Flowers for All Occasions 101

Funeral Arrangements for the Dearly Departed

We've talked about the basics of floristry in our past articles. Then we explored the principles of design used in creating exquisite flower arrangements. Now, we learn how to apply these ideas in real life. Gatherings are so much brighter and exquisite with an exquisite variety of flowers. We're here to help you get started on two of the most common occasions that come hand in hand with flowers.

For this article we discuss funeral flowers From the planning phase to the wake. From selecting the theme with your clients up to the delivery or pickup of their orders. We've created a helpful primer for handling orders for a funeral. We'll help you produce exquisite arrangements for the grieving family. See our upcoming article for an overview of must-have essentials for every florist.

Making Arrangements with the Client

Flower arrangements, when done right, are a wonderful way of paying tribute to the loss of a loved one. It's also a way to show great sympathy for the family left behind. Creating floral tributes for them will help them express themselves in a hard time. It goes without saying, florists need to take careful note of every detail. This will help make the process of organizing go as smoothly as possible. Here are a handful of things florists need to know for planning funeral floral decor.

Flowers in Commemoration

There's no single way to comfort someone who has just lost their loved one. But there are a lot of ways to show your sympathy to a grieving family. Ask if they would like specific flowers included, or what their loved one's favorite flowers are. Keep the arrangement as intimate and personal as possible as a tribute to the departed.

Venue

Funeral services are usually held at funeral homes. But some people prefer to pay respect by having the funeral in their own home. Whatever the case, make sure to ask how big the room or venue will be. That way, you can prepare ahead for your arrangements and designs. Even better, schedule an ocular viewing of the venue. This is especially vital if they'll do the wake in their home. With these measurements, you'll be able to make arrangements with the right size.

Size and Headcount

How many guests are they counting on? How many tables are there, and what size? What's the size of the coffin? Any other area your client wants decorated? Every bit of information is necessary for the perfect flower arrangements. Wakes usually stretch over a several days. You may need to replace the flowers from time to time. This way, you get to keep them fragrant and fresh for guests.

Budget and Timeline

Needless to say, you'll want to know how much your customer has budgeted for the funeral's flower arrangements. That way, you can plan and provide high quality service within their budget. Set up a timeline for prep work and delivery of the flower arrangements. Keep in contact with your customer to make sure all flowers and designs you've chosen are up to their standards.

Read all about Origins of Flowers and the Industry in our next article.