Giving a Bouquet to a Chief Guest: What to Choose and Say
When giving a bouquet to a chief guest, have the designated presenter step forward after the host’s introduction, offer the flowers with both hands and say a brief welcome or thank-you. Choose a manageable bouquet, keep faces visible for photographs and arrange for someone to take the flowers afterwards so the guest can continue with the programme.
Customers planning a formal welcome often need help with three decisions: the bouquet’s size, its tone and the moment of presentation. At Pyat Tsvetov (5 Flowers), with three flower shops in Saint Petersburg and experience since 2011, we recommend starting with the event schedule and the recipient’s role. A university ceremony, business reception and community celebration need different levels of formality. The flowers should support the welcome and be easy for the guest to handle.
Choose a bouquet that works on stage
For a presentation in front of an audience, a compact or moderately sized bouquet is usually easier to manage than a wide, heavy arrangement. The guest may need to shake hands, hold an award or move towards a microphone immediately afterwards. Ask for a shape that leaves a comfortable grip and does not spread across the recipient’s face. Before choosing from the bouquets catalogue, consider who will carry the flowers and where the guest will put them.
Keep wrapping proportionate to the flowers and avoid loose decorations that could catch on clothing or distract during the handover. Strong fragrance and loose pollen also deserve attention when flowers will be held close to formal clothes or remain in a small room. If you know the recipient has a fragrance sensitivity or flower allergy, let that guide the choice. Where preferences are unknown, favour a restrained arrangement over an elaborate bouquet chosen solely for its size.
Match the flowers to the occasion and recipient
Choose colours that suit the ceremony, the organisation’s visual identity or a known preference of the guest. White and green can give a restrained appearance, while a few stronger colours can make the bouquet more visible against a plain stage background. These are design choices rather than fixed rules about status or gender. Avoid assigning a universal meaning to a colour: associations vary across cultures, and the wording of the welcome often explains the gesture more clearly.
For an event in Russia, an odd number of stems is customary in a small, countable gift bouquet; even numbers are traditionally associated with mourning. In a large mixed arrangement, the overall composition may be more noticeable than the count, but it is sensible to clarify the convention when ordering. Our guide to the number of flowers in a bouquet explains this distinction. Choose the flowers for the person and occasion rather than assuming that every chief guest expects roses.
Bouquets we can deliver
Plan the presentation around the programme
Agree the handover cue with the host before the event begins. A practical sequence is to introduce the chief guest, invite the presenter forward, offer the bouquet and allow a short pause for a photograph before the next item. If the guest is about to speak, arrange for an assistant to receive the flowers before the speech starts. This prevents the recipient from having to find space on a lectern or hold the bouquet throughout an address.
Assign one person to check that the bouquet is ready and another to handle it after the presentation if the programme requires this. Confirm the approach route, steps and position for the photograph during a brief rehearsal. Keep flowers away from doorways, cables and busy backstage surfaces where they could be knocked over. If several guests will receive bouquets, label them discreetly beforehand and agree the order so presenters do not have to make decisions in front of the audience.
Present the bouquet and keep the words brief
Approach at a natural walking pace and stop where the guest can accept the bouquet comfortably. Offer it with both hands, with the flower heads upright and the stems directed towards the recipient’s grip. Pause long enough for them to take its weight before releasing it. A handshake can follow if the guest initiates one or if it has been rehearsed, but avoid trying to exchange flowers and shake hands at the same time.
A suitable line is: “On behalf of everyone at [organisation], please accept these flowers with our warm welcome and thanks for joining us.” For a closing presentation, use: “Thank you for your time and contribution to today’s event; please accept these flowers with our appreciation.” Use the guest’s confirmed name and title if the script calls for them. Keep personal compliments and lengthy biographies out of the handover, and leave a quiet pause for the photograph.
Keep the flowers fresh before and after the ceremony
Arrange a clean vase or suitable water container before the bouquet arrives, especially if there will be a wait before the presentation. Keep the flowers away from radiators, direct sunlight and warm stage lighting while they are waiting. Preserve any water supply attached to the bouquet until it needs to be removed for the handover, following the care directions supplied. Check that the wrapping and stems are dry enough to avoid wetting the guest’s hands or clothing.
After the photographs, return the flowers to water promptly if the guest is staying for the rest of the event. For a conventional cut-stem bouquet, remove leaves that would sit below the waterline and use a clean vase; follow any flower-specific instructions when trimming stems. Change the water regularly and keep the bouquet away from ripening fruit. If the guest is travelling afterwards, ask the organiser to confirm how the flowers will be carried and whether they can be cared for at the destination.
Arrange delivery to an event in Russia
We deliver flowers across Russia, with city delivery costing 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. Express delivery in large cities is available within 1–2 hours after order confirmation. Other options are delivery at an exact time with a tolerance of ±30 minutes, the windows 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 or 18–21, and pre-ordering 1–30 days ahead. For a ceremony, allow time to receive, inspect and place the flowers in water before the guest arrives.
When ordering from abroad, provide the venue address, a reachable recipient contact and clear details about who should receive the bouquet. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so choose someone able to answer during preparations. Delivery is anonymous by default: the courier does not name the sender, while a card with your text is free. Name the presenting organisation on the card if you want its identity to be clear when the flowers arrive.
Online checkout uses CloudPayments; check the payment options displayed there rather than assuming that a particular foreign card will be accepted. See delivery and payment for ordering information, or call 8 (812) 507-67-05 with questions. In Saint Petersburg, delivery operates around the clock. If the recipient is absent, we agree a second delivery the same day or a handover to a neighbour or concierge with the sender’s consent, so arrange a venue contact who can receive the flowers before the presentation.
Frequently asked questions
Who should give the bouquet to the chief guest?
Choose a designated representative, such as the host, organiser or a participant whose role fits the event. Confirm the choice beforehand and rehearse the approach if the ceremony takes place on a stage.
Should the bouquet be presented before or after the speech?
Either can work: present it after the introduction as a welcome, or after the speech as a thank-you. If it comes before the speech, arrange for someone to take the flowers so the guest has their hands free.
Is a large bouquet more appropriate for an important guest?
Importance does not require a very large bouquet. A balanced arrangement that is comfortable to hold usually works better when the guest also needs to greet people, receive an award or pose for photographs.
Can I order the bouquet from abroad for a ceremony in Russia?
Yes, you can order flowers for delivery in Russia and provide a contact who can receive them at the venue. Checkout uses CloudPayments; check the displayed options for your payment method.
What should the accompanying card say?
Use a short welcome or thank-you, followed by the organisation’s name and the event name if helpful. A card with your text is free, and identifying the sender there is useful because delivery is anonymous by default.
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