What to write on a flower card for each occasion

The card holds up to 250 characters, counting spaces, punctuation and line breaks. That is about 40 words, enough for two or three short sentences and your name. A message with emoji, or in Chinese, Japanese or Korean, fits fewer characters, because those take extra room.

Write your name as the last line of the message. Sign with your first name for family and friends, and with your first and last name for anyone you have not met in person. The name of the partner that delivers the order may appear on the card or packaging, so your signature is what tells the recipient who sent the flowers.

Put a closing that suits the occasion before your name, such as “Love,” “Warmly,” “With sympathy” or “Thank you again.” For a couple or a group, write each name the recipient knows, as in “Love, Maria and Tom,” or one name for all of you, as in “The Alvarez family.”

A subscription such as the Weekly Bouquet prints the same message with every delivery, so write one that reads well each time, such as “I hope these brighten your week. Love, Sam.” For $6, a Keepsake Card add-on also prints a copy of your message on a folded card the recipient can keep.

To change the message, write to us before 2 pm Eastern on the day before delivery. A change is usually possible by then, but it is not guaranteed. Changing or cancelling an order on the delivery page has the details.

Signing etiquette from the Emily Post Institute, reported by USPS

• Happy birthday, Dana. Dinner is on me Saturday.
• Happy birthday, Mom. Thank you for every birthday you made special for us.
• Happy 30th, Marcus. I'm glad I've known you for half of them.
• Happy birthday from all four of us. We'll call you tonight.
• Happy birthday, Grandpa. We can't wait to see you at Thanksgiving.
• Happy anniversary. Ten years in, and I would still choose you.
• Happy anniversary, Jo. I booked our table at Lucia's for Friday at 7.
• Happy 25th anniversary, Mom and Dad. Thank you for showing us how it's done.
• We've been married a year today, and I love you more than I did at the altar.
• Happy anniversary to my favorite person to grow old with.

If the date falls on a Sunday or another day we do not deliver, pick the open day before it and say so on the card, for example “These came a day early because I couldn't wait.”

• I love you. That's the whole message.
• Happy Valentine's Day, Alex. I'd pick you every year.
• You make ordinary Tuesdays my favorite day of the week.
• I'm counting the days until Friday. I love you.
• Every year with you has been better than the one before.
• I saw these and thought of you.
• There's no occasion. I just wanted you to have flowers this week.
• These are for your kitchen table. I hope they make Monday easier.
• I'm proud of how you've handled this year. These are for you.
• It's been too long since we talked. Can I call you on Sunday?

Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday, when there is no delivery. Pick Saturday, February 13, and say on the card that they came a day early.

• Valentine's Day flowers

Keep a sympathy message to a line or two, name the person who died if you knew them, and sign with your first and last name or your family's name. Messages for a friend, a parent's death, a coworker or a funeral service are in the sympathy card guide.

• What to write on a sympathy flower card

• Rest up, Tom. We have the dog covered until you're home.
• Get well soon. The office is too quiet without you.
• Take your time getting better. I'll bring soup on Thursday.
• Here's something cheerful for the windowsill. Get well soon.
• We're thinking of you and hoping each day gets a little easier.
• I hope the surgery went well. Call me when you want company.

Match the message to the situation. A joke can suit a broken ankle when you know the person well, and a serious illness calls for warmth. Leave out advice about treatment, and check that the ward accepts flowers before you send them to a hospital.

• Can you send flowers to a hospital or ICU?

Get well card wording from Hallmark

• Thank you for feeding the cat all week. She liked you better than us.
• Thank you for a lovely dinner on Saturday. The next one is at our place.
• Thank you for helping us move. We couldn't have done it without you.
• Thank you for being there these last few months. I won't forget it.
• Thank you for the mixing bowls. I've already made bread in the big one.
• I'm sorry I missed your recital. It was my mistake, and I'd like to take you to dinner to hear all about it.
• I'm sorry for what I said on Sunday. I was wrong, and I'll call tonight to say so properly.
• I'm sorry I forgot our anniversary. Friday night is booked, and the plans are all mine.
• I'm sorry I was short with you this week. You didn't deserve it, and it won't happen again.
• I'm sorry I let the deadline slip. I've fixed the numbers and sent the corrected report.

Name the gift or favor in the first sentence, then add one line about what it meant to you.

In a 2016 Ohio State University study of 755 people, admitting the fault mattered most in an apology, offering to fix it came second, and asking for forgiveness mattered least. Say what you did wrong and how you will put it right, and save the rest for when you talk.

Apology study from Ohio State University

• Welcome to the world, Nora. Congratulations, Priya and Sam.
• Congratulations on your baby boy. We can't wait to meet him.
• Congratulations to all three of you. We'll bring dinner over next week.
• Welcome home, Leo. You picked a wonderful family.
• Congratulations on your new daughter. Call us when you need a nap and we'll come hold her.
• Congratulations on the new job. They're lucky to have you.
• Congratulations, Dr. Patel. All those late nights paid off.
• Congratulations on the promotion. Drinks are on me Friday.
• Congratulations on your new home. We can't wait to see it.
• Congratulations to you both on your engagement. We're so happy for you.

For an adoption, leave out anything about giving birth or family resemblance. If the baby or a parent is unwell, write with warmth and hope and leave out the specifics.

New baby card wording from Hallmark

• Happy birthday from everyone on the finance team.
• Thank you for covering for me while I was out. I owe you lunch.
• Congratulations on your retirement, Linda. The team won't be the same without you.
• Good luck in the new job, Raj. Thank you for everything you taught us.
• Thank you for your business this year. We look forward to working with you again.
• With sympathy from all of us in accounts. We're thinking of you and your family.

Write what you would be comfortable having the whole team read. For a client, close with “Kind regards” or “Sincerely,” then your first and last name and your company's name. Sign a group card with the team's name. For flowers sent to an office, add the company name and suite to the address at checkout.

Business sign-offs from the Emily Post Institute, reported by USPS