For thousands of years, in almost every culture, flowers have been a part of all ceremonies, happy or sad. Even today, flowers are an integral part of weddings, birthdays, religious festivals, and funerals. Sending flowers in sorrowful times is a way to express sympathy and condolences.
There are different types of funeral flowers available in the market, and each has specific meanings. While you may have several questions regarding picking the right sympathy flowers for a funeral, we have brought this detailed guide to quickly dissolve all your confusion and help you pick the most appropriate flowers for funeral.
Table of Contents
6 Important Things to Consider When Picking Funeral Flowers
1. Type of Service
Is it a memorial service or a funeral service? Though it may sound just the same, as per funeral experts, both ceremonies require different types of flowers.
If you are wondering what type of flowers for funeral you should choose, we would suggest knowing about the ceremony and then picking flowers. For instance, for a cremation without burial, sending green plants, funeral flowers & flower baskets are apt. For burials, flower arrangements are used with a stand as centerpiece.
Hence, read the card before choosing the flowers and pick an appropriate one. SnapBlooms has a number of unique funeral flowers arrangements available for such ceremonies.
2. Relation to the Decreased
This is one major factor that you need to consider. For a close relation, the best flowers for funeral will be some elaborate centerpiece of considerable size. However, for distant relations, you can choose to go with a simple bouquet of white and other pale-colored flowers.
While choosing funeral flowers, it is also important to find out about the casket. If they are opting for closed casket, then they will probably have casket sprays (a large flower arrangement that covers the top of the casket). While in the case of an open casket, they might prefer smaller flower arrangements. Funeral flowers for caskets can include as many varieties and colors of flowers as the family sees fit. So, if it is upon you to choose the perfect casket spray and other floral arrangements for the service, you can go with a number of flowers including roses, daisies, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and carnations, among others.
3. Personalization
Even when you pick flowers for a funeral service, remember that personalization matters. Consider the nature and the vibe of the ceremony that you’re going to attend.
You may be invited to a traditional ceremony or a more informal service. So, read the invitation card. If it says about celebrating the deceased, avoid taking traditional lilies or roses. Instead, pick the flowers that will suit the personality for the deceased. For instance, while choosing the funeral flowers for a man who was bright, warm, and full of life, go for a radiant arrangement of sunflowers.
4. Religion
Religion is another important factor at play while choosing the best flowers for sympathy for a funeral. There are certain flowers which are acceptable in one religion but not in others. So, before you choose a flower arrangement for a funeral you should consider the religion or the culture. For instance, chrysanthemums generally mean encouragement. It is often sent as a flower to express ‘get well soon’. But in few European countries, chrysanthemums are placed on graves and are considered to be a symbol of death.
While you may be unaware of the symbolic meanings of flowers, make sure you know enough about the culture of the audience where you have been invited for the funeral.
5. Meaning of the Flowers
All flowers are not suitable for funerals; hence, you cannot include them in your floral arrangements if you’re going for a funeral. Before ordering flowers, you should learn about what color flowers for funerals are appropriate and what the flowers stand for. Funeral flowers are sent to express sorrow, grief, condolences, and sympathy. Lilies, irises, orchids, white roses, etc. are suitable in this occasion. When it comes to color, subtle and subdued hues like white, beige, yellow, pink, and lilac are the best.
For instance, if you’re to choose funeral flowers for veterans, go for whites – white lilies, white roses. They express purity, modesty, etc. But you can also add in a few purple ones because purple flowers stand for courage and loyalty, symbolizing the patriotic services of the person. You can also take that extra step and gift the veteran’s family rosaries made from funeral flowers. It turns the flowers into a lasting memory that can be preserved forever.
Also Read: How To Choose and Send Funeral Flowers
6. The Budget
Worried about the cost of funeral flowers? Well, your concerns are justified. Flowers can be obscenely expensive at times. The price of flower bouquets and floral arrangements depends on a number of factors like seasonal availability of flowers, the size and design of the arrangements, and the delivery conditions.
If you’re looking for cost-effective ways and thinking where to buy funeral flowers from, give snapblooms.com a try. We partner with local florists and flower shops to provide you the most pocket-friendly options without compromising with the quality.
