Flowers at a funeral bring colour and warmth and a reminder of the beauty of life. They are also a wonderful way to remember the person who died, as we can select their favourite flowers or colours.
Your loved one may have been a keen gardener, simply loved nature or had certain flowers that meant a great deal to them. They may have particularly loved Australian natives or certain coloured flowers like soft pinks, purples and mauves.
Types of Flower Arrangements
Usually there is a large arrangement of flowers and greenery resting on top of the coffin. This is called a coffin spray. You can have a large coffin spray that covers most of the top of the coffin or a smaller one that covers just over half. Coffin sprays give a stunning splash of colour and vibrancy and can be such a comforting sight on top of the coffin.
Families can also have wreaths and other floral arrangements either around the coffin, on the memorial table or at other places around the church or chapel. These arrangements and the coffin spray can be left at the burial site to mark the grave or can be taken to where the wake or celebration of life is being held. For a cremation, sometimes the coffin spray is removed and taken by the family.
Flowers used for farewells
On occasions, the family have wished to take the coffin spray off the coffin as the coffin is returned to the hearse to be transported to a crematorium. Then family members remove a single flower from the spray and place it on the coffin before the hearse is closed and drives away. This is a moving way to say a final farewell.
At a graveside service, part of the farewell can involve long-stemmed roses or other flowers being placed in the grave by close family members or even all the mourners present. Again, it’s another moving way to show our love and respect for the deceased.
Ordering flowers for a service
When you have chosen the kinds of flowers you would like and the budget you wish to spend, the florists we partner with will create the spray and floral arrangements, then deliver them directly to our mortuary on the day of the funeral (if it’s an early morning service they will deliver the flowers the evening before). These flowers will then adorn the coffin and hearse as we transport your loved one to the service.
Our experienced team at Living Hope Funerals understand how important the right flowers are. We talk through the options with you so you can make the best choice that will also fit your budget. We partner with several local florists, all of which provide stunning arrangements that they deliver on time and within budget.