How to Send Flowers to a Funeral
When someone you know passes away, it can be hard to know how to express your condolences. Sending flowers is a beautiful way to show your support and sympathy for the loss of a loved one, but with so many options for funeral flowers, it can be difficult to choose the right arrangement and to know where and how to send the arrangement, once you finally land on one. Here's a general guide for how to send flowers to a funeral.
Types of funeral flower arrangements
There are many different types of flower arrangements that you may consider sending to a funeral. Some of the most popular funeral flower arrangements include:
- Sprays: A spray is a large, single arrangement that is typically placed on a stand near the casket.
- Wreaths: A wreath is a ring of flowers that can be hung, placed on the casket or placed on a stand. They are often used as an alternative to sprays.
- Baskets: A basket arrangement is a more informal type of funeral flower that can be placed near the casket or elsewhere in the funeral home.
- Plants: A plant is a long-lasting way to show your support and can be brought home by the family after the funeral. Some popular funeral plants include lilies, orchids and azaleas.
Funeral flower etiquette will dictate the type of arrangement that may be appropriate for you to send. In general, purchasing bouquets, baskets, and wreaths are safe bets when it comes to sending a flower arrangement. The arrangements you want to stay clear of (unless you've spoken with the family directly or are immediate family) are casket wreaths and casket sprays. These arrangements are intended to be placed directly on the casket and ordering a casket spray or wreath can be seen as inappropriate for anyone but immediate or close family members.
Once you know what kind of arrangement you’ll send, you’ll want to consider the types of flowers in the arrangement. Here's a brief overview of sympathy flowers and their associated meaning:
- Roses: Roses are a classic choice for sympathy flowers and can represent love, respect, and/or courage.
- Lilies: Lilies are associated with innocence and purity and are often used to express condolences to children or young adults.
- Carnations: Carnations are a popular choice for funeral flowers, because they come in many colors, each with their own meaning (white symbolizes innocence, pink symbolizes remembrance, and red symbolizes admiration). . In addition to the many colors they come in, carnations are also known for their longevity and scent.
- Chrysanthemums: Chrysanthemums are often used in funeral sprays and wreaths and can symbolize truth or grief.
Where to send sympathy flowers
There are three main places you can send funeral flowers: to the funeral home, to the cemetery, or to the family's home. The most important thing is to make sure that you get the delivery address correct, so your flowers end up where you intend.
If there is a memorial website, check the Events tab or look for information regarding services. The address and name of the funeral home is often listed in this section so you’ll know where to send the flowers.
If there isn't a memorial website, but you know which funeral home is handling the services, the next place to check is with the funeral home staff. The funeral home will be able to tell you where the family would like flowers to be sent and can even help with getting your flowers delivered to the right place.
If you're feeling uneasy with sending flowers to the funeral home or cemetery, you can always send flowers to the family's home. This is an especially nice gesture if you're not able to attend the funeral or you want to show your support after the services have concluded.
How to send flowers to a funeral home
If you've decided that you would like to send flowers to the funeral home, the process is actually quite simple. If you already know the name and location of the funeral home, your job is as easy as filling in the information online and sending an order. You can easily order flowers on Ever Loved or by simply Googling "funeral flowers near me" (although you should double check that the suggestions are priced fairly).
If you don't know which funeral home is handling the services, one of the first places to check is the memorial website. Memorial websites on Ever Loved allow families to indicate where they prefer flowers to be sent and include the address of the events, so you'll easily be able to find this information on the Events tab of the memorial website if they’ve listed it.
If there is no event information listed, the next place to check is the obituary for the person who passed away. The obituary will often list funeral service information and may indicate where the family would like flowers to be sent.
If there is no memorial website or obituary, you can always reach out to members of the family directly and simply ask for the name of the funeral home handling the services.
Sending flowers to a funeral: what to write
If you're sending funeral flowers, one part that may give you pause is deciding what to write in the card that accompanies the arrangement. You want to express your sincere condolences, but it can be hard to find the right words. Here are a few examples of what you could write:
- "With deepest sympathy"
- "Thinking of you during this difficult time.”
- “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
- “You’re in our hearts during this time.”
- “With fondest memories.”
- “Rest in peace.”
The most important thing to remember when deciding what to write is to be authentic and express your support and sympathy. The card message doesn't have to be long and is typically just used to let the family or individual know that they're in your heart and mind during such a difficult time. If you're finding it difficult to keep the message brief, consider writing a condolence message on the person’s memorial website or chatting with the family separately, outside of the funeral.
Do you bring flowers to a funeral?
Bringing flowers to a funeral is an appropriate way to express sympathy, but you may want to consider sending them via a delivery service or bringing them to the family's home afterwards. If you bring flowers to a funeral service and intend to give them to the family, you may not be able to find the family at the right time or cause the family to have to find somewhere to set the flowers, while they're busy handling the service itself.
In this case, it may be more thoughtful to send the flowers ahead of time or bring them to the family's home later.
Now that you know a bit more about sending flowers to a funeral, it's time to browse some arrangements. You can find a variety of funeral flower arrangements on Ever Loved and are sure to find something to fit your budget.
