Funeral Flower Arrangement – A Warm Way to Say Good Bye

Flowers have always been a source of joy at any event. At a funeral however, they are a source of comfort and a warm way to express sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family/ person. The flowers are usually sent to the place where the body will lie in state for viewing and service.

The Different Trends of Funeral Flower Arrangements

In the beginning of the century, the funeral flower arrangements had to be as big as possible and they were usually shaped in the form of cross or heart and even logos of the organizations from where the funeral flower arrangement was sent.  Gradually this trend gave way to smaller more concentrated wreaths. Around the 70s, you will find that the wreaths given would symbolize the profession of the person who passed away.

Often the funeral flower arrangement options have special meanings, i.e. a cross wreath reinforces the belief of the family and the deceased in Christianity; a big circle symbolizes eternal life promised to those who some to God through Jesus Christ and white flower symbolize purification of the soul which has been released from this sinful world to God’s abode.

If a woman dies, the flowers would symbolize feminine topics, and if a child dies, the funeral flower arrangement would be in the form of toys and angels. The flowers are meant to comfort both by their looks and by smell – hence, always choose floral wreaths, which have a very mild fragrance.

A new type of funeral flower arrangement is the floral stand. This will be visible only from the side because the flowers faces only one-way. The floral stands come in many tiers, which look very beautiful and impressive when placed strategically around the body.

The casket will usually carry a floral spray on the top, which is a typical adornment for the casket. When the casket is left open for visitations, some flowers will be arranged on the body as well; these would be small wreath rings made of roses and/or carnations – though this could be anything else that the bereaved family members would choose to have.

Another customary way to offer condolence flowers is offering plants after the funeral ceremony is over. However, note that there is a color code for such gift plants, i.e. the chrysanthemums should always be white, carnations should be white as would the lilies be, the roses  are the only flowers which can be gifted in with color – they can be red, yellow, pink and white.

In some places, there is a quaint little custom emerging, i.e. the family adopts a plant, preferably a large tree (in the shape of a sapling) or an exceptional flower and buries the ashes of the deceased at the roots. As the tree/ flower grows, this will make the family feel comforted that their dear became part, as if transferred to the strong and vibrant tree/ flower growing under their care.