Arranging funeral flowers
Table of Contents
A funeral memorial is an important life event to honour and respect a loved one or friend. Making sure you have arranged sympathy flowers delivery from your local florist is one less thing to worry about on the day.
Although they’re gone, this is an opportunity to remember them and their life, memories and the impact they left. Arranging a personal or custom-made beautiful flower arrangement is the best and most tasteful way.
If you are directly involved with arranging the funeral, then flowers can sometimes be an afterthought and another item on the to-do list for the day. However, if you approach it right, it will create a memorable day.
This article has three tips for ordering and getting the right flowers at the right time for the funeral.
TIP1: Determine a theme
Think about your friend or loved one and ask yourself some questions.
- Did they love their garden?
- Did they have a favourite flower or scent?
- Did they live a vibrant life?
What you are looking for is a central theme to build around, then the flowers won’t just be an arrangement but a direct reflection of something close to their heart throughout their life or personality.
When dealing with a professional florist, they will give you plenty of options to build the theme around.
- Flower Type
- Colour
- The Shape of the Arrangement
The florist can show you in-house or on their website different flower combinations and arrangements to decide about. A good florist will ask you questions to establish what is best suited to represent them on the day.
Not just are the flowers a consideration on the day, but they can also supply items such as scented and coloured candles. These can lift the ambience whilst making the venue warmer and a better atmosphere.
A well-chosen wreath with a scented candle can always be a focal point to discuss and reminisce about the departed.
Once you have decided on the theme, it is a good idea to notify your funeral director as people will want to send flowers, notes and various sympathy bouquets by letting them know the theme.
The 10 most favoured funeral flowers
- Roses
- Lily
- Chrysanthemum
- Orchid
- Carnation
- Gladiola
- White Poppies
- Sweet Pea
- Forget Me Not
- Cyclamen
Tip 2: Ordering your Flowers
Now you have decided on your theme, notify the funeral director to arrange the invites and your theme; now it’s time to place the order and arrange the delivery.
As a rule of thumb, funeral flowers can be put together at reasonably short notice. Usually, within 48 hours, naturally, you will want the flowers to be fresh and therefore not arrive over 24 hours before the funeral.
Flowers can be sent directly to your funeral directors beforehand, reducing the pressure on other things on the day. So remember to liaise with your funeral director straight away.
Designing your bouquets is a rewarding Memorium way and helps keep the event cost down.
Some people like to gather flowers from their garden to add to a spray or bouquet, which helps keep you intrinsically involved in the occasion. The only downside is if you are involved in organising the day, this is time-consuming.
Of course, if you have family and friends that can help to free up time, then this is something you could explore.
Tip 3: Delivery and Arranging the Scene
Once you have found a florist within a reasonable distance of the funeral service and have been there or looked online to see good reviews, you are ready to order.
Again, finding a florist you can talk to will give this a much more personal touch, while finding a local one is a preferred choice.
Alternatively, websites today can give you plenty of sympathy flowers delivery options online and possibly different mixes and options to choose multiple flowers on their eCommerce site.
Once the flowers have arrived, they will need to be displayed. Your theme will need to be laid out to the person in charge of arranging the flowers. You’ll need to be there for this unless this person has been fully informed and included in everything.
It is common for the funeral director to provide this service or help on the day. Prior communication is vital to these processes running smooth and on time.
With well-wishers also purchasing bouquets, if you have communicated with the funeral director your theme, they would have mentioned this in the funeral invites.
Once everything is ready, explaining the reasoning behind the flowers theme is good, as people always like to know. This also forms part of your service and helps people on a sad occasion to remember more positive memories and keep the atmosphere from becoming sombre.
SUMMARY
If this is something you are not used to, get the help of professional funeral directors and a local florist as soon as possible. This will take a lot of pressure off the day. A local florist knows the best flowers for the occasion and can help you determine your theme. Good luck.
