A Complete Guide to Choosing and Sending Sympathy Flowers

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a family or good friends. However, orchestrating a funeral is something over 2 million Americans do each year. What do you do or say to those grieving in such a sad phase in their life?

Sending sympathy flowers is a wonderful way to express and speak to the heart of those dealing with a loss when words can’t. The type of sympathy flowers you give makes a difference too. Keep reading to learn how you can select the most appropriate flowers for people who are coping with the death of someone.

Determining the Best Type of Sympathy Flowers

Sending flowers as a way to express sympathy is a tradition that goes back thousands of years. Today, condolence flowers have a dual purpose. Aside from bringing comfort, the type of flowers you present shows as a way of honoring the life of the person no longer present.

Before you purchase sympathy flowers, it helps you understand the types of arrangements you can pick. This will best help you decide which is the most appropriate.

• Wreath, Hearts, and Crosses 
• Standing Sprays 
• Casket Sprays
• Floral Arrangement Baskets 
• Inside Piece 

Wreaths are a type of floral presentation that takes on a circular shape. Many depict the roundness of a wreath as eternal life that continues. Crosses at a funeral are most appropriate for those who have faith and religion.

They represent a strong sense of faith. Hearts signify a strong sense of love. Wreaths, hearts, and crosses are all larger pieces of floral arrangements.

A majority of people will place them beside the casket on the easel. If you are a family or close friend, this is an excellent arrangement to purchase.

Standing and casket sprays are bundles of flowers a person may present to someone mourning a loss. Family members normally order casket sprays that sit above the casket. Standing sprays, on the other hand, are for side-viewing and are often put on an easel.

Floral baskets are a mix of flowers that come in a variety of sizes. You can work with an online florist to customize which flowers you want to create an attractive presentation. You can click for more here.

An inside piece may either be an individual flower or a small arrangement of flowers mourners place inside the basket.

Symbolism Associated With Sympathy Flowers

Sympathy flowers carry different meanings. The message you want to convey will help you decide which flowers to pick. The most common sympathy flowers are:

• Roses 
• Lilies 
• Carnations 
• Orchids 
• Chrysanthemums
• Gladioli 

Roses are one of the most popular flowers. Roses even carry different meanings from each other depending on the color you choose. For example, white roses symbolize innocence, youth, and reverence.

Pink roses stand for grace and love. Red roses also represent love, but courage and respect too.

Another common type of sympathy flowers is lilies because they signify the restored innocence of the soul that left. Red carnations show admiration for someone; white carnations convey innocence and love; pink carnations symbolize remembrance.

Orchids are another great option to give to those in mourning. Both white and pink orchids represent an eternal love for a person and sympathy. The most appropriate type of orchids is the dendrobium or phalaenopsis breed.

Chrysanthemums are something you may see the most in European cultures. European countries often use this flower only at funerals because they symbolize the passing of an individual.

In America, Chrysanthemum flowers also symbolize truth. Many depict the flower as a happy way to honor a person who lived a full life.

Gladioli flowers have a strong presence as they are tall and majestic. They often symbolize integrity, sincerity, and strength of character in a person.

Where to Send Sympathy Flowers

You should also consider how to plan to send condolence flowers to loved ones. If you plan to attend the funeral or ceremony, it’s best to go with fresh-cut flowers.

Fresh flowers provide a light, attractive scent to the area and hold a strong purpose throughout the entire service. The flowers you choose to bring with you can also sit above the grave at the burial site.

Fresh flowers are accepted as an appropriate form of expressing sorrow. For memorial services, large flowers such as snapdragons, gladioli, and lilies are appropriate.

Other than fresh flowers you can also bring a flower bouquet or vase. Some loved ones may ask that you send the flowers you give to nursing homes or a hospital where the deceased stayed.

If you are unable to make it to the funeral or want to send more flowers over to loved ones, potted plants are ideal. You can use a flower delivery service to send the flowers to their home.

You can also hand potted flowers to loved ones who will carry it home. Flower baskets are also appropriate to send.

Medium- or small-sized flowers are the best to choose from in the event you plan on sending flowers home. For example, you can pick carnations, liatris, roses, or delphinium flowers.

Sympathy Flowers Go a Long Way When Words Can’t

No matter where in the world a person lives, sympathy flowers play a crucial role in most funeral customs. This is because flowers have comforting qualities aside from their fragrance and look.

Sympathy flowers provide a sense of hope for those grieving and can be one link that reminds loved ones about the spirit of life. Thinking of the right words to comfort those dealing with a loss is heath. During such moments of sorrow, sympathy flowers serve as the messengers of hope for patients.

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