How to Find the Right Sympathy Message for Flowers
Sending funeral flowers is a great way to show your love and support for a loved one, but how do you find the right sympathy message for flowers? Is it better to go short and sweet, letting the blooms do the talking? Or is the time to pull out a lengthy quote or heartfelt letter?
Most people find that a line or two is sufficient to send along with the funeral flowers—especially since the florist-offered cards tend to be small and time is tight if you want the arrangement to arrive on time. If you’d like to send a follow-up letter with more in-depth sentiment, it’s often best to wait a few weeks to gather your thoughts and compose the perfect letter.
Sympathy Card Messages
Most sympathy card messages are composed of a sentiment, a personal note, and a closing. Because you want to avoid making this about you (grief and bereavement are shared by all, but funeral flowers are meant to comfort the family), it’s best to stick to something that expresses your shared loss but doesn’t turn the spotlight back on yourself.
Begin with:
- With deepest sympathy
- Thinking of you and your family during this difficult time
- May you rest in peace and know you are not forgotten
- Our thoughts and prayers are with you
- With deepest sympathy
- In loving memory
- Always in our hearts
- Gone but not forgotten
- We hope these flowers can help express our sorrow and sympathy
- Our hearts are saddened by your loss
- With love and fond memories
- Will be thinking of you always
- You will be sadly missed
- Rest in peace
- Always in our hearts
- We wish we could be there with you today
- Our time together was too short
From there, you can add a more personalized message. Something like:
- We will always remember Gran’s smile
- May memories of Uncle Bob’s laughter always bring you solace
- Aunt Nancy was a comfort and a joy to us all
…or any other relevant sentiment adds a nice touch. Focus on the positive things (the deceased’s smile, laughter, love of life, calming presence, good heart), and be sure to include the name of the deceased and/or the relationship to you.
The closing is typically short and sweet, and allows the family to make note of who sent the flowers for future thank you cards. Instead of having everyone sign the card (which can make it difficult to read), have one representative sign for the whole family or group. “The Smiths” or “Love from the Nelsons” or “From all of us at the bank” is usually sufficient.
Writing a funeral flower card doesn’t have to be a challenge. Keep it simple, speak from the heart, and know that the beautiful display will do most of the talking for you.
Please share your thoughts on this article
Related articles
Which Type of Funeral Flower Arrangement Should I Send?
When a loved one dies, you may wish to send a funeral flower arrangement as a way of showing your condolences and affection. This time-honored tradition allows you to participate in the funeral even if you cannot be there, and also provides a way... more »
How to Decline an Invitation to a Funeral
Not all funerals are held at convenient times or convenient locations. Unlike weddings, which can be planned months in advance, funerals crop up unexpectedly regardless of the time, date, weather conditions, or other plans you might already have.... more »
Five Funeral Trends for 2014
Like most traditions and ceremonial events, funeral planning changes over the years. Whether it’s the annual increase in the number of cremations or the prevalence of “green funerals” that seek to reduce an impact on the environment, popular fu... more »
