How to Buy Sympathy Funeral Flowers
In our society it is almost always appropriate to send sympathy flowers when a friend or loved one has died. The exception is when the family has requested there be no flowers sent; family flowers only; or they request donations be made to charity instead. This information almost always appears in a published obituary or may be obtained by calling the funeral director of the chosen funeral home. In most cases flowers are considered a sign of love and respect, and they are welcomed by the family of the deceased.
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Things You'll Need
- Name of the funeral home where the services will be held
- Date of the visitation and/or funeral
Instructions
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How to Buy Sympathy Funeral Flowers
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1
Decide if you'll purchase flowers on your own or as part of a family or group of friends. It's perfectly acceptable to buy them this way. It also helps those who may not otherwise be able to afford such a purchase to contribute to buying flowers.
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2
Provide the florist with the name of the deceased, as well as the name and address of the funeral home where the services will be held. Provide the date of the visitation and funeral, and specify when you'd like to have your sympathy funeral flowers arrive. You may not always have your first choice of delivery dates, but most florists work hard to accommodate their customers.
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Specify what kind of arrangement you'd like to have sent. Some options include wreaths, vases, bouquets and arrangements including specific kinds of flowers and those made up in specific colors.
Determine ahead of time how much you can afford to spend. Ask the florist or peruse the online site for the cost of an arrangement that you like in your price range. Be sure to figure in both service charges and delivery costs when deciding upon your budget.
If you can't afford a large arrangement of flowers, a few single stems kept fresh with plastic water picks are appropriate as well. The thought is far more important than the cost of the flowers. -
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Specify what you'd like written on the small card that will accompany the flowers. Never assume that by simply signing the card "Mary," that the family will know who sent them. Since the deceased and family likely knew many people, be specific, opting instead for "Mary Jones" or "Mary from the office."
It's fine to add a very brief message when sending the flowers, but keep it to one or two short sentences. Save longer messages for sympathy cards instead. -
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Call the funeral home ahead of the viewing or funeral to be certain that your floral delivery has arrived. Some flower shops can be a bit negligent with deliveries and will try to deliver the arrangement to the home of the bereaved after the fact. At that point your credit card has been charged; you may need to involve the credit card company in refunding your money if the florist is not cooperative. Confirming the delivery can save you some trouble as well as some embarrassment if the flowers haven't arrived at all.
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