Ordering from an online flower delivery service is the next best thing to personally delivering a bouquet to your loved one. But in a worst-case scenario, the blooms you ordered arrive late or wilted. So as Forbes Vetted’s resident gifting expert, I set out to find companies that satisfy their promise of fast, fresh and beautiful bouquets. My favorite pick, The Bouqs Co., features modern, exclusively sustainable arrangements. A great last-minute option, 1-800-Flowers offers a wide range of arrangements for all occasions and budgets, and Amazon’s Benchmark Bouquets provides incredible value (and convenience) for the price.
To compile my list of winners, I researched popular services, browsed reviews and considered my own experiences ordering, receiving and gifting arrangements from online florists; I also asked colleagues to share their personal recommendations. I evaluated each service based on bouquet selection, ease of ordering, packaging, shipping times and flower freshness, and chose winners across 11 categories so you can select the service for your needs. Finally, I highlighted my favorite arrangements from each florist—from fall-themed foliage to Thanksgiving-worthy centerpieces—to help you find the perfect flowers for the season.
Best Flower Delivery Service Overall
A Wide Selection Of Occasion-Specific Bouquets
Price: $49 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: No (extra $16 to $22) | Shipping: $18 (free for subscriptions)
What you’ll love:
- Sustainable sourcing
- Diverse selection of seasonal and holiday arrangements
- Save 20% with code FORBES
Keep in mind:
- Your recipient may have to wait for flower buds to open up
- Discrepancies between bouquet and what’s advertised online, depending on seasonality
The Bouqs Co. is my go-to online florist for thoughtful last-minute gifts: Not only does the brand source its flowers from sustainable farms that take everything from worker conditions to water and soil quality into account, but the arrangements are also, in my experience, downright beautiful. Case in point: I recently sent the Champagne Toast Arrangement to congratulate my friend on her engagement and it arrived in just a few hours, looking like they were just picked.
The Bouqs Co.’s flower delivery service is a great source for other gifts besides just peonies, roses or plantable succulents; it also has a monthly flower subscription service that starts at just $48 per delivery that also make for thoughtful presents. “Bouqs chooses each month’s arrangement based on seasonality, and each month’s bouquet really is something completely unique. My mom keeps telling me this subscription is one of the best gifts she’s ever received,” says one tester. Another reports, “Managing the subscription is easy through the website. When I wanted to shift one of the deliveries, I was able to work with their customer service to modify the date even though it was outside of my standard delivery schedule.”
Editor’s Fall Pick: The Harvest bouquet, which comes with warm orange roses, red hypericum and eye-catching purple kale, makes a great table centerpiece for fall gatherings.
Best Last-Minute Flower Delivery Service
An Endless Array Of Bouquets, Baskets And Add-On Goodies
Price: $30 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: Yes | Shipping: $15 to $22 (free for subscriptions)
What you’ll love:
- Wide variety of affordable arrangements (many qualify for same-day delivery)
- Add-on gift options and bouquets geared toward upcoming occasions like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Keep in mind:
- Discrepancies between bouquet and what’s advertised online, depending on seasonality
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, 1-800-Flowers has dozens of fresh floral arrangements to choose from, from sophisticated bouquets to sweet animal-inspired displays. What’s more, many of these offerings are available for same-day delivery. Beyond flowers, the site features a bunch of inspired gift options like well-stocked baskets, candles, jewelry, spa goods and gourmet treats.
For those interested in sending a recurring gift to their loved ones, 1-800-Flowers also offers 5% off shipping and service fees on gift subscriptions from its family of brands if you sign up for the company’s Celebrations Passport Loyalty Program ($30 per year but only $20 your first year).
Editor’s Fall Pick: An autumnal spin on the company’s best-selling Garden Of Grandeur, the Garden Of Grandeur For Fall is accented with the likes of red and orange roses, orange Gerbera daisies, bronze mum disbuds, purple kale and burgundy hypericum berries.
