How do I know what is appropriate when ordering flowers for a funeral?

I just heard the news… Is it too late to send flowers?

The obituary says "In lieu of flowers," but I still would like to send flowers – is this appropriate?

I have seen a lot of different styles of floral arrangements at funeral services lately. What is best? How do I order a "special" design?

We want to send a flower arrangement to the service that the Family can bring home after the funeral. Is this commonly done?

Is it okay to send flowers to the family's home? If so, when is it appropriate to send them?

Is it still appropriate to send flowers if the death notice mentions a charitable donation?

Is it acceptable to send roses or flowers in a glass vase to the funeral home?

If several of us want to go in together for funeral flowers, how do we sign our names so the family knows how to thank us?

Where did the tradition of sending funeral flowers come from?

Is it appropriate to send a plant to the funeral home? If so, will the funeral home send it to the family after the service?

If I want to place a tribute in or on the casket, what should I do?

What is appropriate to send for a cremation?

I am not sure how to sign the card. What should I say?

We collected money among the people in our office to send flowers. How do we sign the card?

How do I know what is appropriate when ordering
flowers for a funeral?

Sympathy tributes vary. Our staff can make recommendations. Call Phone 816-228-9500

Sometimes we will know what the family has ordered or what other tributes are being sent and can suggest something that will be a nice complement to the other flowers. We are familiar with any restrictions the cemeteries might have. Additionally, if we are providing the family arrangements and the family has any special requests, we can pass that information on to you.

I have seen a lot of different styles of floral arrangements at funeral services lately. What is best? How do I order a "special" design?

Highly personalized sympathy tributes that depict an aspect of a person's essence are a growing trend. If the deceased was a man who loved the outdoors, perhaps a tribute incorporating branches and natural materials would be ideal. If the deceased was an avid gardener, a tribute with a collection of garden flowers may be a perfect choice. Be prepared to give us a few hints about the person you want to memorialize. If you prefer to send a design that is more a reflection of your style, be sure to communicate that to our staff.

Is it okay to send flowers to the family's home? If so, when is it appropriate to send them?

Yes, this is a wonderful way to express your sympathy and is a common trend. Some people choose to send flowers to the home immediately while others prefer to wait a week or more. There are no rules. Flowers can be a very comforting reminder during the grieving process that friends haven't forgotten.

for more info.

Is it still appropriate to send flowers if the death notice mentions a charitable donation?

Yes. Because flowers help say what is often difficult to express, they are always appropriate and in good taste. Flowers also play a functional role, adding warmth to the service and providing the visible emotional support that the family needs during this time.

Is it acceptable to send roses or flowers in a glass vase to the funeral home?

From an etiquette standpoint this is perfectly acceptable; however, some funeral homes have rules about certain types of arrangements. We are familiar with what each Kansas City area funeral home allows.

If several of us want to go in together for funeral flowers, how do we sign our names so the family knows how to thank us?

When groups go in together on flowers, the arrangements can be very special and make a larger showing. There should be room on the floral enclosure card for several names, but if there's not enough space it is best to sign as a group, such as "The Girls in Accounting" or "The Smith Family." Include a contact name and address on the card so the family knows whom to thank.

Where did the tradition of sending funeral flowers come from?

Flowers have always played an important role in burial traditions because of their soothing qualities. In ancient cultures, floral and herb essences were used to anoint the bodies of the deceased and aromatic flowers and greens were displayed.

Is it appropriate to send a plant to the funeral home? If so, will the funeral home send it to the family after the service?

Yes, it is appropriate to send a green or flowering plant. The funeral director will notify the family members that they may take the plants with them after the service.

If I want to place a tribute in or on the casket, what should I do?

This tradition is usually reserved for family members or special loved ones. Ask the family before ordering anything for the casket. We can offer suggestions for other special tributes.

What is appropriate to send for a cremation?

A tastefully designed floral tribute adds beauty to any type of memorial service. It is common for the family to have an arrangement designed for display with the urn. Because cremation is becoming increasingly more common, we have included specific arrangement suggestions.

here for more information on cremation.

I just heard the news… Is it too late to send flowers?

No matter when you hear the sad news, sending flowers is always appropriate. You can choose to send a flower arrangement to the service or home of the surviving family members.

The obituary says "In lieu of flowers," but I still would like to send flowers – is this appropriate?

Yes, flowers are also appropriate in these situations. Many people choose to send a token of remembrance to the service or family home as well as a donation to the charity indicated.

I am not sure how to sign the card. What should I say?

When writing a condolence note, Zunin and Zunin, authors of "The Art of Condolence" recommend including these components:

• Acknowledge the loss and the name of the deceased.
• Express your sympathy.
• Note special qualities of the deceased.
• End the note with a thoughtful word, a hope, a wish or expression of sympathy.

here for more detailed information on this topic

We collected money among the people in our office to send flowers. How do we sign the card?

You can sign it with the name of the business or group or use the individual names on the card. Try to keep the name list as concise as possible. You might want to get a larger greeting card and have everyone sign it as you collect the contributions. Then bring the card to the service. We can attach it to the design you are sending.

We want to send a flower arrangement to the service that the Family can bring home after the funeral. Is this commonly done?

This is commonly done but there are points to consider:

Flower arrangements for a funeral service are usually designed to be viewed from one angle or are "one sided". There are no flowers seen from the back side. They also have a distinct look. They look like "Funeral Flowers". They are designed to look large, sometimes "fanned out". Using this design style allows the arrangement to look larger for the amount spent for flowers because it doesn't have to look beautiful from the back. The container may be inexpensive, throw away "mache" or plastic, allowing more value to go towards more flowers in the arrangement.

If the flowers are intended to be taken home our designers recommend that we create an arrangement more suited to being viewed on a coffee table or end table. This usually means an "all around" arrangement designed to look beautiful from any angle. A design like this will appear smaller than a "Funeral Arrangement" even though the same or more money was spent for flowers and container.

If you choose to send an arrangement suitable for display at home don't be disappointed if the arrangement appears smaller when placed next to a typical "Funeral Piece". The value is there. The difference is the design.

Another option for take home is to send a tropical house plant, blooming plant or basket garden.