How To Choose Flowers For A Funeral
Though flowers are often chosen for special sentiment recognizing good times or accomplishments they may also be purchased during solemn occasions as well. In these less than fortunate times flowers can also be a good way to show your condolences. Picking a flower arrangement for a funeral can seem like an impossible or overwhelming task especially in the face of personal grieving or facing a family in mourning.
When choosing an arrangement sometimes the funeral home can handle the details but this will be an extra fee or service. It can be helpful if you don’t have any other options however it can be expensive. The other option is to purchase flowers on your own through a vendor or florist. Options can be via a store or through online arrangement, the plus side to this option is that you will not be charged by the funeral home for bringing your own flowers.
Flowers for funerals include traditional options such as casket sprays, these arrangements cover and drape the casket or standing sprays. The standing options will often be in shapes, words, hearts, and crosses. Standing sprays are usually displayed on an easel. Bouquets in traditional vases can also be used.
When purchasing flowers you should take into consideration the religious affiliation of the deceased and their family. The majority of religious backgrounds encourage the use of flowers in memorializing the deceased, however some religions do not participate in this custom. You should always check with a religious or spiritual adviser when there is a question about the use of flowers in the ceremony.
Flowers should tell a story, no matter what the occasion, and for a funeral meaning behind certain types of flowers can also tell that story. Lilies, for example, are one of the most popular choices when it comes to funeral arrangements. Lilies are very fragrant and are symbolic of purity, the symbolism behind lilies say that the soul has found peace and innocence. Roses can be another popular choice and come in a variety of colors though white is perhaps the most popular for funerals. Roses are symbols of innocence and like lilies, they are symbols of purity. Carnations are another popular flower, they also come in a variety of colors. When choosing flowers reds are usually symbols of love, white show innocence and pink is representative of angels or heaven.
There are unlimited choices however and you are not confined to just the types of flowers listed above. Funeral arrangements and flower choices can actually combine flowers into a beautiful casket spray or standing spray.
Ultimately what is important is that you make a choice that satisfies you personally, you can choose flowers that have personal meaning to you and the deceased rather than traditional following the traditional symbols. Flowers are meant to mark a special relationship or occasion, in the case of someone’s passing, that occasion is one of remembrance and honor. The right flower with the right meaning behind it can truly memorialize the passing of someone special.
