A Bouquet with a Thousand Meanings: More Than Just a Gift

JurnalPost.com - When graduation season arrives, one scene is almost always visible around campus buildings. Graduates wear their robes, take photos with family and friends, and hold bouquets given by their loved ones. There are bouquets of fresh flowers, artificial flowers, pipe cleaner arrangements, satin ribbons, snacks, and even dolls in various shapes and colors.

For some, a bouquet might just be considered a photo prop or a simple gift to celebrate an achievement. However, if looked at more closely, a bouquet actually holds a much broader meaning. Behind the arrangement of flowers and decorations lies a story of how humans show care, appreciate achievements, build social relationships, and maintain closeness with others.

In recent years, the bouquet business has also become increasingly popular, especially among young people. This business is relatively easy to start because it does not always require large capital. The production process is quite flexible and can be done from home.

Social media such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and various digital commerce platforms have become tools for business owners to introduce their products to potential buyers.

Many students have started bouquet businesses from orders placed by friends, family, or those closest to them. Over time, these businesses grow through customer recommendations and social media promotions.

A 2025 publication by the Batang Regency Government also highlighted how bouquet businesses run by young people can be a source of income while contributing to the local community's economy.

This phenomenon shows that a bouquet is not just an item being bought and sold. There are social, cultural, and economic values that grow alongside the increasing public interest in these products.

Bouquets as a Social Language

Have we ever asked ourselves what someone actually gains when they buy a bouquet?

In my opinion, a bouquet is a form of social language. Someone does not always buy a bouquet because the recipient needs flowers or the items inside it. Instead, a bouquet is used as a way to convey feelings that are sometimes difficult to express directly.

A bouquet can represent pride, affection, gratitude, support, and even an apology.

When a friend gives a bouquet to a peer who has just finished their education, the gift is not just an arrangement of flowers. There is a simple message being conveyed: that the friend's struggle and achievement are worthy of appreciation.

In social life, humans do not always judge an item based on its function or practical utility. There is a symbolic meaning that makes an object special.

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, through his book Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, discusses how taste and consumption choices are related to a person's environment and social position.

This line of thought helps us understand that the choice of an item, including a gift, is never detached from the habits, tastes, and social relationships that shape a person's life.

In the context of giving a bouquet, the type of flower, color, size, and even the shape of the arrangement can be part of how someone expresses care for the recipient.

A bouquet given during graduation, for example, becomes a symbol that someone is participating in celebrating another person's success.

This meaning does not appear out of nowhere; it is formed through societal habits that make gift-giving a part of celebrating important moments.

Shifting Tastes Amidst Social Media Influence

The tradition of gift-giving is not actually new to society. Since long ago, giving gifts has been a way to maintain relationships and show appreciation for others.

What has changed is the form of the gift and how society determines its choices.

If bouquets were once synonymous with fresh flower arrangements, the options are now increasingly diverse. There are money bouquets, artificial flowers that do not easily wither, snack bouquets, dolls, and arrangements made using craft materials.

This development cannot be separated from the influence of social media.

When a bouquet model goes viral, many people become interested in buying or making similar products. Business owners also strive to follow trends so that their products remain in demand.

This phenomenon shows that public taste is not only shaped by family, friends, or the immediate environment, but also by the various content consumed through digital media.

Social media accelerates the spread of trends while opening space for new creativity.

For bouquet business owners, this condition presents both opportunities and challenges. They are required to be able to present attractive products without losing the distinctiveness and quality of their craftsmanship.

However, following trends does not always mean ignoring the meaning of a gift. A simple bouquet can still hold great emotional value when given with sincerity.

Trust as Capital in the Bouquet Business

From an economic perspective, the bouquet business has a close relationship with social networks.

Many small businesses start from the trust of those closest to them. Friends or family become the first customers, and their experiences can pave the way for new buyers.

Satisfied customers usually do not mind recommending products to others.

From these simple relationships, a business can grow without having to spend large amounts on promotion.

In the bouquet business, maintaining relationships with customers is just as important as product quality.

Buyers certainly consider the price and appearance of the bouquet. However, friendly service, good communication, punctuality, and a willingness to understand the customer's wishes also influence their decision to return.

I experienced this myself when I first tried running a bouquet business.

At first, my customers came from my circle of friends. Orders then slowly started coming from people I had not previously known.

Of the various orders I have received, there is one experience that is the most memorable.

At that time, a customer ordered a bouquet at their father's request. The father had determined the type of flower, color, and desired arrangement model. All these details were conveyed through his child so that the bouquet could be made according to his expectations.

To me, that order felt different.

Behind the choice of flowers and colors, there was the care of someone who wanted to convey their feelings through a gift. Every detail was thought out not just so the bouquet would look beautiful, but because there was a message to be delivered to the recipient.

That experience made me understand more deeply that the work of arranging bouquets is not just about the skill of assembling flowers.

There is a responsibility to help someone convey affection, care, and appreciation to others.

Since then, I have viewed every order not just as a sales transaction, but as a small part of someone's life story.

Between the Meaning of Giving and Consumptive Behavior

Of course, not everyone has the same view on the trend of giving bouquets.

Some consider this habit a form of consumptive behavior. Bouquets are considered non-essential, while the prices can sometimes be quite expensive, especially for large arrangements or specific designs.

There is also an assumption that some people buy bouquets only because they want to follow trends or look attractive when uploading photos to social media.

In my opinion, that criticism has points worth considering.

Not every expenditure for a gift is necessary, especially if someone forces themselves to buy something beyond their financial means just to meet social demands.

However, viewing bouquets solely as a form of waste is also inaccurate.

Behind a bouquet lies a creative process, manual skills, time, and energy poured in by the arranger.

There are young people who earn an income from this business. There are also craft material suppliers, packaging sellers, and even farmers and flower vendors who can derive economic benefits from bouquet sales activities.

Thus, one simple product can be part of the local economic cycle.

In my opinion, the main issue does not lie in the habit of giving bouquets, but in the reason and the way someone makes a purchase.

Giving a gift should be a form of care, not a burdensome social obligation.

An affordable bouquet does not mean it has less meaning than an expensive arrangement. The value of a gift cannot always be measured by the amount of money spent.

Maintaining the Meaning Behind a Gift

There are several things that can be learned from the phenomenon of the bouquet business and gift-giving culture.

As buyers, we need to understand that gifts do not always have to follow trends. Choosing a bouquet should be adjusted to the purpose of the gift, the recipient's taste, and financial capacity.

A simple bouquet chosen with full attention can still leave a deep impression.

On the other hand, buying products from local businesses can also be a way to support the creativity and economic activities of the surrounding community.

Meanwhile, for young people who are pioneering a bouquet business, maintaining customer trust is very important.

Trust is not built solely through attractive product photos or continuous promotions.

The quality of the arrangement, the accuracy of the order, honesty, service, and the ability to maintain communication are all part of the experience felt by the customer.

Good relationships that are consistently maintained can become social capital whose value is no less significant than financial capital.

In the end, a bouquet teaches us that simple things in daily life can hold such broad social meaning.

Bouquets show how society builds symbols of appreciation, how tastes change with the times, and how trust can help a small business grow.

A gift is not just a transfer of ownership of an item from one person to another.

Within it can be stored stories of affection, struggle, hard work, pride, and the desire to maintain human relationships.

Therefore, before giving a bouquet to someone, perhaps there is one simple question worth reflecting on.

Not how expensive or beautiful the bouquet to be given is, but what meaning do we actually want to convey through that bouquet?