Best Value Flower Delivery Service
Fresh Blooms That Are Eligible For Prime Shipping
Price: $35.95 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: No | Vase included: Yes | Shipping: Free with Prime
What you’ll love:
- Eligible for Prime shipping
- Easy to add to existing Amazon order
- Reasonably priced
Keep in mind:
- Less variety and creativity of arrangements
- Can’t be personalized
I love that when I’m doing my usual weekly Amazon order, I can easily add on a bouquet of fresh tulips (above) or roses for my kitchen table for under $50. I especially appreciate the fact that Amazon often ships its fresh-cut Benchmark Bouquets in bud stage so that the blooms will open within two to three days of delivery (which helps extend their vase life).
For more stylized arrangements, choose from elegant and minimalist bouquets like white roses and alstroemeria and vibrant mixes of seasonal greenery like daisies and chrysanthemums. Not only are they available for Prime shipping, but in my experience Benchmark Bouquets have always arrived quickly (usually in one to two business days) and open up beautifully once they’re cut and placed in water.
Editor’s Fall Pick: Add some cozy warmth to your recipient’s space with Benchmark Bouquet’s arrangement of 20-stem orange tulips.
Best Local Flower Delivery Service
Renowned Brands That Offer Florist-Delivered Bouquets
Price: $28 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: No | Vase included: Varies | Shipping: $15 and up
What you’ll love:
- Delivered by a Florist section helps with same-day delivery and freshness
- Users report an easy ordering process
Keep in mind:
- Mixed reviews regarding customer service
There’s a reason I trust For You Flowers and its sister company FTD enough to add them to my list. For starters, FTD has been shipping flowers since 1910, cementing its command of the floral delivery industry. More recently, FTD merged with From You Flowers, another renowned floral and gifting company, in 2023—this means that regardless of which of the two websites you shop from (as well as ProFlowers, the third of this trio of brands that was formerly owned by FTD), you’ll have access to both a historically wide local florist network and a more diverse selection of arrangements and bouquets.
Whether you strive to support local businesses or you’re searching for same-day delivery, all three sites have a dedicated florist-delivered section (including From You Flowers and ProFlowers) that routes orders through your neighborhood flower shop; just note that availability depends on the service area. If time is not of the essence, you’ll find plenty more options sitewide on all three retailers that are delivered from farther afield, including bunches of single-species blooms, colorful arrangements and bouquet bundles with food-and-gift pairings.
Editor’s Fall Pick: From You Flowers’ decidedly fall-inspired The Most Appealing Autumn Arrangement is perfect for transitioning your space for the season: It includes orange roses, sunflowers and gold cushion mums, all presented in a keepsake orange vase.
Best Trendy Flower Delivery Service
Artful Arrangements That Elevate Any Space
Price: $60 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: No ($15 to $40) | Shipping: $15 to $30
What you’ll love:
- Creative, fresh arrangements
- Flowers seem to last longer on average than some other options here
Keep in mind:
- Flowers arrive in bud form and take a few days to bloom
Simplicity is always in style, but there’s something to be said about thinking outside the box (or, in this case, the bloom). Case in point: UrbanStems’ cult-favorite artful arrangements. Here, you’ll find flowers available in a wide range of vivid colors and a playful mix of blooms, greenery and garnishes, all of which make for an immediate décor statement. Whether you’re searching for something eye-catching like the aptly named The Firecracker or something soft and romantic like The Sorbet, UrbanStems has it all—including ultra-customizable prepaid subscriptions.
A bonus: In my testing, UrbanStems’ blooms tend to last longer than an average arrangement. When I received The Peony bouquet, it arrived in bud form and continued to bloom for more than a week after transferring it to a vase.
Editor’s Fall Pick: The Pumpkin Spice is UrbanStem’s seasonal spin on a romantic bouquet—the sophisticated arrangement includes roses in various fall hues, veronicas and luscious greenery.
Best Plant Delivery Service
A Vibrant Selection Of House Plants And Succulents
Price: $39 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: No | Subscription options: Yes | Planter included: Yes | Shipping: Free
What you’ll love:
- Securely packaged deliveries
- Impressive selections of potted plants (includes flowering, easy-care, pet-friendly options)
Keep in mind:
- Not the most affordable source of online potted plants
- There have been reports of slight damage with delivery in inclement weather
In my experience, The Sill has one of the best selections of easy-care, pet-friendly house plants and succulents. But the retailer also has stunning potted florals that will outlive a standard bouquet of blooms. Choose from orchids, anthuriums and bromeliads in vibrant shades of pink, red and yellow that will brighten up a room as quickly as a dozen roses.
