Funeral flowers and floral tributes
A guide to arranging floral tributes for a funeral you are organising, when it’s appropriate to send flowers, or make a donation instead.
Arranging floral tributes for a Family Led Funeral
If you are arranging a Family Led Funeral for your loved one, you may want to arrange funeral flowers. Some funerals can involve an abundance of flowers, wreaths and floral tributes, while at others, the flowers are kept to a simple funeral spray on the coffin or casket, or even no flowers at all. It is totally down to the personal preference of you and your family.
Traditionally, coffin sprays (sometimes referred to as casket sprays) are usually chosen by close family members as the main floral tribute. Letter tributes spelling out the deceased’s name, nickname or relationship (such as the words ‘MUM’ or ‘NAN’) are also sometimes ordered by the family.
If you wish to arrange flowers for your loved one’s funeral, we’d recommend you contact your local florist. Most florists are experienced with funerals and will be happy to assist in talking you through the options available in choosing the right floral arrangement.
You can also purchase funeral flowers online via the internet. There are many online retailers that offer competitive prices, and the range of floral tributes is a lot wider than most florists.
As our funerals do not include any face-to-face interaction with a funeral director or a hearse, you should have the flowers delivered to the crematorium on the day of the funeral. We will be happy to place the flowers on top of the coffin in the chapel.
Can I send flowers to a funeral I am not arranging?
If you want to send funeral flowers, then by all means, yes you should. However, you should be mindful that funeral etiquette varies from faith to faith. What may be appropriate in one culture may not be in another, so, to avoid unintentional upset, it is important to be sensitive to the faith of the deceased and the faith’s outlook on funeral flowers.
If you’re unable to attend the funeral, it may be a particularly kind gesture to send the family flowers to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate your thoughts during this difficult time.
Most florists have funeral floral arrangements that you can choose from, but there is nothing wrong with sending a more personal floral tribute of your choosing. You may send flowers on your own or get together with others for a larger, more elaborate arrangement.
If you do choose to send funeral flowers, we recommended sending them straight to where the funeral service is being held (although you could also send them to the funeral home, in the case of a traditional funeral led by a funeral director). You may alternatively send sympathy flowers to the deceased's family before the funeral, or to express that you are thinking of someone in the very difficult days and weeks after the funeral when they may feel very alone.
Some families will ask for charitable donations instead of flowers. This will usually be included in any newspaper obituary notices regarding the funeral. If the family has requested charitable donations, you should honour this request. Instead of funeral flowers, you could send a sympathy card to the family.
What to write on funeral flowers
If you send funeral flowers, always include a card so the family know who the flowers are from. While it can be difficult to compose a sympathy card message at such a difficult time, a few kind words of remembrance or comfort are all that is needed.
A few examples include:
- In loving memory
- Gone but never forgotten
- Our prayers are with your during this difficult time
- You will be sorely missed
- Always in my heart
- Treasured memories
- Forever in our thoughts
- We wish you peace and comfort during this time
- May you rest in peace
If you’re finding it difficult to find the right words to say, don’t be afraid to keep it simple. The most important thing is that you’ve shown that you care at such a difficult and upsetting time.
Discover more sympathy card and funeral flower messages.
For help arranging a funeral for your loved one, contact us today or see our funeral advice and guidance area.