How to Choose the Right Funeral Flowers
Flowers are an important way to honour and express condolences after the death of a loved one. Sending flowers can be a great choice to express support; using a gorgeous flower as a positive symbol to express love in mourning. There is also a long tradition of different cultures using flowers to personalise the deceased's coffin, urn or burial plot. But with each having a unique meaning, it can be difficult to choose one flower. If you're a grieving family member planning a funeral, or a supportive friend trying to express sympathy, this blog post is for you. Read on for our expert guidelines on the many meanings behind popular flower choices, and how to make the right choice for you.
Flowers associated with death can be a powerful way to celebrate the life of a loved one. Similarly, when chosen well, they can offer comfort and express support to those grieving after a death. But slightly different meanings to each option- and grief, time and money to navigate around- it can become overwhelming trying to find the flower with the perfect balance of all priorities.
Why do flowers symbolise death?
Flowers have become a powerful symbol of death, support and love. Standing as a simplistic symbol of something beautiful to bloom, they can provide families with a sense of peace and comfort in moving forward with life after death.
They also provide a tangible way to express support, and convey the sense of loss, sadness and other complex emotions, which can be difficult to put into words in mourning. And at this time of great loss, flower delivery can be a meaningful symbol of support, whilst also giving someone space after a death.
Whilst sometimes being a symbol of death, floral arrangements also provide a personalised way for a family to honour loved ones at their funerals. No one culture or person is the same, and depending on the circumstances of a death or your relationship to the bereaved, flowers can be used for different meanings and purposes.
Different reasons why funeral flowers can be used:
Offer comfort and support: In offering something beautiful at a dark time of mourning, bereavement flowers can provide some comfort, solace and a sense of calm to those who are grieving.
They convey a message of care and support: sympathy flowers offer a tangible way to show that you care and remind families in grief that they are supported
They honour the life of the deceased: funeral flowers can be chosen to reflect the personality, interests, or favourite flowers of the deceased.
They create a visual tribute: the beauty and fragility of flowers can serve as a visual tribute to the life of the deceased, and the impact this person had on the world.
Whether you're looking to express sympathy or honour a loved one in a celebration of life, choosing funeral flowers can be difficult. Next, we turn to some factors to consider in making this choice.
How to choose funeral & sympathy flowers
Like most things in life, there's some unspoken rules when it comes to funeral flower etiquette. And there are a number of factors to consider when choosing condolence flowers, casket flowers or a funeral service flower arrangement. These can depend on context, relationships and the deceased person's wishes.
Cultural and Religious Considerations
The cultural and religious beliefs of the person who has died, and the grieving family, can have significant influence on the type of flowers used to express sympathy or at a funeral. Each culture and religion has unique traditions, customs and rituals surrounding death- all of which include specific flowers or floral arrangements.
Examples of sympathy flowers used by different religions:
White flowers, such as a rose, orchid or lily, are a popular funeral flower choice for Christian traditions- symbolising purity, innocence, and the idea of the soul being at peace. In contrast, a chrysanthemum choice is often used by Eastern cultures to symbolise death. With specific colours holding significant meaning, such as red in Hispanic cultures or marigolds in Hinduism.
In Jewish and Islamic traditions, using sympathy flowers is typically avoided. Alternative condolence gifts in these cultures include simple decorations, or gifts of charity and donations.
Personal Preferences
Funeral flower ideas can also stem from the personality or wishes of the deceased. Reflecting the essence of the person who has died in sympathy flowers or funeral flower arrangements can be a powerful, and meaningful, way for their family to honour them in death.
When it comes to making it personal, there really are no rules. This will vary depending on your relationship with the deceased, but incorporating colour or flowers with specific memories can allow you to add a personal touch to a sympathy gift.
Depending on your relationship with the deceased's family, you may also choose to deliver or personally gift flowers to the family. Delivery can be a genuine way to express support, whilst also respecting boundaries of the complex emotions at this time.
How much does a funeral flower arrangement cost?
Whether you're sending a small bouquet of sympathy flowers or arranging a funeral flower arrangement for a casket, costs can mount quickly. When planning a celebration of life for the deceased, it's important to set a budget as well as outline the type of flower arrangement you want. Or, if you're just looking for an expression of sympathy- finding an affordable way to do this.
Funeral flower arrangements costs:
On average, a basic, affordable funeral flower arrangement can cost between $80 to $200, while more elaborate and custom same flower arrangements costing upwards of $500 or more.
Custom flower arrangements can accommodate any special requests on the type of colours of the flowers, as well as deliver to you. In contrast, a more basic funeral flower arrangement may require lower skill and pick-up at a local florist. ]
Sympathy flowers costs:
Again, the cost of sympathy flowers in Australia will vary depending on flower choice, size of bouquet and decoration. You also need to decide whether to deliver them personally, or pay additional fees for a delivery service to the bereaved.
On average, a simple sympathy flower arrangement can cost between $50 to $150, whilst more elaborate and custom arrangements with tailored flowers, higher skill and delivery, can cost upwards of $300.
To get the best value, we recommend doing some research and funeral flower cost comparisons for local florists near you. However, it's also worth keeping in mind that you don't have to break the bank when it comes to using flowers to honour the deceased. Remember that sometimes simple can be just as meaningful an expression, and that it's the thought that really counts.
Popular Choices for Funeral Flowers
There's endless options to choose from when it comes to funeral flower arrangements or sympathy gifts. From bouquets to arrangements, standing sprays, wreaths or baskets, as well as the types of flowers and colour choices in between. In a modern world, there really are no rules. From a black rose to represent death, purple or yellow flowers to honour the spirit of the deceased, or red flowers to go more traditional- the options are endless.
Top 10 condolence flower choices & what they symbolise:
Carnations: pink carnations represent a mother's love and red carnations symbolising admiration
A Lily: restored innocence of the soul of the deceased
Roses: love and respect, with a red rose representing love and white roses symbolising purity and innocence
A Chrysanthemum: symbolise death
Gladioli: white symbolises purity and innocence and red gladioli representing love and strength
Daisies: innocence and purity
Orchid: often used in Asian and Buddhist funeral ceremonies, with white orchids representing sympathy and pink/ purple orchids symbolising affection
Irises: faith and hope
Tulips: perfect love and affection
Hydrangeas: heartfelt emotion, gratitude and appreciation- including white, blue and pink
To Wrap Up Choosing Sympathy Flowers & Funeral Flower Arrangements
With so many options, there's endless possibilities when it comes to choosing flowers to express sympathy or honour the life of the deceased. Asking yourself your motive for using flowers at this time, your budget, how you can make it personal and whether you want to incorporate traditional flower symbols can help guide your choice.
How Safewill Cremations can help
Planning a funeral can be stressful, even more so when simultaneously overwhelmed by grief. Safewill Cremations has a team of compassionate experts, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to support you at your time of need.
We offer support on all things cremation admin and arrangements, and can help lock in the big and small details for your services in advance. Talk to your own dedicated arranger today- via on1800 103 310 , or via live chat now.