Unfortunately, we at Michaels Flower Girl have been doing too many funerals lately.  We hope this quick blog can help you through the decision making process in your time of grief.

The last thing you want to think about when someone dies is handling the funeral.  In some cases, the deceased may have made all the arrangements in advance making the decision on casket, service, flowers etc.  Then again, you may be faced with making all of the decisions yourself.

If you are in the position of making these decisions, the Funeral Home can certainly guide you on your flower choices but let us offer you some suggestions.

If you are arranging the funeral, you are going to want to make sure that the you have a spray of flowers on the casket itself.  Depending on your religious affiliation, you may also want to provide rosary or pillow flowers.  Casket Sprays start at about$75 and can range to over $250.  Price is determined by size and flower choice.  Flowers are also popular to place on the alter or pedestals besides the casket or cremains.  These can range from $50 on up.  If you just don’t want to make decisions, you can always say, I have a budget of XYZ and I want white and pink, and let the florist handle if from there.

If you are sending sympathy / memorial flowers, these will typically be on a wire stand adorning the sides of the casket.  These are also called sprays.  You can also add wording across the spray on a sash.  Memorial sprays can range from $60.00 on up.

Flower colors are typically lighter tending towards whites.  You are trying to convey a celebration of life with out screaming it.

Make sure to be specific with the florist about times and locations for services.  Depending on the funeral home, you have a limited time from to deliver and set up the flowers.

If you have any other thoughts on this, please let us know.

Sympathy flowers and sympathy plants are traditionally sent to the funeral home, church or mortuary once the news of the loss has been announced. Most funeral homes, churches and mortuaries have a “wake,” “visitation” or “viewing” where friends, family and associates come to pay their respects to the family. Proper sympathy flower etiquette is to send flowers or plants to the funeral home, church or mortuary prior to the first visitation hours. If you are late in sending flowers and can not have flowers arrive in time for the first visitation it is still appropriate to send flowers as long as they arrive prior to any additional visitations. If you have not sent flowers in time for them to arrive prior to the last visitation you may want to consider sending flowers or a plant to the family of the deceased at their residence. Some people insist upon sending last minute flower orders to the funeral home, church or mortuary and some people insist upon having last minute flower deliveries made directly to the graveside service. This is not considered proper etiquette as it is very disruptive and inconsiderate to have flower deliveries arriving during the service. In many instances, last minute flower orders are lost in the commotion of moving the flowers from the funeral home, church or mortuary to the graveside service and in other instances funeral directors will not accept last minute flower deliveries in attempt to avoid the negative events mentioned above.

If you have missed the visitations and the funeral service it is considered very proper etiquette to send flowers or a plant to the family of the deceased at their residence. In fact, it is considered appropriate etiquette to send flowers or plants to the family of the deceased up to a month after the funeral service. Some people even prefer to send flowers and plants at a later date because it is a great way to let the family of the deceased know that people are still thinking of them even after the funeral service has passed. Many people who have lost a loved one find this very comforting.

Flowers and Funerals Q&A