Collection: Vases

A vase is the one item in our catalogue that isn't a flower or a balloon at all — it's the vessel that makes everything else work, and it's also a gift with its own quiet permanence: long after a bouquet has faded, a well-chosen vase stays on a shelf or a table. Our collection of 8 vase styles is deliberately compact, because a vase doesn't need dozens of variations to cover most needs — it needs the right handful of sizes and materials, chosen well. This guide focuses on how to pick one, whether you're buying it as a stand-alone gift or pairing it with flowers.

Why buy a vase separately at all

There are two common reasons to add a vase to an order rather than relying on the recipient to already own one. The first is practical: not everyone has a vase on hand, particularly if the gift is going to an office, a hotel room, a new home, or someone who simply doesn't keep flowers regularly, and turning up with a bouquet but nowhere to put it undercuts the gesture. The second reason is that a vase extends the life of the gift beyond the flowers themselves. A bouquet from our bouquets collection will fade within a week or two, but a glass or ceramic vase can be reused for years, which makes the combination feel like a more complete, considered gift rather than a single-use one.

Glass versus ceramic: which to choose

The two materials behave quite differently, both visually and practically. Glass vases are transparent, which means the stems themselves become part of the display — useful if you're arranging flowers with attractive stem structure, like tulips or branch-form eucalyptus, but also meaning the water needs to be kept clean and clear, since cloudy water is visible from the outside and looks less appealing than the flowers above it. Glass also tends to read as more modern or minimalist, and suits a wide range of interior styles without competing with the flower colours themselves. Ceramic vases are opaque, which hides the stems and the water level entirely, giving more design freedom in glaze colour, texture, and shape; a ceramic vase can become a decorative object in its own right even once the flowers are gone, which makes it a slightly stronger choice if you want the vase itself to be remembered as part of the gift. Neither material is objectively better — the choice usually comes down to whether you want the vase to disappear behind the flowers (glass) or to stand as a visible design element (ceramic).

Sizing a vase to the bouquet

Getting the proportions right matters more than most people expect: a bouquet stuffed into a vase that's too narrow will look cramped and the stems will bend awkwardly, while a small bouquet dropped into an oversized vase will look sparse and lost. As a general guide, the vase's opening should be roughly one-third the diameter of the fully opened bouquet head, and the vase's height should be around two-thirds of the total stem length once trimmed, so the flowers sit above the rim rather than disappearing into it or towering unsupported above a too-short vessel. For a dozen-stem bouquet, a smaller bud vase or a medium cylinder vase usually works well; for a full 20 to 30-stem mixed bouquet, a wider-mouthed medium-to-large vase gives the stems room to fan out naturally rather than being forced upright in a tight cluster. If you're ordering a vase alongside a specific bouquet from our collection, it's worth checking the stem count listed on that bouquet and sizing the vase up from there rather than guessing.

Common vase shapes, and what each one suits

Beyond glass versus ceramic, the shape of a vase changes how flowers sit and how the finished arrangement looks almost as much as the flowers themselves do. A straight-sided cylinder vase is the most versatile shape in most collections, holding stems upright and evenly spaced, and works equally well for a single-variety bouquet or a fuller mixed arrangement. A trumpet or tulip-shaped vase, narrower at the base and flaring towards the top, naturally fans stems outward as they rise, which gives even a modest stem count a fuller, more generous look than a straight cylinder would. A low, wide bowl vase suits shorter-stemmed flowers or a compact, dome-shaped arrangement, and works particularly well as a dining table centrepiece since it doesn't block sightlines across the table the way a tall vase does. Footed or pedestal vases add height and a more formal, decorative presence, which suits a console table or an entryway where the vase itself is meant to be noticed even without flowers in it. And square or geometric vases give a more contemporary, structured look, generally pairing best with a similarly modern, less loosely gathered bouquet style rather than a soft, garden-style mix.

Choosing a vase as a stand-alone gift

A vase makes sense as a gift on its own for someone setting up a new home, for a housewarming, or simply for someone who appreciates home decor as much as flowers themselves. In this case, think about where it's likely to be displayed and choose accordingly: a low, wide bowl-style vase suits a dining table centrepiece where guests need to see across it, while a tall cylinder or a sculptural ceramic piece works better on a console table, mantel, or shelf where height draws the eye. Pairing a vase with a piece from our plants & home decor collection is a natural extension of this idea if you want to build out a small home-styling gift rather than a single item.

