Sympathy Flowers
When it comes to sending sympathy flowers, the task can be a bewildering one. The details can become nearly overwhelming during an already stressful time if you are a relative or close friend of the deceased. Or there may be questions regarding what is appropriate to send if you are a distant relative or representative of a corporation wishing to express your regards to family members. Whatever the case, a quality florist will be able to help you and put your worries at ease.
Traditionally, flowers have been sent on the occasion of a funeral to comfort the living and allow expressions of condolence to be sent. Lilies are often associated with funerals. However, customs change with time and it is now commonplace to send traditional arrangements (wreaths, sprays, side-table baskets) as well as modern floral tributes.
Traditional sympathy arrangements remain popular and usually consist of a fan-shaped design of flowers in a  container, which are suitable to accompany interment at a cemetery. Most traditional arrangements are made up of gladiolus accented by roses, gerbera, snapdragons and other seasonal flowers in addition to ferns and palms for greenery. Circular wreaths, which symbolize eternal life, and sprays, which are a one-sided arrangement, are both displayed on easels at the funeral home, chapel or place of worship, making for a tasteful and elegant showing. Large casket sprays, which are placed on top of the casket, are usually provided by the family of the deceased.
 Smaller side-table arrangements of flowers are a thoughtful and economical choice, and well-suited for cremations and memorial services, as they can be taken home to be appreciated by family members afterwards. No matter what style of arrangement, the customer has many options regarding the types and colours of flowers they would like to send. For ladies, light pastel shades of pink, lavender and cream colours are a lovely preference, while for gentlemen, more masculine hues of burgundy, red and gold are often requested. A timeless choice is an arrangement of roses in a colour loved by the person who has passed away.
Personalization can also be accommodated. If you know what the favourite flowers of the deceased were, a suitable arrangement will be created to reflect that fact. And remember, sympathy arrangements do not have to be “funereal” in nature. Bright, vibrant colours mark the joyous celebration of a life well-lived and unusual, tropical choices such as birds of paradise, orchids, ginger and anthurium are indicative of a growing trend toward more modern and stylish alternatives. Other ways of personalizing an arrangement include taking into account a person’s hobbies (blue and white for a sailor) or the colours of their native flag, such as white and red for Malta or green, red and white for Portugal.
Another area in which a florist will be able to help, concerns what to say on the enclosure card. Common salutations include “Our Deepest Sympathy”, “With Condolences” and “Thinking of You”, with a signature from an individual, family or business below.
A quality florist will always take the responsibility of verifying the details, such as the proper name of the deceased,  and the time, day and location of the visitation or service, by checking a published obituary or contacting the funeral home, to make sure your order is delivered in time to be on display.
A popular trend for consideration is to send flowers, plants or fruit baskets to the home of the family after the funeral is over or in memoriam, to let them know you are thinking of them. Whether it is for a funeral, a memorial service, a wake, or reception, your gift of flowers will brighten spirits and surely be appreciated.
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