I wanted to share my personal story of what funeral flowers meant to our family in our time of grief. If you are on this page due to a loss, my sincerest condolences.
My youngest daughter suddenly lost her 33 year old husband. As the loss became a reality and the tears were abundant, I saw her smile when the first floral arrangement arrived at her house. They were pink and peach roses in a beautiful vase, sent by a sweet friend, with a note telling her he was thinking of her.
An abundance of flowers arrived in the next few days. The most beautiful arrangements with a variety of flowers shapes, colors, scents, sweet cards and notes with expressions of sympathy. While they were all beautiful, nothing touched her as much as the first one. They spoke to her, feminine and sweet just like her. They were meant to make her smile in the midst of grief, and they did.
“Take a moment to hear the flowers."
Katy Perry
What will your flowers say?
The right floral arrangement can express your feelings for both the deceased and their grieving survivors. You should choose just the right color and arrangement type to convey your message.
Start by selecting the color of the flowers. If you know the grieving wife or child’s favorite color, or if you know the favorite color or sports team of the deceased, you might want to go with those for a personal touch. If you aren’t sure what colors to include, here are some flower colors suitable for funerals or wakes, and what they mean.
- Blue- Serenity, peace
- Red- Desire, strength, and love
- White- Reverence
- Lavender- Feminine refinement and grace
When choosing a floral arrangement, think about what you want the flowers to do. Do you want to make someone grieving smile? Do you want to show everyone how much you respected the deceased? Do you want your flowers to brighten up a room and encourage funny stories of the deceased?
Here are some options for types of floral arrangements for different situations.
Funeral Baskets
Funeral baskets can be sent directly to the family’s home, church or funeral home. Funeral baskets are the practical choice, as they are the most easily transported. These floral arrangements are also the most easily freeze dried for preservation, and they don’t take up a lot of space. You can customize the basket with the right flowers and colors to convey your message.
Standing Sprays
Standing sprays are typically displayed near the casket. These floral arrangements are difficult to transport after the service without damaging the flowers. Standing sprays are great for sending a message of respect for the deceased, as they will be prominently displayed near the casket.
Wreaths, Crosses, and Hearts
Wreaths, Crosses and Hearts are large floral arrangements displayed near the casket. These arrangements could be displayed next to the casket, or on the casket. These are a bit easier to transport from church to graveside, and they are easily preserved as is. Wreaths can show your depth of feeling, crosses can show your faith in heaven, and the hearts can show that you truly care for everyone involved.
Check with your florist or email me for additional options.
Your thoughtfulness and careful consideration of the floral arrangements you send will be greatly appreciated by the recipient. Spouses and children left behind will want to cherish the memories they have of their lost loved one and the day they spent honoring them. No matter what your flowers say to the bereaved, they are sure to be valued.
What will your flowers say after the funeral?
For some funerals or celebrations of life there may be a dozen or more floral arrangements sent to the home of the grieving survivors, the church, the funeral home, and the cemetery. When this happens, it is impossible to save or preserve all of the flowers for one person. But the family that received the floral arrangements can opt to share them with other grieving people who might want to preserve the flowers for themselves as well.
At the funeral the purpose of flowers is to celebrate life. After the funeral the flowers can be preserved as a symbol of continued life and beauty, as well as memories of the day you put them to rest. If the grieving friend or family member cares for you deeply or truly appreciates the message conveyed by your flowers, they may opt to have the floral arrangement or some of the petals as a remembrance of the day.
Preserving Funeral Flower Arrangements
While there are many methods of floral perseveration, I have specialized in pressing, freeze drying and creating stones with flower petals for over 25 years. Your flowers can be displayed for weeks, months, or years to come. There are decorative and whole preservation options. If you want to say something more with your bereavement gift, you can offer to bring us the arrangement for preservation in their preferred method.
Preserved flowers speak of the love expressed by family and friends in a time of grief and continue to keep the special memories alive. When you have lost someone close to you, feeling the love of friends and family is an important part of surviving the grief. Preserved floral arrangements allow bereaved to feel this love indefinitely.
Take a moment to hear the flowers. What do they say to you? Is it a message you want to remember, or that you want someone else to remember for the difficult times ahead? Walk-in with your floral preservation order today.