Vases by occasion

Because a vase is a lasting object rather than a perishable gift, it suits occasions where you want the gesture to be remembered beyond the moment it's opened. For a wedding gift, a substantial ceramic or cut-glass vase paired with a rose arrangement from our wedding gift roses collection makes a gift that will realistically still be in use years later. For an anniversary, gifting a vase alongside flowers signals a bit more thought than flowers alone, and works well paired with our anniversary collection. For a newborn gift, a smaller, softer-toned vase paired with a gentle bouquet suits our newborn collection nicely and gives the family something practical to keep using for future bouquets. Vases are generally not the first choice for occasions centred on a single emotional gesture rather than a lasting object — for something like an apology, browsing our I'm sorry collection for the flowers themselves is usually the better starting point, with a vase as an optional add if you want to go further.

Vases as business and corporate gifts

A vase has a particular usefulness in a corporate gifting context that flowers alone don't offer: it's an object that stays on a desk, a reception counter, or a boardroom sideboard well after any single bouquet has faded, quietly keeping the giver's gesture visible for longer. For opening a new office, congratulating a client on a milestone, or marking a long-standing business relationship, a substantial glass or ceramic vase paired with a rotating supply of fresh bouquets is a more durable gesture than a single flower delivery, since the recipient will naturally keep reaching for the same vase each time they buy or receive flowers afterwards. If this is the context you're buying for, it's worth pairing the vase with an arrangement from our congratulations collection or our thank you collection, both of which include styles suited to a formal or workplace setting rather than a personal one.

Caring for a vase, and for the water inside it

A vase itself needs almost no maintenance beyond regular washing, but a few habits keep it looking its best and keep the flowers inside it fresher for longer. Wash a glass vase with warm soapy water and a bottle brush after every use to remove the thin biofilm that builds up along the waterline, since this film is what causes cloudy water and unpleasant odours the next time it's used. For ceramic vases, check whether the glaze is fully sealed before submerging it for long periods, as some decorative ceramic pieces are designed to hold water only briefly rather than for the full life of a bouquet, in which case a plastic liner or an inner glass insert is worth using. When flowers are in the vase, top up or fully replace the water every two to three days, trimming the stems slightly each time, exactly as you would for a bouquet without a vase — the vase itself doesn't reduce the need for that routine, it simply gives the flowers somewhere proper to be while it happens.

Choosing between our vase styles

Across our 8 styles, you'll generally find a mix of clear glass cylinders and bowls, tinted or textured glass options for a more decorative look, and ceramic vases in a range of glazes from matte neutral tones to more colourful finishes. If you're buying for someone whose home style you know well, matching the vase's material and colour to their existing decor will make it feel like a considered gift rather than a generic add-on. If you're less certain, a clear glass cylinder vase is the safest, most universally compatible choice, since it suits nearly any interior and any bouquet without clashing.

Reuse and the longer-term value of a vase

It's worth pointing out plainly what makes a vase a different kind of purchase to almost everything else in a flower order: it doesn't get thrown away when the flowers do. A well-made glass or ceramic vase can be reused for every bouquet that follows it, which means the true value of adding one to an order compounds with every future arrangement placed inside it, whether those future flowers come from us or anywhere else. For a household that receives or buys flowers reasonably often, a single good vase can end up being used dozens of times over several years, which is a meaningfully different value proposition to a gift that's fully consumed within a week or two. This is also why a vase tends to make a stronger impression as a gift than its price alone might suggest — the recipient is reminded of the gesture every time they reach for it, long after the original bouquet is gone.

Delivery and ordering vases alongside flowers

Vases can be added to an order alongside any bouquet or delivered as a stand-alone gift, and like the rest of our catalogue, orders are prepared and checked before dispatch, with a photo sent for approval when paired with a flower arrangement. Order before 9 PM for free same-day delivery within Dubai, or before 12 noon for delivery to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, or any other emirate, where arrangements travel in insulated, temperature-controlled transport. We deliver across all seven emirates, including Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain.

A note on stability and placement

One practical detail that's easy to overlook when choosing a vase online is its base stability once it's filled with water and a full bouquet of stems, which adds meaningful top-heavy weight to a tall, narrow shape. A trumpet or footed vase with a wide, heavy base is far less likely to tip than a similarly tall vase with a narrow foot, which matters if it's being placed somewhere with foot traffic, young children, or pets nearby. If the intended spot is a narrow hallway shelf or a windowsill rather than a stable table, a lower, wider vase shape is the safer practical choice regardless of which material or style you prefer visually.

A quick decision guide

• Pairing with a dozen-stem bouquet: small-to-medium bud vase or narrow cylinder.
• Pairing with a full mixed bouquet: wide-mouthed medium-to-large vase.
• Want the vase to disappear behind the flowers: clear glass.
• Want the vase to be a decor piece in its own right: ceramic, in a colour that matches the recipient's home.
• Gift for a new home or housewarming: vase as a stand-alone gift, or paired with a plant.
• Wedding or milestone gift: a substantial ceramic or glass vase, built to last.