Graduation Flowers for Bond and Griffith Graduates on the Gold Coast
Mid-year grad season is on us again. Bond runs their ceremonies on June 18 and 19 this year, and Griffith's Gold Coast graduation lands on August 15. We've been putting together graduation bouquets out of our Ashmore studio for years now and we get asked the same questions every season. What flowers? What size? When do I need to order? Can you deliver to the campus, or the hotel, or the restaurant after? Here's everything we'd tell a friend who rang us asking.
What we'd actually pick for a graduation bouquet
Mixed Bouquets do most of the heavy lifting in graduation season and we don't blame anyone for going straight to them. They photograph well in full Queensland sun, they hold up through a long ceremony, and the graduate isn't going to spend the next hour worrying about them looking bad while their nan's taking photos.
Roses are the other obvious choice and we lean into them. A deluxe bunch of mixed garden roses, in something like blush and apricot with a few deeper burgundy stems, photographs beautifully against a black graduation gown. Red roses work too, though we'd usually push for something with a bit more colour variation for a graduation specifically. All-red can read more romantic than celebratory.
Proteas and natives are our personal favourite. They're structural, they're a bit unusual, and they hold up brilliantly in the heat. A king protea sitting in the middle of a native arrangement looks incredible in photos and it's the sort of bouquet a graduate actually remembers. Bonus: it dries beautifully if you want to keep it.
Oriental lilies bring scent and drama. We use them when the brief is "make it impressive." They open up over the next few days and keep going strong long after the ceremony is done.
Peonies and ranunculus, when they're in season, are still the most-requested premium flowers for grads. Soft, lush, beautiful in every photo. June is a touch tricky for peonies but ranunculus is in full swing. August is even better for both.
Go bigger than you think you need
This is the single most common thing we get wrong on customers' behalf, in the sense that people order our Petite size and then are a bit underwhelmed in the photos. Graduation bouquets get carried around in big group shots, against gowns, in outdoor sun, often next to other graduates also holiding bouquets. A bunch that looks generous on the kitchen bench can look modest in a photo with twelve people in it.
Our honest recommendation is Classique as a minimum for a uni graduation. If you want the bouquet to actually be the moment, go Premium or Deluxe. The difference in photos is genuinely noticeable and the cost difference per stem is usually less than people expect.
Colour-wise: bright travels better outdoors than soft. White and ivory bouquets can wash out against a light-coloured gown in full sun. If the graduate's wearing a dark gown (which most are), you've got more flexibility. If you want a safe bet, mixed brights with strong greens is the move.
Bond University grads: June 18 and 19
Bond's mid-year ceremonies are at the Robina campus and the atmosphere on the day is a good one. Lots of families, lots of photos out the front, plenty of bouquets being handed over after each ceremony.
We deliver to Robina, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh Heads, and the rest of the southern Gold Coast suburbs same-day, every day. For Bond grad days specifically, the bouquets we make the most of are the mid-to-large arrangements that hold up well outdoors. Ceremonies run across the day so timing your delivery to land before family arrives at the venue, or to the hotel beforehand, or to a celebration dinner after, all works depending on what you're going for.
One tip from years of doing this: don't leave the order until the morning of. Same-day is available and we do it constantly, but on grad days the more popular sizes and styles do book out, and you'll have a better pick if you get your order in the night before. Order with delivery scheduled for the morning of, and you're set.
Browse our Graduation Flowers collection
Griffith Gold Coast grads: August 15
Griffith's Gold Coast campus is at Southport, about a ten-minute drive from our studio in Ashmore. We deliver to Southport same-day, every day, and we're as local to that campus as a florist gets.
August is one of our favourite months for flowers. The wholesale market starts shifting into early spring stock around then, which means anemones, the first decent ranunculus of the season, and some of the year's best native proteas come through. If you're ordering for Griffith grad day, you're ordering at a good time of year.
Same advice on timing: same-day is fine, but the night before is better. Especially if you've got your eye on something specific.
If you're ordering same-day
A few things to know.
- Same-day cutoff times vary by suburb. You'll see the cutoff at checkout once you put the delivery postcode in.
- We can deliver to homes, hotels, restaurants, and offices. We don't deliver directly into the graduation venue itself (most won't accept deliveries during ceremonies) but we'll get it wherever the family's meeting up.
- Studio Pickup! We're just 5 minutes away from Griffith University and we can have your order ready for a click and collect very quickly!
- Pair with bubbles. A bouquet plus a bottle of Moet or Veuve through our gift add-ons is the easiest upgrade and it's what most people regret not adding once they see the moment.
A few things people ask every grad season
What flowers should I send for a graduation?
We'd start with mixed bouquets, premium garden roses, or natives, depending on the graduate's style. Anything with presence, anything that photographs well, anything that holds up in heat. We're happy to put together something custom if you tell us a bit about the person.
Do you deliver to Bond University or Griffith Gold Coast?
We deliver to Robina (Bond) and Southport (Griffith Gold Coast) same-day. We don't deliver into the ceremonies themselves but we'll get the flowers to wherever the family's meeting before or after.
How early should I order?
The night before is ideal. Same-day works too, before the cutoff. Earlier in the week is better again if you want a specific premium arrangement.
Can I order multiple bouquets at once?
Yes. We do a lot of multi-bouquet orders for graduation season, especially for families with more than one graduate or for parents wanting to give flowers to a graduate and their partner. Just add each to the cart with the relevant delivery address and card message.
What size do you actually recommend?
Classique minimum, Premium or Deluxe if you want it to land properly in photos. Skip the Petite for a graduation.
One last thing
Graduation only happens once and the flowers are in nearly every photo from the day. Worth doing properly. If you want our team to put something together specifically for your graduate, send us an email or give us a ring at the studio. Otherwise our full graduation range is online and ready to go.