Your Guide to Creating and Sending Funeral Flower Arrangements

Creating your own funeral flower arrangements is a therapeutic way to think about your loved one. Rather than a dreary, meaningless endeavor, funeral flowers symbolize what a person has meant to you in a beautiful, impactful, and artistic way.

If you’re ready to create your own flower arrangement, read on! You don’t need to feel overwhelmed or burdened by this beautiful way of expressing your feelings and love.

Choosing the Type

Before you start choosing your flowers, the easiest way to get started is to determine what kind of arrangement you like. Rather than the typical standing arrangement we’re used to seeing, there are a number of different types of arrangements that you can choose from.

Baskets

Baskets are a beautiful way to display your flowers because they’re arranged less like a presentation and more as a gift or offering. This is an especially good choice if the flowers are being delivered straight to the grieving family or if you’re offering them in-person during the funeral or wake.

Wreaths

Wreaths are symbolic because of the many shapes they come in, and they’re often displayed near the casket. If you’re unsure of what kind of shape would be best, don’t hesitate to ask the family or individual who is organizing the funeral.

Circular wreaths represent eternal life, a reminder that the deceased lives on in the memories of their loved ones. Wreaths can also come in hearts, a poignant and sweet reminder of love.

Dish Gardens

Much like baskets, dish gardens are perfect to send to the family’s home or to the wake. These consist of various green or colorful, flowering plants that are arranged in a decorative dish or container.

Flower Guide

Once you have decided what type of arrangement you like, it should be easier to choose plants or flowers to use. For instance, dish gardens aren’t suitable for flowers like roses. Green plants that thrive in low-light conditions such as ivy are more suitable instead.

With this in mind, here are a few flowers commonly used in funeral arrangements because of their beauty and symbolism:

Lily

This pure white aromatic flower symbolizes purity and the restored peace and innocence of the soul.

Peace Lily

Similar in symbolism to the lily, this is an especially great flower to gift the grieving as they thrive as indoor plants.

Rose

Roses come in many different colors, and each color has a different meaning. White roses symbolize spirituality and purity. Yellow flowers symbolize friendship and joy. Pink roses symbolize admiration, grace, gentleness, and happiness. Red, of course, symbolizes love and passion.

Orchid

White and pink orchids are most often used during funerals and represent everlasting remembrance. They add elegance and delicate beauty to the whole arrangement.

Carnation

Carnations are a popular choice because of their symbolism and hardiness. Pink carnations symbolize remembrance. White carnations symbolize innocence, and red carnations symbolize deep admiration.

Gladioli

These flowers have a very striking appearance, representing moral integrity and strength of character. Because of their shape, the name comes from the Latin word for “sword,” making them perfect for the strong warriors in your life.

Choosing the Flower Shop

Once you have an idea of the type of arrangement you want to bring, along with the type of flowers, it’s time to choose a flower shop. We recommend independently owned flower shops in your local area rather than the large online retailers that usually pop up as the first option in search engine results.

Not only will independently owned shops work with you one-on-one to create a beautiful bouquet that matches your vision, but they also give their own insight on what would work the best. Remember that florists are artists as well as business owners, and they take pride in the arrangements they create.

They’ll also be able to work with your budget and suggest in-season flowers or flowers that they have in overstock that will drive down costs while keeping the integrity of your bouquet.

Including a Card

Since sympathy arrangements are typically sent to a single person or family, you’ll typically want to include a card with the bouquet. This can simply be handwriting a short message on a white card and tucking it into the bouquet. Or, request that a premade card be included that you can sign.

Remember that your card doesn’t have to be long or emotional. What’s important is that the people you’re delivering the bouquet to know they are in your thoughts and that you are there for them. Everyone’s situation is different – you’ll know what feels right to you!

Beautiful Funeral Flower Arrangements from the Heart

As you choose your funeral flower arrangements, remember that they have multiple purposes. They help you reminisce about your deceased friend or family member, and they provide comfort for everyone involved.

Remember too that if the process seems overwhelming, allow your local florist to help you with the process. You’ll find it incredibly therapeutic to see a symbolization of your love and cherished memories taking form.

La Vista Memorial Park also provides beautiful flower arrangements with all its funeral services. View our arrangements today.