Ultimate Guide To Buying Funeral Flowers

Sending flowers for a funeral is the most considerate way to let the bereaved family know that you care, especially when you can’t find the right words. This little gesture can comfort them and help you convey your condolences. But if you’ve never purchased or sent funeral flowers before, this might seem a daunting task. This guide will help you understand everything you should know about buying funeral flowers.

A Brief History of Funeral Flowers

Before we dive into what kind of flowers you should select for the deceased person or their family, it will be helpful to get some context into how and when this trend started. In 1951, Dr. Ralph Solecki first documented the tradition of arranging and placing flowers around the deceased. While on his excavation project in the Shanidar Cave in Northern Iraq. Dr. Solecki discovered several burial sites with uncovered pollen and flower fragments. These remains belonged to multiple plant and wildflower species and were later discovered to have been there since 62,000 B.C. The samples from the soil revealed that these flowers were placed on the burial site, marking them as the first flowers to have been used for a funeral. From a traditional context, flowers were placed with the body of the deceased to cover the unpleasant odors of a decaying body. Different types and species of flowers were used depending upon various factors such as the environment, decaying condition of the body and the burial time and season. Today, flowers in funeral express love, comfort, sympathy and respect. They add warmth and help the grieving family cope with the loss of their loved ones.

Flower Etiquettes You Need to Know

You cannot go wrong with flowers. But with certain mourning occasions like a person’s death or memorial services, this isn’t always true. It’s important to know flower etiquettes to steer away from everything you shouldn’t be doing at such a delicate time.

Consider Your Relationship With The Deceased

Buying flowers for a funeral will depend a lot on your relationship with the deceased. Generally, the closer you are, the bigger your floral arrangement could be. For instance, immediate family members like spouses or siblings can buy casket sprays or wreaths, while extended family members can choose a standing spray or an informal floral arrangement. If you are a close friend or a colleague, you can express sympathy by sending small or medium-sized bouquets for vases or even a bunch of live plants.

Consider The Type of Funeral Service

People send different types of flowers depending upon the kind of service held for the deceased person. For example, if it’s a memorial service, you can send Lilies or Chrysanthemums, and if you’ve missed the funeral service and want to send flowers later to the family, a potted bunch of orchids could be the best choice.

Consider The Faith of The Deceased

Another thing you need to consider is the religious belief of the deceased. One of the most carefully considered floral arrangements would depend on the deceased’s faith, cultural beliefs and religion. For example, funeral flowers are not part of Jewish or Hindu culture. On the other hand, most flower arrangements are welcome in Christian families, but in most Eastern Orthodox families, giving white flowers seems more meaningful.

Consider Personalization

You might want to personalize your floral arrangement not only based on your relationship with the deceased, the type of ceremony and their culture, but also the personality of the deceased. What kind of a person they were? Did they prefer any specific kind of flowers? Were there any specific memories you can recall? Think of different factors that make your gesture more personalized and heartwarming. Another thing to remember is the family’s wishes. Do they prefer you donate to a charity instead of sending them flowers? If that is the case, honor their request and do an act of kindness in lieu of flowers.

Types of Funeral Flowers

As mentioned above, the type of flowers you choose will depend on several factors and the kind of funeral service is one of them.

What Funeral Flowers Should You Choose For The Deceased's Grave?

One approach is to choose the type of flowers that the deceased loved. Maybe they liked Orchids or Lilies. If so, you can personalize and select them for the grave. If not, you can choose from some of the most common flowers representing death. Many flowers represent some aspect of death and symbolize something. Taking the time out to do that research can make your tribute more meaningful. While deciding on flowers for the grave, you’ll also need to think of some practical considerations. Each cemetery has its own policies to guide you on what kind of flowers you can leave on the grave. The weather also plays a significant role in retaining the freshness of the flowers. For example, if it’s summer, then Chrysanthemums, Orchids or Carnations will survive the heat for longer than any other flowers.

What Flowers Should You Choose For Condolences?

What Flowers Should You Choose For Casket Sprays

Flowers for casket sprays are selected by the closest members of the family. While most arrangements are white with flowers in subdued colors, you can always choose a floral arrangement depending upon the deceased’s personality. For example, if the deceased lived their life out loud or had a love for a home-grown garden, then go for a more vibrant arrangement of local flowers like sweet peas. You can also select the flowers according to the season or in the spirit of an upcoming holiday. There are no specific rules around choosing flowers for casket sprays. The floral display usually covers half to three-quarters of the casket. You can cover much of the space with carnations and pair it up with orchids, ranunculus or even roses.

What Flowers Should You Choose For A Memorial Service?

Memorializing the deceased through flowers is uniquely personal. If you’re not confident making that personal choice, or if you didn’t know the deceased well, here are some common memorial flowers you can rely on.

(A) Lilies are always the safe bet for death flowers. They represent peace, purity and spiritual rebirth. Since Lilies can be quite fragrant, ask your florist to help you choose a variety that wouldn’t overwhelm others with a strong smell.

(B) Carnations make beautiful and long-lasting memorial flowers. They are also the most common ones in any funeral flower arrangement. Carnations are available in different colours, and each of them represents some emotion. White, for instance, shows sympathy whereas pink represents sympathy.

(C) Chrysanthemums are yet another common memorial flower. In many cultures, they represent deep sorrow and mourning. Across North America, Chrysanthemums go in bouquets and signify healing and good wishes.

(D) Roses are a very symbolic choice of flower. White roses exhibit peace, innocence and sympathy, while red roses symbolize the more emotional side of death – grief and loss. You can also choose to send yellow roses if the deceased were a close friend.

(E) Potted Flowers are also a great way to convey your condolences. If you like the idea of a gift plant, peace lilies make a great choice. Unlike Lilies, they are not quite fragrantful and are very easy to maintain. Another great option is potted hydrangeas with soft, cheering and long-lasting flowers.

Funeral Flower Arrangements

You can categorize funeral flowers by their function. Look below for some of the most common floral displays.

Casket Sprays – These are double-ended sprays placed on the top of the casket and are usually selected by the deceased’s closest family members.

Sympathy Sprays – There are floral displays placed on a standing easel. You can deliver these directly to the funeral home, mortuary or church.

Garlands and wreaths – Selected flowers are secured together in a circle. Wreaths represent the eternal circle of life.

Funeral baskets – Floral arrangements are often sent in decorative baskets to the residence, funeral home or church at the time of the memorial service.

Inside pieces – One can place a small floral spray inside the casket if the deceased loved a particular type of flower.

Specialty arrangements – These could be in the shape of crosses, hearts, or bibles. You might want to be mindful of what kind of arrangements are welcomed in certain cultures. Roman Catholics, for instance, do not prefer flowers arranged in a cross.

Let Us Help You Put Together The Nicest Funeral Flower Arrangement

Buying funeral flowers is probably more confusing than sending a bouquet at weddings or birthdays. That is why we’re here to help. Helping customers express their emotions with flowers for over 100 years now, you can rely on us to choose the most appropriate floral arrangement. What’s more? Expect freshness delivered right at your doorstep – in one click, on the same day!