someone who’s just gotten engaged or married!

Daffodils

daffodils in vase

These cheery yellow blooms symbolise rebirth, resilience and new life. Daffodils are therefore the perfect bloom for congratulating someone who’s starting a new chapter in life, or who’s overcome a challenge.

Native Flowers

native flowers

Native flowers are so special and unique, so of course they make a wonderful congratulatory gift. Australian native flowers are also hardy and long-lasting, so your recipient will get plenty of enjoyment out of them. 

While you may not think of sending flowers to congratulate a man, native wildflowers have a neutrality about them that makes them ideal for congratulating men as well as women.

A bouquet of native flowers is ideal for congratulating someone on everything from getting the keys to a new home, to graduating to getting engaged!

Shop the best “Congratulations” bouquets at Floraly

If you’re looking to send congratulations flowers to someone you know and love, you’ve come to the right place. Our range includes lots of beautiful floral arrangements to help you show your happiness and admiration for anyone in your life, no matter the occasion.

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