You don’t have to be a professional florist to know what flowers to include in your sympathy arrangement. Here is a guide on choosing sympathy flowers, including the types of flowers to send and their meanings.
Food and flowers can bring a measure of comfort to those grieving the loss of a loved one. While food feeds the body, flowers feed the heart of the bereaved. With their vivid colors and beautiful scents, flowers bring a glimmer of hope and happiness during the mourning period. You can send them to visitation, the funeral service, the graveside, the family’s home, or the office. While flowers like roses and lilies have traditionally been used in arrangements and will never go out of style, using a greater variety of flowers and more personalized sympathy notes is becoming increasingly common.
What are Sympathy Flowers?
Sympathy flowers are frequently offered at funerals to show the grieving that they are not alone in their grief and loss. These flowers are typically used to convey support, with phrases such as “There’s no way I can know how you feel, but if it helps some, this tiny gesture may provide some consolation.”
Mums, carnations, lilies, and even blooming fruit trees are popular for sympathy flowers. They’re generally put on top of or near the departed person after they’ve passed, so those who don’t have time for more elaborate arrangements can still show condolences by giving these sympathy flowers in different colors.
The Meaning of Colors
Sympathy flowers come in various colors, each with its own meaning.
- Black represents mourning
- White symbolizes purity or innocence
- Yellow represents sympathy for the unexpected death of someone close to you, such as an accidental death
- Lavender represents feelings between friends who care deeply about the sender’s sorrows and pain from their losses.
- Purple conveys deep respect, which may be out of reverence or regret over someone’s passing away. This can also represent love lost due to distance, such as when individuals cannot see loved ones on time owing to geographical distance but still desire peace while thinking of them during this challenging time.
- Blue represents hope
- Red evokes strong emotions like anger, powerlessness, and love
- Pale colors, such as white and cream, imply purity. They also suggest delicate tranquility or peace in response to grief.
It’s not surprising to see this on many sympathy arrangements for funerals or other somber occasions because mourners often need all they can get from an external source during these difficult periods of mourning. Still, while there are no set rules about which flowers should be used when sending condolences with any given color scheme in mind, most florists will have their preferences based on what would best suit your specific needs.
Types of Sympathy Flowers
Many types of sympathy flowers in different colors exist. They can range from traditional funeral arrangements to something as simple and thoughtful as a single rose in remembrance or even an arrangement with daisies, often seen by the deceased’s bedside during their final days on earth. The most popular type, though, seems to be cut flower bouquets for burial services because they represent beauty while also being symbolic reminders of life continuing after death.
When choosing sympathy flowers, you may focus on the prettiest ones, but many traditional funeral flowers have significant meanings attached that you should be aware of. Here are some to consider:
Different Flowers & Their Meanings
Lilies: With their stark, waxy white petals and strong aroma, lilies have long been the go-to funeral flowers with significant meaning. Lilies symbolize the spiritual journey of the departed and that their soul has returned to a state of grace and peace.
Roses: Roses are an excellent choice for sympathy flowers because their scent is lovely, and each color offers a different meaning. For instance, white roses naturally symbolize purity and spirituality, whereas deep red roses symbolize love and grief. Pink roses are typically used to express gratitude, while yellow roses symbolize a special bond of friendship. Consider mixing roses with other flowers when ordering a casket or standing sprays.
Orchids: What a beautiful flower with a gorgeous meaning: “I will always love you.” If you want to send something special to the family’s home after the services, consider sending a whole orchid plant that will last much longer than orchids cut for an arrangement.
Carnations: Have you ever wondered why many sympathy flowers contain pink carnations? It may be because, for Catholics and other Christian religions, pink carnations are believed to be created from Mary’s tears. Whether that is your personal belief or not, carnations are simple, delicate flowers with a lovely, sweet scent that makes people happy.
Hydrangeas: It’s hard to see a Hydrangea and not smile—that is the effect they have on most people and the effect you are trying to elicit with your sympathy flowers. While the meaning of this flower is a bit ambiguous, many believe it symbolizes true and deep, heartfelt emotions. As with orchids, the whole plant versions will always last longer than the cut arrangement.
When To Send Sympathy Flowers
Traditionally, sympathy flowers are sent to the funeral home during visiting hours or to the church for the service. However, many people are increasingly choosing to send sympathy flowers a week or more after the service to the family’s home to remind the bereaved that they are still in people’s thoughts during the grieving process.
Typically, friends and family will be available immediately after a loved one has passed, offering a lot of attention and condolences, and then leaving town and going back to their everyday lives after the funeral and burial. Even if you send flowers to the service, consider sending them to the family’s home a month after the funeral to remind them they are loved.
Express Your Sympathy with Flower Arrangements
Sympathy flower arrangements and bouquets are thoughtful gestures that say how much you care with words. There’s nothing more comforting than the beauty of flowers to lift someone’s spirits, so giving sympathy flowers can be an essential part of showing your condolences during this difficult time for them. Sympathy flower arrangements are made up of pastel colors like pink or lavender, while bouquets may include one type mixed with brighter shades such as yellow or orange to create contrast among the blooms.
It can be challenging to express yourself when nothing seems appropriate. Still, sympathy flowers offer an excellent opportunity for people from all walks of life. They can express their discomfort alongside those mourning without fear of being rejected because what else could any person want other than someone willing to help?
by Jenna Bruce, Blog Contributor