Funeral Flowers

Errata

That's an excellent suggestion. Despite the 'donations please' at a family funeral this time last year many fresh flower wreaths were sent. The night after the funeral the temperature dropped below freezing and all that could be seen next day of the flowers was sodden collapsed brown lumps. Not a pretty sight.

Aspiring

petunia100 wrote: »

Do you mean the local directory near to the funeral?
Thanks for your condolences.

Yes, I did mean local to the funeral.

Mind you, when my FIL died, we chose a local-to-us florist, yet the funeral was the other end of the country. Don't know quite what arrangement was made, all I know is, we looked through the books of our local florist, chose our arrangement and colours; paid.

When we attended the funeral, the flowers had been delivered as per our instructions.

A special wreath is very expensive though, so I do think it depends on how close the relationship is as to how much you wish to spend. Ours was a few years back and cost us £160.

A funeral I went to last year, people were asked for donations OR --- a rose. To see all those single roses was extrodinarily moving (and very fitting for the deceased too).

lolababy

Hi I ordered flowers from my local florist and they were only 15 pounds delivered. They were really nice as Id left the florist to make them up. This was only last year so im sure you can get thye same or similar deal near you.

hardpressed

IF you know who the undertakers are you could ask them the names and tel no of local florists,

elainew

Flowers at funerals are one of my biggest bug bares but I know its an individuals choice.
Years ago my gran died and my dad ordered flowers from a florst--they cost him a small fortune only for them to to be dead a few days later in the vase on the grave. Several weeks later his aunt died and we bought a beautiful bouquet from Aldi of all places. they were gorgeous and many people admired them and they lasted on the grave for weeks.
I personally think its such a waste of money to see all the flowers dumped behind a crematorium or wasting away on the grave.
A previous poster said its not a time to feel guilty. The only one who makes anything is the florist

petunia100

Thanks for all your replies. They have been very helpful.

pattycake

elainew wrote: »

Flowers at funerals are one of my biggest bug bares but I know its an individuals choice.
Years ago my gran died and my dad ordered flowers from a florst--they cost him a small fortune only for them to to be dead a few days later in the vase on the grave. Several weeks later his aunt died and we bought a beautiful bouquet from Aldi of all places. they were gorgeous and many people admired them and they lasted on the grave for weeks.
I personally think its such a waste of money to see all the flowers dumped behind a crematorium or wasting away on the grave.
A previous poster said its not a time to feel guilty. The only one who makes anything is the florist

I cannot agree with you on this. My mother passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on the 2nd January this year. We had a cross made up of flowers from my father, my brother and myself. A wreath from the grandchildren and a small posy from the great-grandchildren. We instructed the undertaker on what we wanted and he took care of it for us. We asked for donations from all the other mourners.

The flowers looked wonderful on the coffin and as it was a burial, they were placed on the filled grave. My father and I went to the churchyard the next day to look at the flowers again and to read the cards. All the family had had their own card and an opportunity to say good-bye to my dear mother.

I visited the grave again a week later and the flowers still looked fresh with the exception of the roses which were in the arrangements. I am sure they are probably looking very wilted now but they gave us comfort and pleasure for a short while.

I consider it money well spent and a token of how much my mother meant to us all.

elainew

Its a personal decision but the only one in my opinion who gains any comfort is the florist who has made a small fortune out of people greiving.
The person who has died doesnt get to see them-I'd rather give the money to charity than to see flowers rotting on a grave

pattycake

elainew wrote: »

Its a personal decision but the only one in my opinion who gains any comfort is the florist who has made a small fortune out of people greiving.
The person who has died doesnt get to see them-I'd rather give the money to charity than to see flowers rotting on a grave

elainew, you have clearly not experienced a bereavement of someone close to you. I think you may well feel differently when that sad event happens to you. The whole of the funeral ceremony is not really for the benefit of the deceased. It is for the living to try to come to terms with what has occurred. As I said in my previous post, the flowers were a comfort to us and formed part of the ritual of closure.

A very sizeable donation was made to two charities in my mother's memory. The family made a healthy contribution and the rest was in fives, tens and twenties from the friends, neighbours and aquaintances whose lives she had touched in her 83 years on this earth.

On the Order of Service for the funeral, we had the words "A Celebration for the Life of.................". Flowers are an integral part of any celebration surely.

elainew

pattycake wrote: »

elainew, you have clearly not experienced a bereavement of someone close to you. I think you may well feel differently when that sad event happens to you.

How dare you !! You dont know me. I buried my baby. A tiny little boy in a white coffin . As previously said-its a personal decision so dont you dare tell me i havent experienced bereavement.