While I’ve admittedly struggled to keep plants alive in my New York City apartment, I took a chance with The Sill’s philodendron with heart-shaped leaves. Not only did it arrive securely packaged with a sturdy ceramic planter—but it’s also still thriving with minimal maintenance.
Editor’s Fall Pick: I recommend the Philodendron Autumn if you’re looking for a classic plant gift that still celebrates the fall season. New leaves pop up in red or bronze hues, then grow into their final, rich-green form.
Best Unique Flower Delivery Service
Instagram-Worthy Bouquets
Price: $55 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: Varies | Shipping: Around $25 (except for those in Free Ship Shop)
What you’ll love:
- Rustic aesthetic (thanks to upcycled burlap packaging)
- Oversized arrangements are impressively designed, in particular
Keep in mind:
- There are a few reports of shipping delays that resulted in partially wilted flowers
Farmgirl Flowers has cornered the market on full, beautiful bouquets that have a cool farmhouse feel. The retailer’s arrangements are both unique and reasonably priced, with many of its most popular picks selling for under $100. Each bouquet also comes wrapped in upcycled burlap from coffee roasters, making it both shabby chic and sustainable.
I was impressed by the quality of the oversized bouquets I tested, which were beautifully packaged and thoughtfully arranged with seasonal wildflowers and lush foliage. I’ve also ordered the Lindy Hop bouquet for special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and have never been disappointed.
Editor’s Fall Pick: This Market Haul Dahlias bouquet is a great unique alternative to a traditional fall arrangement, with Oregon-grown pom-pom and ball dahlias in “saturated” autumn hues like rust, dark pink, red and burgundy.
Best Flower Gift Bundle Delivery Service
A Thoughtfully Designed Box Of Blooms And More
Price: $40 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Next-day if order placed by 5 p.m. | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: No ($19 to $28) | Shipping: $7 to $30
What you’ll love:
- Blooms are consistently fresh and long-lasting
- Customer service is responsive and helpful
- Packaging is unique and eye-catching
Keep in mind:
- There’s no same-day delivery option
- Limited selection of blooms (since they’re seasonal)
Looking for a gift that goes beyond tired floral arrangements or traditional gift baskets? The viral, Gen Z–approved online service Fresh Sends has plenty of modern, trendy gift bundles to choose from. From the brand’s bestselling The Send bouquet to its The Fresh Set scented skincare bundle, each gift is either hand-designed using the freshest seasonal stems, or developed and handcrafted in-house, in the case of its non-floral products. “The flowers come in excellent condition and stay that way with proper care,” says tester and deputy editor Jane Sung.
What stands out the most with these gift boxes, though, is the packaging: Bouquets are wrapped with trendy, newspaper-style paper, the add-on vases are modern (though they cost extra) and the boxes are colorful and cheeky. All Fresh Sends’ gifts include a free greeting card of your choice with a personalized note, and floral gifts are shipped with FedEx overnight shipping. Bonus: For just $3, you can add a video or voice note, too. And for a truly elevated gift, Fresh Sends offers add-on goodies like perfume, hand cream, tote bags and more.
Editor’s Fall Pick: Gift your loved one a cozy fall date night with the Pasta Night Send, which pairs blooms with farfalle, Graza EVOO and a wooden sauce spoon.
Best Flower Delivery Subscription
A Club For Monthly (Or Weekly) Bouquets
Price: $45 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: No ($10 to $25) | Shipping: Free
What you’ll love:
- Flexible delivery frequency options
- Arrangements are consistently seasonally appropriate and creative
Keep in mind:
- You can purchase standalone bouquets as well
Why settle on one fresh bouquet when you could gift an entire year’s worth to your loved one? That’s the idea behind BloomsyBox’s Flower Subscription Club: Shoppers can choose between monthly, weekly and bi-weekly subscriptions, all of which send out at least 20 stems and as many as 32 per shipment. Of course, if you fall in love with a specific bouquet from the subscription (or prior to signing up for one), you can always opt for seasonal standalone bouquets as well.
