Posts Tagged ‘funeral flowers’

Herbal Funeral Flowers

One of the biggest trends in the funeral planning industry is to find ways to combine the traditions we’ve all come to recognize with more earth-friendly memorial options. From cremation to direct burial, there are dozens of ways you can reduce the strain on the environment when a loved one dies.

Funeral flowers are part of this trend toward simpler, cleaner burial, and many families opt to have “in lieu of” donations made or to cut out the flowers altogether. Another option is to give potted plants or useful funeral bouquets—ones that show your sympathy but also provide a secondary service. Funeral flowers that are also herbs or fruit-bearing plants do just that. (more…)

Seasonal Funeral Flowers

Although florists make it easy to order funeral bouquets no matter what the time of year, it can be nice to take a seasonal approach to sympathy flowers. Not only is better for the environment to order in-season flowers (those exotic blooms you can order year-round are usually shipped all the way from places like Brazil), but they’re also a more fitting symbol of death. Like the circle of life, nature comes and goes, and being reminded of the turn of the seasons can be nice for the grieving family.

Spring Funeral Flowers

Spring flowers tend to be light, cheerful, and fairly low-cost overall. Many of the spring bouquets embrace a “wildflower” approach—especially in areas where these blooms can be found growing naturally. Choose among flowers like: (more…)

For as long as people have held burials, they have been placing items into the grave to accompany the deceased on their final journey. Coins over the eyes to gain passage across the River Styx, the elaborate tombs of the kings and queens of Egypt, earthenware pots that showcase a simpler life—humans are no strangers to wanting to provide the deceased’s remains with the comforts they enjoyed in life.  (more…)

There’s no denying that it has become commonplace to send sympathy flowers and funeral bouquets to show your regard for the dearly departed. Adding a touch of color to the memorial service and bringing hope to the family, funeral flowers are a great way to demonstrate support and love.

However, funeral flowers aren’t for everyone. Whether the family asks you to skip the blooms in lieu of a charitable contribution, or if the deceased was concerned for the environment and is asking for a green funeral, you may be asked to send an alternative sympathy gift. Here are few ideas.

• “In Lieu of” Donations: The most common non-floral gift is one of money. Many families will select a charity that meant something special to the deceased and ask for contributions to be made in his or her name. You can also find a charity of your own to support. Whether you formally make the donation in the deceased’s name, or if you give the money and leave things there, these kinds of gifts are lasting and meaningful. (more…)

The loss of a loved one and the planning of an entire funeral from start to finish is an exhausting affair. It’s not uncommon for those undergoing bereavement to feel both physically and mentally exhausted, and emotions can run through a course of highs and lows in a matter of minutes. Among all the chaos of guests arriving from out of town and navigating the financial side effects of death, it can seem impossible to find time to write funeral thank you notes.

Funeral etiquette dictates that the family of the deceased send out thank you cards in the days and weeks following the funeral. Fortunately, this isn’t the time-consuming, tedious task it sounds like. Not only can you purchase pre-prepared thank you cards and send them out, but you can recruit the help of others and make it a chance to bond and share your grief.

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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.

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Advance funeral planning is becoming an increasingly popular choice for people who want to handle the burden of burial before death occurs. With so many different funeral pre-plan packages to choose from and the opportunity to relieve your loved ones of the costs and stress associated with burial, it’s no wonder why.

Because it is impossible to predict death, the only way to ensure that pre-planned funerals work is to bind everything in a legal contract or agreement. Every contract is a little bit different depending on where you go and what type of service you choose, but one thing that everyone should be aware of before signing on the dotted line is what the fine print says regarding cash advance items.

What is a Cash Advance Item?

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When we hear of a loved one passing, one of the first thoughts to spring up is whether or not to send sympathy flowers. For centuries, flowers have been a part of the funeral planning process, providing beauty and comfort to the family in what is obviously a high-stress situation.

However, with so many funeral flower providers and funeral etiquette rules to follow, it can be difficult knowing where to start. Here are a few guidelines for selecting the perfect arrangement and for making sure your flowers arrive on time for the funeral.

When to Send Funeral Flowers

Ideally, you should arrange for the purchase and delivery of funeral flowers as soon as possible—but not so early the flowers arrive before the funeral occurs. The best idea is to wait until the funeral home and date of service have been arranged. Most funeral flower companies can use that information to coordinate the delivery with the funeral director, ensuring that your gift arrives on time to be showcased at the memorial service.

Of course, there is no time limit on this sort of thing. If you live out of town or were away when the death announcement was originally made, you can arrange for a sympathy arrangement to be sent to the family well after the service. In fact, since they may be overwhelmed with flowers immediately after the funeral, this slight delay can provide comfort in the weeks following the death.

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Once you’ve decided that you’d like to send funeral flowers to commemorate the passing of a loved one, you’ll need to decide what type of spray or arrangement to choose. In addition to individual flower meaning, it’s important to consider the uses and types of each type of bouquet. Some are designed to be placed on the casket (and are usually purchased by the family), while others are meant to stand around the casket during a memorial service. Depending on the type of service being held, you may find several types that suit your purpose.

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These days, most cemeteries have strict regulations regarding what types of flowers you can put on a grave and how long they can remain before being removed. This is done not to inconvenience families, but to ensure that the grounds remain beautiful for all the visitors stopping by.

Although it is much more common to find artificial flowers and wreaths at a gravesite than it is too see an actual flowering plant in the ground, some cemeteries do hold on to the older traditions that allow you to plant. If you’re fortunate enough to have a loved one buried in this type of cemetery, here are a few tips for planting the right kinds of flowers to ensure year-round beauty.

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