When a friend or loved one passes, it is never easy. It is impossible to be prepared for the grief of losing someone dear and close to your heart. At these times in our life, the sorrow is hard. A simple gesture like a funeral wreath or floral arrangement will help let the family members know that you care.

Selecting the Right Flowers.

Lilies, roses, carnations, orchids, Australian natives and gerberas are all popular choices for funeral flower arrangements. White flowers are common, white lilies represent peace, and red roses are renowned for expressing love. However, many people choose a colour or flower type they know the deceased would have loved.

Whether you are choosing an arrangement to send to family or friends to express condolences or arranging the flowers for your own close family member’s funeral, it is a decision which is done when our spirits are low. Asking the florist or funeral home for guidance with selecting the correct flowers whether for the casket or for the church or to send to someone will help make your choice easier.

You may choose a floral basket, a standing spray, wreaths, crosses or hearts all are beautiful choices. While extending your respects through flowers is a wonderful idea, there are some cultures and religions where flowers are unacceptable such as the Jewish and Islamic faiths who do not usually receive flowers and at a Buddhist ceremony red is considered poor funeral etiquette.

A popular floral display is the standing funeral spray, they are flower arrangements that are on a vertical easel or wire stand and are placed at the front of the funeral service in close vicinity to the coffin. There is often a large beautiful casket spray over the coffin which has been arranged by close family members. Other flowers may be arranged inside the venue, or out the front for people to see as they enter or leave. If the person is being buried, the flowers will be brought by the funeral director to be placed on the grave.

Quite often at the end of a funeral service there are beautiful flowers to be sorted. There are a number of choices, you may leave the arrangements at the gravesite, take the flowers home, or give the flower arrangements to friends and family, preserving funeral flowers, and donating flowers to hospitals, nursing homes and churches are all ideas of how to distribute flowers after a funeral.