I tried a three-month subscription and was consistently surprised by how festive and seasonally appropriate each bouquet was. My favorite selection was a harvest-themed arrangement with sunflowers and multi-colored roses, which livened up my apartment for autumn.
Editor’s Fall Pick: One of my favorite standalone bouquet from BloomsyBox is the chic, bold Boho Fall, part of the company’s collection with the New York Botanical Garden.
Best Rose Delivery Service
Classic Arrangements That You Can Make Your Own
Price: $59 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Yes | Subscription options: Yes | Vase included: No ($15 to $36) | Shipping: $18
What you’ll love:
- Arrangements are tasteful and elegant
- It’s easy to add extra goodies like macarons or candies
- Includes higher-end add-ons
Keep in mind:
- One of the most expensive options on this list (especially because shipping isn’t free)
Ode À La Rose specializes in classic arrangements of roses, tulips and orchids. As stunning as all of the brand’s bouquets are, what’s even better is that you can customize how they’re shipped out. Want a vase? There are nine styles to choose from (for an additional fee). Perhaps you’d like to bundle your bouquet with a Sugarfina Bento Box or a box of assorted macarons? It offers those premium options, too. The point is, I love that Ode À La Rose makes it easy to buy not only beautiful simple arrangements but also small accompanying gifts to further celebrate the occasion.
Editor’s Fall Pick: The Aurora is nothing less than a centerpiece—the warm, lush arrangement features carnations, roses, calla lilies and more in tones of peach, cream and orange.
Best Artificial Flower Delivery Service
A Beautifully Crafted, Long-Lasting Paper Bouquet
Price: $16 and up | Same-day or next-day delivery: Same day (for orders placed before 12 p.m. ET Monday through Friday) | Subscription options: No | Vase included: No | Shipping: Varies (free over $75)
What you’ll love:
- An equally beautiful alternative to fresh blooms
- Ultra-low-maintenance, allergy-friendly and long-lasting
- The Italian crepe paper is FSC-certified and the ink used is nontoxic
Keep in mind:
- Fades slightly in direct sunlight
If you appreciate the beauty a professionally arranged bouquet adds to your living space but not so much how short-lived that beauty is, we recommend Unwilted’s paper arrangements. Its arrangements are made from carefully hand-cut Italian crepe paper, painted and shaped into a bouquet that wouldn’t look out of place in a sophisticated living room.
That said, it adds that elegance to any space it’s in: I’ve had the Peony For Your Thoughts bouquet on the window sill in my NYC apartment for several months now, and it looks just as beautiful as the day I got it—though it did fade a bit from the summer sun. (I don’t mind this, though, as I think it matches the decidedly Brooklyn vibe of my older apartment.)
Beyond their enduring look, Unwilted’s paper bouquets are also a fantastic choice for those who value sustainability: Their paper is FSC-certified and dyed with nontoxic ink. The company also makes it a point to avoid plastic in its production and packaging.
Editor’s Fall Pick: The Berries & Cream Paper Flower Bouquet is a striking vision of contrasts: The ranunculus blooms come in hues of burgundy and ivory, while the light-pink peonies soften the whole arrangement.
From research to testing to gathering firsthand insights from others, here’s how I approached my selection process of the best online flower delivery services:
Watching a gorgeous bouquet wilt is always a bit depressing, but the fleeting nature of its beauty is what makes flower-giving so indulgent and romantic (to put it poetically). “While different types of flowers have different vase lives, certain practices can help all flowers last as long as possible,” says Kaylyn Hewitt, head of floral design at The Bouqs Co. She shares some tricks of the trade below:
- Prep your plants from the get-go. “Give your stems a fresh cut upon arrival to allow flowers to drink up as much water as possible,” Hewitt says.
- Keep a clean vessel. “You’ll want to use a clean vase to avoid any bacteria or fungi from growing, since that can speed up the death of your flowers,” she says.
- Find a sweet spot. “Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight because the sun’s rays can shorten a flower’s vase life,” says Hewitt, adding that harsh rays can cause wilting.
- Practice regular maintenance. “Changing the water every other day is extremely important, as well, to stop the build of harmful bacteria,” says Hewitt, noting that cool water is best. Don’t forget to add flower food when you water, and when your blooms naturally start to wilt, prune dead leaves and petals to keep them looking as fresh as possible.
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