International Dating: 6 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Flowers on Valentine’s Day

A bouquet of flowers is one of the most ideal Valentine’s Day gifts for your long-distance partner.

Valentine’s Day, although commercialized in most countries, is one of the most popular holidays around the world today. People are celebrating it by showing their love and affection to their partners. Family, friends, and single individuals are not exempted to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Not to mention international dating couples also take the time just to greet one another on the Internet.

Even with the distance and the limited options to communicate with one another, online dating couples still find ways to please their soulmate despite being on opposite sides of the globe. If you’re currently dating a foreign woman, be it in Eastern Europe, Asia, or South America, one of the most gratifying things you can give is a bouquet or basket of flowers.

Most men, regardless if they’re from the West or East, agree that there’s no better way to convey your feelings and show your affection to your girlfriend or wife than with flowers. However, there’s more to giving flowers than meets the eye. You need to know what flowers to give and what pitfalls you need to avoid.

Avoid mistakes when gifting flowers this love month.

Do you remember the first time you stepped inside a floral shop? Do you remember flopping around constantly here and there, like a fish out of water, trying to figure out the best flower combination for your significant other? What about that time when you stumbled upon an online flower gift store with attractive and affordable bouquets but ended up scrolling ceaselessly unable to decide what to get?

Sometimes, the hassle of choosing a gift can ruin the occasion. So if you want your gift giving to be free and successful, you best try to avoid making it complicated. Here are some of the pitfalls you need to avoid when buying flowers or a bouquet for your foreign woman:

• NOT knowing what the flowers mean to her.

We all know that one of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts to sweep your girlfriend off her feet is a bouquet of flowers. However, not all blooms and blossoms are meant to be given on Valentine’s Day. Every flower has distinct significations, varying from culture and region.

For instance, if you’re dating an Asian woman, giving her a rose signifies passionate love and admiration while giving her a white flower or a chrysanthemum means to honor the dead. Give her a blue, coral, or lavender rose, not just a white one. On the other hand, if you’re dating a Russian woman, giving her a single rose on the first day, week, or month means care and affection. Be careful, though, not to give any kind of yellow flowers as it implies that you’re breaking up with her.

• NOT checking the packaging before giving or sending the flowers.

When you’re dating a foreign woman, giving her the right flowers can make her day.

When it comes to flower gifting, packaging and presentation mean everything. You can choose from a variety of unique arrangements and flower combinations in the store but if the bouquet is packed awkwardly, or cheaply, she might be disappointed with it. Although it’s the thought that counts, a bouquet with cheap packaging might show that you’ve completely disregarded its value.

If you’re dating online and you can’t give her the flowers personally, make sure to ask for a photo of the final output from the shop. Or, simply look for a florist who can professionally arrange a bouquet of flowers. First impressions last, especially for flowers because they should be arranged and presented as intended.

• NOT sending her the flowers on time for Valentine’s Day

It’s really tough not to be with your foreign date this Valentine’s Day, but it’s tougher if you receive a message saying that the flowers you’ve ordered are delayed and will be sent to its recipient the next day. It’s a turn-off and it’s a mistake you don’t want to make this year. She might think that you’ve probably completely forgotten about her on the most romantic day of the year and you put little to no value on the bouquet.

There are times the flower shop is at fault, considering the volume of orders they get on the month of love, while sometimes it’s all your fault, ordering a day or two before Valentine’s. Luckily, this mistake is avoidable by ordering weeks prior to Valentine’s Day, where stock is still abundant and the florist can arrange and prepare your order properly, too!

You must also consider delivery constraints such as bad weather conditions and traffic jams in the area. Hence, it’s important to know if her area is prone to storms or vehicle congestion so you can adjust the delivery time.

• NOT giving a different flower set or combination every year.

It feels good that she liked, err, loved the bouquet you delivered to her doorstep last Valentine’s, but will you send her the same one again this year? Probably not a good idea, right? Why not choose a different blossom as a Valentine’s Day gift for her like a lilac that she can display on her office table, a mimosa as a bright centerpiece for her dining table, or jasmine to scent her bedroom.

• NOT confirming the name and address of the recipient on the tag.

You’re excited that you’ve finally found the right flower combination that will brighten her Valentine’s morning. You’ve even made sure that the aforementioned above are avoided. Yet, somehow, you forgot to check the name on the tag: it’s for a different person but the address is correct or it’s the other way around. Now you’re in real trouble.

Sometimes, flower stores can mess up, especially when their shop is swarmed by customers and deliveries. While it’s not really your fault, this mistake can be avoided by communicating or calling the shop before they deliver the flower. Let them check the spelling and details to ensure everything is fine and good to go.

• NOT checking the condition of each flower.

If you're dating an Asian woman, give her a red rose on Valentine’s Day

It’s a romance killer if some of the flowers are withering or dying. Be careful of flower shops that tend to mix fresh and dead flowers just to gain profit. While it’s difficult to spot the withered ones while ordering online, you’ll just have to ensure that you’re buying it from a legit and trusted store.

There are plenty of these scams, especially during Valentine’s Day. Never mind the amount that you’re going to pay when ordering from a trusted florist, what matters most is that you’ll convey your message and feelings concretely to your soon-to-be bride. You don’t want your girlfriend to wake up the day after Valentine’s Day watching the wilted flowers in the vase.

Flowers say it best on Valentine’s Day!