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Graduation in Abu Dhabi: lavender roses for an early-July finish
Schools on the UAE Ministry of Education calendar start the year at the end of August and finish in early July, so graduation in Abu Dhabi falls in the last weeks before the summer break, each school keeping its own date. One bouquet needs to work for the hall and the photos on stage; another is for home, through the first weeks of the holiday.
A July ceremony: lavender roses held in one arm
On stage a graduate needs one hand free for the diploma or the mortarboard, so the bouquet has to sit easily in the other arm. Both the 11 Lavender Spray Roses bouquet and the peony-shaped lavender roses are compact enough to hold through a handshake and a photo.
Lavender and white sit quietly against a dark gown and do not compete with it.
Early July brings summer afternoons in the city above 40°C, so the bouquet is better handed over inside the hall than held outdoors while everyone waits for photos. In the Emirates a gift is handed over with the right hand.
After the ceremony the summer break begins, and the flowers move to a vase at home. Roses hold their shape for about a week, sometimes closer to ten days, which suits the day itself more than the weeks that follow.
Dianthus and chrysanthemum last two to three weeks, long enough to outlast the first stretch of the break. Chrysanthemum comes paired with lily in the Chrysanthemum and Lily Bouquet.
The 51 Jumilia in Airy Wrapping bouquet carries a bud up to seven centimetres across, white at the base and edged in pink, and holds for up to two weeks with fresh water and a trim. Lily lasts well too, but once it opens the anthers should come off, since the pollen stains fabric, including a pale dress. A house with a cat is the one place to leave lily out of the bouquet altogether.
Lavender spray and peony-shaped roses are in the roses section.
Graduation flower delivery in Abu Dhabi for the evening at home
When the family celebrates at home rather than in a hall, a flower box or a basket such as Airy Tenderness sits straight on the table without a vase, which matters on an evening when nobody has time to arrange stems before guests arrive. In many Emirati homes a gift like this is set aside and opened later, once the giver has already left.
Chocolates and sweets sit comfortably next to the flowers, and chocolates, sweets or a card can be added to the basket with the bouquet. Alcohol is never part of a gift to an Emirati or Muslim family.
Delivery to the centre of Abu Dhabi is free, and most orders go out on the day they are placed, with the exact window shown on the bouquet's own page rather than promised in general. The florist photographs the finished bouquet before the courier leaves, and the timing can be agreed with the school or venue in advance, so the flowers arrive in time for the walk on stage. Full delivery terms are on the delivery page.
