Flowers have been used to provide comfort and show sympathy for centuries. It is part of their amazing magic that they can signal so wonderfully such a range of human emotion, and for us as florists, designing for funerals is such a deeply moving part of the work.
If you are unsure what's appropriate to send to where, when for a sympathy occasion, here are some ideas and helpful info to guide you.
If you are sending to the funeral home, usually there will be one or two visitation periods ahead of the actual funeral, this is when family and friends gather to give their regards ahead of the funeral service. Sending flowers in advance of the funeral allows them to be displayed at the visitation reception., which is in general the day before the funeral.
Because flowers displayed at the funeral home are in a larger room with little furniture, we will recommend these pieces be larger in scale so they don't get lost and so they hold their place among other floral tributes that may be sent. Sending larger fuller vases such as our "Ava" design or the lovely "Mia" is most appropriate here. If you prefer to send something smaller scale, I'd recommend sending to the family home instead, as it is easier for them to be enjoyed rather than getting lost in the mix of larger arrangements. The flowers that are set on the casket, known as the Casket spray, are ordered by the immediate family only.
Colour wise, you may be thinking that funeral flowers need to be all white, but that's actually not at all the case. While traditionally many funeral arrangements are white, sending flowers that have some colour to them can help them add some warmth and comfort to an otherwise rather empty room at the funeral home, and helps them be seen and enjoyed by the family. Similarly, sending flowers with some richness of colour to the family home can add some sunshine at a very dark time. Really, there isn't a rule, you can choose to send what resonates with you, or the colour palette that reminds you of the person the service is for.