The act of choosing funeral floral tributes is a meaningful one, reflecting the great love people had for the person who has passed away. Loved ones often hope to celebrate the personality and preferences of the person being laid to rest with their choice of floral tributes, but with so much to think about during funeral planning, having some guidance can be invaluable.
At Harold Wood Funeral Services, we have already created an in-depth guide to the meanings of funeral flowers, and in this article, we will explore the subject further with advice on choosing floral tributes that are right for you and your family – providing solace and honouring your loved one.
The Role of Floral Tributes at a Funeral
Funeral floral tributes have been used across many cultures to mark a person’s passing since time immemorial. Serving to decorate the hearse, coffin, funeral service and/or burial site, for many people, flowers serve as a visual means through which to express their feelings and show their love and respect to the individual they are saying goodbye to – all emotions it can be difficult to put satisfactorily into words.
Flowers can also add a sense of beauty and dignity at a funeral service and may have a personal, spiritual or symbolic significance according to the beliefs, tastes and memories of the people choosing them. For example, people often wish to incorporate the favourite flowers of the person who has passed in their floral tribute or use flowers that evoke happy memories of their time together. In other scenarios, they may choose flowers based on their symbolic meanings.
For some faiths, the significance of flowers at funerals lies in their absence. In traditional Jewish cultures, for example, flowers are viewed as celebratory and do not form part of the funeral ceremony.
What to Think About When Picking Floral Tributes for a Funeral
The creation of funeral flower tributes is something many florists take a huge amount of pride in, and alongside your funeral director, they can talk you through the options available to you and help you bring your vision to life. Some things to contemplate when deciding your choice of funeral flowers include:
Picking casket and coffin top floral tributes
Floral tributes for coffin tops take the form of flower sprays and can be anything from small one-foot arrangements to six-foot tributes which cover the entire coffin. Comprising of whatever flowers you choose, these arrangements are a beautiful way to decorate a coffin as a person makes their final journey.
Do you want wreaths, shapes and/or lettering?
Whether they are included within the hearse or used to adorn the space where the service itself is held, flower wreaths and lettering are popular choices for many people. Using lettering to spell out messages can help you express what a person meant to you or the role they held in your family, and if you wish, it is also possible to create flower arrangements in a particular shape, such as a cross or other religious symbol.
What colour and type of flowers are best for you?
Modern floristry gives us all access to a vast array of flowers in every form, from elegant red roses to ethereal white gypsophila, and many have traditional meanings which can add deeper layers of signification. You can also choose flowers that you feel expresses something about your loved one’s character, such as informal sprays of wildflowers for a free spirit, or delicate forget-me-nots for a gentle soul.
Whether you select flowers based on the blooms your loved one liked the best or ones which are particularly meaningful to you, by discussing your options you can create arrangements that are deeply personal to you.
Are you interested in custom and bespoke tributes?
Funeral flower tributes don’t have to abide by a set pattern. Florists can achieve astonishingly creative results, and by setting aside some time to talk with them, they can help you understand what’s possible in terms of bespoke flower arrangements. Whether you would like a tumbling waterfall of lilies or an arbour of roses at your loved one’s funeral, it is also worth exploring the possibilities if you wish to do so.