A wreath or floral tribute of some description is probably one of the first things anyone associates with a funeral.\u00a0 Indeed, flowers have always been a major part of the burial traditions of most cultures (with the notable exception of Judaism \u2013 it is not traditional to send flowers to a Jewish funeral, but baskets of fruit or food instead). Their widespread popularity is not only due to their visual beauty, but because herbal and floral essences were also once used to anoint the deceased, and their scents used for practical as well as aesthetic purposes.<\/p>\n
There is no denying the emotive impact of flowers at a funeral.\u00a0 Many people still remember the three simple white wreaths on Princess Diana\u2019s flag-draped coffin; or the stunning blanket of five hundred blue irises on singer Michael Hutchence\u2019s, with one poignant tiger-lily in their midst as his daughter\u2019s namesake.\u00a0 Wreaths from relatives describing the deceased\u2019s relationship to them – \u2018MUM\u2019, \u2018DAD\u2019, \u2018SON\u2019, etc. – are still popular.\u00a0 These can be expensive though: on Interflora\u2019s website the price listed for a \u2018Dad\u2019 floral tribute is \u00a3120, and for \u2018Mum\u2019, interestingly, an additional \u00a315, at \u00a3135. (Small wonder, then, that you rarely see one reading \u2018DAUGHTER\u2019 !)<\/p>\n
But there are a bewilderingly large number of options open to anybody wanting to pay their respects to the deceased, or as a gesture of support for their families.\u00a0 As the website Aboutflowers.com suggests, floral tributes often vary stylistically from region to region, so it is best to take advice from a local florist on what is appropriate for a particular funeral, and any restrictions the cemetery or funeral home may have.\u00a0 The undertaker may have taken specific instructions from the next of kin, so it is also worth checking with them.\u00a0 Wreaths for the casket itself tend to be reserved for family members or particularly close friends, and it would be considered insensitive to order something for the casket without consulting the family first.<\/p>\n
Standard wreaths, sprays of flowers, and posies remain the most popular options, and range in average price from \u00a330-\u00a380 depending on size or colour.\u00a0 Florists are happy to work in colours of the customer\u2019s choice, or, if local, they may well know in advance the colour schemes already specified by the family for the funeral.\u00a0 Were a customer to request unusual flowers or tributes, the florist would need as much notice as possible.
\nThese days it is possible to ask for pretty much anything in the way of a tribute, and there is a growing trend in requesting something that reflects the personality or hobbies of the deceased; often something fairly outlandish.<\/p>\n
Alison Picknell, who has been a florist in Surrey for 20 years, states:\u00a0 \u201cYou can make most things if you use chicken wire and moss, with a \u2018basing\u2019 of double chrysanthemums.\u00a0 I\u2019ve done all sorts of things:\u00a0 a ladder and bucket for a window cleaner; an angel; horses heads; glasses of brandy; a football shirt in the deceased\u2019s favourite team\u2019s colours.\u00a0 I once made a whole pub, down to the little window boxes!\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a nice idea, but the more unusual tributes don\u2019t come cheap \u2013 upwards of \u00a380 depending on size and complexity.\u00a0 For example, Interflora charge \u00a385 for a little blue and white teddy bear, \u00a3150 for a football, and \u00a3200 for a motor car made out of double spray chrysanthemums and carnations.\u00a0 It is a good idea for groups known to the deceased, ie. work colleagues, or fellow club members, to pool their resources to buy one impressive tribute, rather than many smaller ones.\u00a0 There may well not be enough room on the accompanying card to write all the individual names, in which case it is more appropriate to put: \u2018From your friends at the gym\u2019 or \u2018From the whole department\u2019 (make sure that there is at least one name and contact address, so the family can write a letter of thanks afterwards).<\/p>\n
There are other options, though.\u00a0 If the deceased has been in a nursing or old folks\u2019 home, a nice idea is to buy flowers in small bunches which can later be distributed amongst the other residents of the home.\u00a0 And it is always important to check the announcement of the death, or ask the family as, increasingly these days, only \u2018private\u2019 flowers are requested, –\u00a0 ie. flowers just from close family – and a charitable donation is preferred in lieu of other floral tributes.\u00a0 If so, it is still acceptable to send a bunch or posy of flowers to the next of kin\u2019s home as a declaration of love and support for them in their time of trial, but just not wreaths to the actual funeral.<\/p>\n
Another perfectly acceptable alternative might be to send a pot plant of some description to the undertakers, to be delivered to the family after the funeral.\u00a0 Or something entirely different and non-organic: naming a star after the deceased; buying a seat in their name at their favourite theatre or sports ground; or a bench in a park they used to love (although all of those options are considerably pricier than flowers).\u00a0 You could always buy a tree from a garden centre and plant it yourself, with prior permission from the local authority if in a public place.\u00a0 Even if there is no plaque attached to it, family and friends can still be made aware of the significance of it as a gesture, and as something by which to remember the deceased.<\/p>\n
On the whole, however, the trend is still towards giving money to a charity of choice, as well as some floral tributes at the funeral itself.\u00a0\u00a0 Differing preferences for the two options tend to be regional:\u00a0 inner city florists receive far fewer requests for elaborate tributes\/wreaths than do suburban florists, and the general consensus of opinion is that younger city-dwellers spend far less on flowers when they do request them.\u00a0 It is the more elderly suburban or country demographic who spend the most money, as the traditional notion still hold firm that flowers are synonymous with funerals.<\/p>\n