How to Choose Appropriate Funeral Bouquets

Death is never easy to cope with. Along with all the complicated feelings involved with your grief, there are also the logistical challenges of planning and attending a funeral or memorial service, and expressing your condolences to the deceased’s family. This is an area of life where manners and decorum are exceptionally important.

You may feel stressed and overwhelmed by all the “rules” surrounding death. How do you properly extend your sympathy to the family? What can you do to uplift them or lighten their heavy emotional load? The truth is, there is no right answer. The way you express your condolences will depend entirely on the specific family and their culture, values, and customs.

One very common idea is the concept of funeral bouquets. Bouquets or floral arrangements are generally well-received by grieving families from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. In fact, The American Floral Endowment reports that over 54% of bereaved people reported that sympathy flowers helped with their feelings of grief. If you’d like to take this route as a means of expressing your condolences, here are some tips.

1. Research Floral Traditions

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the usage and significance of individual flowers. Every cultural group adheres to its own standards and beliefs. For example, white flowers are considered a symbol of death and mourning in most areas. It’s important you understand and recognize the significance of specific flowers in the bereaved family’s culture, to prevent causing offense or upset in the already grieving family.

2. Honoring the Deceased Individual

While a funeral or sympathy bouquet is a gesture of support for the living, the flowers should still represent the deceased. This means that you consider what kind of arrangement the deceased would have preferred. Your arrangement should be a reflection of the deceased person and a commemoration of their life. Try to incorporate flowers, plants, or colors that you know the deceased individual would have appreciated.

3. Include a Message

A bouquet from an anonymous sender will likely still be appreciated by a grieving family, but the flowers will hold much greater significance if the bereaved know to whom they can trace them back. Be sure to attach a message of support or sympathy with your bouquet, and be sure to sign the card or note using your full name. This is especially helpful if the family receives a large number of funeral bouquets and needs to differentiate between them.

We hope these tips will help you on your search for the most appropriate and tasteful funeral bouquets. If you’re ready to get started arranging a bouquet, give us a call at Flor Bella Designs today.