What Flowers Should I Send to a Funeral?

Posted on 04/03/2020

Traditions and Tips for Sending Funeral Flowers

At the time of someone’s passing, it can be tricky to know what to do. There will be all these thoughts whirring about in your head, and you will be gripped by emotion. In such a vulnerable state, it can be tough to think clearly. But there is a funeral to arrange. If you are a close member of the family, arranging the funeral is likely to fall on your shoulders. If you are a family friend, you can pitch in and help, but your main objective at such a time is to be the family’s support network.

What can you do as a friend, to show the family you care and that they are in your thoughts? Make a gesture, one that shows the family how much you care, and that expresses your deepest, heartfelt sympathies. Send funeral flowers either to the family’s home or to the funeral home.

There is a certain etiquette to keep in mind when getting funeral flowers delivered. You want to send sympathy flowers as a loving gesture. You certainly don’t want to distasteful, cause any further angst and add to the emotional rollercoaster the family are going through. That is why it is great if you are thinking of arranging funeral flower delivery, but there is a certain etiquette you need to abide by.

If you want to send funeral flowers, ensure you find out if the ceremony is going to be performed religiously. With religion comes certain customs and traditions, and so the sending of flowers, or certain types of flowers, may not tie in with the religious aspect of the funeral. Speak to a family member, religious leader or funeral director about this.

There are so many funeral flower arrangements to choose from. You want to make a loving gesture, and it is the gesture that counts, but you want to do it right, make the right choice. Knowing which funeral flowers to send can prove to be a minefield. Our guide should serve to clear things up for you.

The colours of the flowers you send could be important. In different religions, traditions, or maybe just within the family, certain colours could have symbolism. White, for example, symbolises purity.

Certain flower arrangements should only be arranged by close members of the family, those organising the funeral. These include funeral wreaths and funeral tributes such as letter tributes. It is usually close members of the family who choose which letter tribute, what to spell out, and lay beside the coffin during the ceremony. As a family friend or someone just wishing to express your sympathies, stick to funeral sprays, posies, baskets and bouquets. In terms of colours, such flowers for funerals are generally neutral, lots of whites and light blues. But it is a good idea to check with the family first before you choose to send a flower arrangement.

Find out where to send the flowers. Certain traditions may dictate that funeral flowers shouldn’t be in the family home. But it may be acceptable to send the flowers to the funeral home instead.

On occasions, families arrange funerals based on the preferences, likes of the deceased. The funeral will be about celebrating their life, about respecting their wishes. For example, if the deceased was a lifelong supporter of a certain sport’s team that wore red, the funeral may have a red theme to it. In such an instance, sending red flowers would be permissible.

Your heart’s in the right place, but there are lots of choices, lots of little rules and forms of etiquette to get your head around. Keep these in mind, and you will be able to get your heartfelt message across and make that loving gesture.