Now that you know how to select the right funeral flowers, it is time to pay some thought to the sayings for funeral flowers, more clearly, what to write on the notecard for funeral flowers.
Etiquettes of Sending Sympathy Flowers
While you know what factors to consider before choosing the funeral flower you may be confused about a few other things like what to write on funeral flowers, how to send flowers to a funeral, or even how to order flowers for a funeral.
So, here are few things that you should take care of while giving funeral sympathy flowers.
1. The Flowers
As it has been mentioned above as well, the flowers that you choose are important. Go with flowers that have thoughtful meanings like lilies for purity & innocence, red tulips for love, and beautiful pink carnations for remembrance. Remember choosing pastel and subdued hues for traditional ceremonies and somewhat more bright ones for a memorial service celebrating the life and works of the deceased.
Also Read: How to Send Sympathy Flowers Online?
2. The Note
The card that you send with the flowers is equally important. Sometimes, words do fall short for expressing what you feel so try writing something short and meaningful. For instance, you can write common messages like ‘May you rest in peace’ or ‘In loving memory’. You may also choose something more thoughtful like ‘Gone but never forgotten.’
3. The Arrangement
The arrangement of the flowers is a big factor as well. It is the arrangement that first catches the eye and hence, it should be an appropriate one. You can choose to send a large flower arrangement and or you can go with smaller arrangements that are unique. For instance, while choosing funeral flowers from grandchildren to their grandparents, you can choose wreaths as they mean eternal life. You can also choose centerpieces or casket sprays.
4. The Time
If you’re wondering about the right time to send sympathy flowers for the grieving family then know that there isn’t any. Even after the funeral is over, you can send a flower arrangement with a note conveying your deepest condolences.
However, if you’re confused, ask the local florists. They will know the local traditions, preferences, and colors of flowers that you can send for the funeral service.
How to Preserve Funeral Flowers?
Like many people, if you too are worried about what to do with funeral flowers after funeral, then we have a number of suggestions for you. You can preserve and treasure these flowers for as long as you want, keeping the memories of your loved one sealed in them. Here are a few ideas as to how you will preserve it:
1. Frame the Flowers
Find that favorite quote of yours or may the one that was the deceased’s favorite and place the pressed funeral flowers around it in a beautiful pattern. Frame it and hang it on a wall or gift it to the grieving family.
2. Make a Candle or potpourri
You can mix the funeral flowers with molten wax and make as many candles as you want. You can also add in some aroma and scented candles will be ready. You can gift it to the grieving family, keep few for yourself and also gift to the people who attended the funeral service. Or, you can also make potpourri with the flowers, place them in separate pouches, and use them.
3. Create a Bookmark
Bookmarks are beautiful and useful little things. You can pick some of your favorite flowers from the funeral ceremony and decorate a bookmark. You can add a quote or perhaps a poem to go along with it. Every time you pick a book to read, you can remember your loved one.
4. Create Rosaries
Rosaries are often gifted to grieving families made from funeral flowers. This is a common way of preserving them. Gifting rosaries to the grieving family symbolizes that the deceased will forever be in thoughts.
Also Read: Popular Funeral Flowers for Expressing Condolence
5. Make A Scrapbook
Making a scrapbook can be fun and when you are putting your efforts to preserve the funeral flowers of your loved one, the happiness is going to be different. To decorate scrapbooks, you can use your own imagination. You can use poems, quotes, pictures, and decorate with flowers. Also, you can write about the deceased’s life, their personality, and what they meant to you.
6. Make Ornaments
Ornaments can also be made from funeral flowers, and you can hang them around the house to remember your loved one. You can make resin pendants filled with the funeral flowers or resin lights to permanently preserve a number of flowers, and keep the memory of the deceased alive.
7. Add the Flowers to a Photo Album
One of the common and best ways to preserve funeral flowers is to keep the pressed flowers in a photo album. Choose your favorite ones and decorate the photos of you and your loved one. You can also decorate the cover of the album using different patterns.
While funeral flowers may be a little complicated to choose, you can easily do it now with the help of this guide. Consider the factors before purchasing the flowers and you will be all set to choose the best funeral flower and give it to the grieving family.
