Field Notes for August 2014

by Tami Field, floral manager

August is here! Can you believe how fast this year is going by? The weather is still beautiful and our wedding season in well underway. While we enjoy the happy times in our floral department, birthdays, weddings, new babies and such, we are still faced with the not so happy times like funerals. Binley Florist specializes in the careful attention to the needs of the family and friends of the deceased in these difficult times.

Flowers sent to the funeral home serve as a tribute at the service of the deceased. They add decoration, beauty, fragrance and life to a somber event. They are symbolic not only of love and sympathy, but also of eternity and immortality. Throughout the world, funeral flowers have played an important role in funeral customs because of their fragrant beauty and comforting qualities. In ancient times, tradition called for loved ones to use flowers and herbs to anoint the bodies of the deceased, while aromatic flowers and plants were used to decorate the burial site. Today, flowers remain one of the most beautiful ways to express our condolences when words fail us. Need help getting started? Please give Binleys a call or stop by and let our professionals help pick and make something to fit any of your needs. Below are a few questions that may come about as you are picking out flowers for sympathy or a funeral.

What's the difference between "funeral flowers" and "sympathy flowers"?

Flowers for the funeral service go to the funeral home. The arrangements are often large and formal and provide decoration and serve as a tribute to the deceased. They will look best in a funeral home and at graveside services. Funeral flowers are usually not addressed to a particular loved one of the deceased but are intended, instead, as a way to pay respect to the deceased themselves. Funeral flowers should never be sent to the home as they can be upsetting to grieving people when sent to home or office.

Sympathy flowers go to the home of the deceased. They should be addressed and sent directly to a loved one of the deceased (family member, friend, acquaintance or business associate) who has suffered a recent loss. They are usually smaller or mid-sized floral arrangements that look good on end tables or used as centerpieces. Plants also make a great sympathy choice because they provide a lasting reminder of your thoughtfulness and serve as a keepsake in memory of the recipient's loved one.

Are there certain types of flowers that are not appropriate for sending to a funeral service?

Every flower when tastefully arranged is appropriate for expressing condolences. Designs that are going to a memorial or funeral service usually have larger flowers to create dramatic tributes. These might include gladioli, snapdragons, lilies, standard chrysanthemums, carnations and roses. Small-scale flowers in mid- to small-size designs are usually used for sending to the home. Only family members who are arranging the funeral should order flowers for the casket.