When organising a funeral, one of the decisions people worry over is the flower display that will be on the coffin or casket, as it will be in the centre of the service. There are options such as wreaths, casket mounds, and those shaped into a cross. Similarly, if you’re attending a funeral or offering condolences, if you’re unable to attend, choosing a flower arrangement is a difficult decision for many. No wonder so many people are searching ‘flower meanings funeral‘. Flowers have had a place at funerals for thousands of years. In the 19th century, ‘flower ladies’ would arrange flowers at the cemetery plot and carry them in the procession from the funeral home.
We’ll now go through some of the common choices and explain the symbolism behind them to help you make your mind up. Expressing your condolences can be difficult if you’re not good with words, but choosing a flower display that sends the message you want can help.
The Significance of Flower Types
Lilies are a traditional funeral flower choice. Calla lilies with their beautiful white curve represent resurrection and rebirth, so they are a particularly good choice if the bereaved believe in an afterlife. Yellow lilies, on the other hand, represent thankfulness, so they can express your gratitude that you were able to be a part of the deceased person’s life. Another white plant, the daisy, signifies peace and hope, which can show your wishes to help the bereaved start to heal from their grief.
Snapdragons can add a beautiful, rich colour to a bouquet and have a positive message by symbolising graciousness and strength. Flowers with a similar look, gladiolus flowers, represent integrity and strength. Another colourful flower, tulips represent love, peace, and hope, which is a thoughtful message at a difficult time. Lavender can bring a beloved scent while representing grace, purity, and devotion, so they’re a good option for religious people.
If you’d like to send multiple messages in one, consider orchids and irises. Orchids represent courage, peace, love, and hope. Irises represent hope, wisdom, admiration, courage, and faith. Roses and carnations hold different messages depending on their colours. For example, red roses show love and respect, while yellow roses show friendship, and crimson represents grief and sorrow. All carnations represent grief and sympathy, so send a nice message. Pink carnations also signify remembrance, while white carnations show love, so they are a touching way to say you’re thinking of the family.
The Significance of Flower Colours
Now we’ve considered the type of flowers you could choose, we’ll now consider flower colour meaning for funerals. We mentioned carnations and rose above as their symbolism changes depending on the colour. For other flowers, you can combine the significance of the flower type with the symbolism of a colour to send a thoughtful message.
White flowers are common for funerals, especially on a casket or coffin, as they represent elegance and eternal love. It took some time for people to adjust to including colour in funeral bouquets, but colourful flowers can help brighten the space, cutting through the heavy atmosphere, and each colour has its own meaning. Choosing the colour pink represents compassion and grace, while yellow signifies hope and friendship. Blue flowers show your sympathy and sadness, and purple signifies this as well as your admiration and respect. Although some people steer clear of the following colours as they feel too bold, red shows respect and love, while orange can reflect joy and warmth. Focusing on joy at this time can feel controversial, but it may help the grieving family remember their good times with their loved one and have hope for the future.
At Gardenia Funerals, we have flower and coffin bundles available, and we can help you make your decision. Find out more about our dedication to heartfelt services here.