Floral tributes can be a lovely way to express your feelings at a funeral. A display of colourful blooms shows love and respect for the person who has gone, and can be a great comfort to the bereaved.
After the funeral, you may want to take some of the smaller arrangements home or offer them to close family and friends. Some people may wish to donate them to a local hospital, care home or hospice – although you should phone first to check they accept floral arrangements. With larger arrangements, you could ask each mourner if they’d like to select a single flower to take away with them. It gives everyone a little memory of the deceased and the remainder of the flowers can then be placed on the grave.
There are also ways to cherish the floral tributes by making them into a longer-lasting, or even permanent, keepsake. You could press the flowers then craft them into a bookmark or drinks coaster, or place the pressed flowers into a glass display frame to hang on the wall. If you like crafting you might also want to consider using the dried flowers to make into jewellery or creating a candle. There are also companies that will do this for you.
Potpourri is another way of holding onto floral tributes. This can be quite simple to make using dried flowers and leaves along with your favourite essential oil. You can enjoy the scent at home, or make up gift bags to give to family members or friends. This could make an especially memorable present for anyone who wasn’t able to attend the funeral.
And of course, if you accepted potted plants at the funeral, these can be replanted in your garden or given to a relative who isn’t able to regularly visit the churchyard or crematorium.
* For help and support planning a funeral or cremation, please contact us on 01438 316623.
