What does the flower you choose mean?
Losing a loved one is difficult, and when you wish to share your sympathy, sending flowers is a meaningful gesture that can provide comfort to those who are grieving. Funeral flowers provide a touching tribute and can brighten up a somber time. The type of flowers you choose can express your particular sentiments. In recent years, sympathy arrangements have begun to incorporate a wide variety of flowers and colors. The traditional language of flowers provides a way to convey your feelings and send a meaningful message.
Lilies
The flower most commonly associated with funeral services in the popular mind is the lily. Lilies are often interpreted as a symbol of the innocence that has been restored to the soul of the departed. A white stargazer lily symbolizes sympathy and any type of white lily expresses majesty and purity.
There are several types of lily and the colours available are white, orange (salmon) yellow and pink. longiflorum lilies, where the flower head forms a trumpet – these are white only. They are a very traditional, funeral flower and look best in a tied sheath because of the way they grow on the stem.
Calla Lilies
The trumpet shaped lily which is actually related to the anthurium or artist’s palette. Calla lilies can cost a lot of money, depending on the size of the flower, they do provide some stunning colours and give great visual impact with a small number of flowers.
Carnations
One of the most popular choices for sympathy arrangements, carnations of various colors have different meanings. A red carnation evokes admiration while a pink carnation stands for remembrance. White carnations stand for pure love and innocence.
Another traditional funeral flower – red carnations are used as basing material on massed tributes where a red base is required. They also look stunning in other colours as a base given a wonderful textured finished, but they cost more than Chrysanthemums so are not used so often.
Carnations are long lasting which also adds to their popularity. White carnations are meant to signify truth and red carnations passion or strength of feeling.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are traditional funeral flowers in many countries of the world with white Chrysanthemums signifying truth and honesty. They are available in a number of colours; white, yellow, burgundy, tan and pink as well as the more unusual green button chrysanths which provide a perfect foil for other stronger colours. The double variety are used as basing material for massed wreaths, posies and name tributes, white being the most usual colour. Pink and yellow are also used as a base flower.
Single Chrysanthemums are daisy-like and give a freshness to a funeral tribute. White Chrysanthemums can be sprayed any colour where a design tribute is required such as football shirts or crests or military badges.
Also known as “mums,” chrysanthemums are frequently included in arrangements of flowers for funeral services. Particularly in some European countries, Korea, and Japan, the white chrysanthemum is symbolic of death, lamentation, and grief; therefore, its use is generally reserved for funeral services. In the United States, white chrysanthemums are often understood to symbolize truth.
Roses
As one of the most recognizable flowers, roses can be a beautiful part of an arrangement of funeral flowers. A white rose evokes reverence, humility, innocence, and youthfulness. Red roses convey respect, love, and courage. Love, grace, and gentility are the message of a pink rose.
As a funeral flower, there is nothing to surpass the beauty of a rose. The visual impact of a full length rose coffin spray with foliage trailing elegantly is simply stunning. Red roses are the most traditional flower used, but white has great visual impact as does yellow or pink.
Red Roses signify passion or strength of feeling, yellow rose stand for love. White roses traditionally reflect innocence.
Iris
One of the few blue flowers available all year round the iris has its deserved place as a funeral flower. In the world of flowers they signify faithfulness and hope, contrasted with white they have great visual impact.
People often wish to match flowers to their loved one’s favourite colours. Most colours can be accommodated but true blue flowers are not so easy, and they border mostly on the purple side of the colour spectrum. Blue delphiniums and hydrangea can be seasonal, but certainly cost significantly more than the humble Iris. Dyed blue roses can be provided but again at a cost. Check with us what is available, we are happy to guide you in your choice.
Exotic Funeral Flowers
People’s tastes are different, and if you wish to express your feeling with a tribute that is out of the ordinary then we suggest you consider the visual impact of pistachio green anthuriums with deep red roses, a based heart made up of gypsophila, cluster wreaths with seasonal flowers. Strelitzia (bird of paradise), sunflowers, orchids can all be used, but check with us for prices as there can be significant seasonal variation and availability.