Should You Buy Flowers on a First Date? FTD’s Ultimate Guide

You already have the outfit picked out. You have swept your floors like an FBI agent sweeps for listening devices. Your breath is minty; your hair is coiffed. You are ready to face the person who might change your life. Still, there’s that nagging question in the back of your mind: “Should I buy flowers on a first date?” This question rates high on the ‘toughest questions of all time’ list on par with quandaries like “tucked or untucked” or even the infamous “tossed dressing or on the side?” What message does it send? Is it presumptuous? Is this too formal or not formal enough?”

Lucky for you, the creative team at FTD’s Talking Bouquets have done the research and have the answers. As it turns out, whether you bring flowers or not varies greatly depending on the type of date you’re on. This article will help navigate your way through whatever scenario you are likely to encounter on that first night out with cupid’s potential suiter.

Your Guide to Buying Flowers on a First Date

The Blind Date

Ok, we started with a hard one here. On one hand, you have never met, nor have you ever seen this person. You are going out on a limb that your friend from the marketing department knows your type. You have already put so much at risk in this encounter. Why complicate things with flowers? The awkwardness of a blind date is actually the perfect place to spring for the bouquet. Why? You aren’t just representing you here, you are representing the person who set you up. You were most likely set up by your well meaning mother or your overly enthusiastic (and happily married) college roommate. They know the person who you have been set up with well and they will still know both of you no matter the outcome of the date. An observant person understands that there are three people’s feelings on the line here.

It’s because of this unique circumstance that flowers are an excellent choice. It sends a message of respect to both your date and the anxious soul waiting on all your details from the outing. You can’t go wrong with a long stem rose bouquet even though you may know squat about your dinner companion. You two may have nothing in the world to talk about but at least you bought yourself a conversation starter even if it may be your only lively one of the night.

The "Dating App" Date

You took the time to cultivate the perfect online profile. Your profile picture is the one of you laughing at that party that makes it seem like you were having fun. You mentioned outdoor activities you rarely do but sound good on paper. You even included some clever puns in your bio. Should you include some blooming buds as well? In this case you have the information you need conveniently embedded in your dates profile. If your date is a romantic at heart who loves films by Nicholas Sparks it may benefit you to order a same day delivery like the mixed florist bouquet. You may earn extra points for noticing their propensity for fantastic displays of fancy. However, if your date’s profile lacks humor or whimsy, you may want to steer clear of grand gestures. If anywhere in their bio they repeat phrases like “red flag” or sayings like “that annoys me to no end” you may come off saccharin instead of sweet. Read the tea leaves, but also, if they drink tea, they may enjoy a gift with leaves.

The ‘Friends & Maybe More’ Date

You’ve joked with each other for months. Meme’s have been exchanged, emails forwarded and both of you feel there might be more to your relationship than just witty banter. Sure you two have been in social situations together but never alone together. How do you set the mood for a night that explores romantic possibilities? Flowers on this date can really go the extra mile to signal to your friend that you are here for romance and not just happy hour shrimp shooters. Go for something simple yet delightful like FTD’s signature Your Precious Bouquet. Sean Connery said it best in the film Finding Forrester: “The key to any [person’s] heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.” You two are friends. Tonight however is different. So make it special and spring for the flowers.

The Default Rule

This may seem obvious to some but try to follow your intuition. If you like receiving flowers from people you think highly of, bring flowers. If you hate displays of affection, go without. This is not an oversimplification but rather a metric for your compatibility together. Feeling comfortable and confident is the best way to impress a date, be it the first meeting or the twenty-first.

Your Guide to Buying Flowers on a First Date

Remember a gift is always appreciated by those with grace in their hearts. You can’t go wrong by considering the feelings of others. Whatever you decide, just make sure to relax and have fun. Be yourself! If they love you that night, they may love you forever. If they don’t, at least you took time to smell the roses before you gave them away. At FTD, we offer dozens of charming bouquets for same-day and next-day delivery. So whether that date is tomorrow or this weekend, you can count on us to ship fresh flowers to your door.