Flowers have always held deep meanings in funeral traditions, offering a way to express love, respect, and remembrance. However, this significance can sometimes make choosing the right arrangement feel overwhelming, especially when you want to create something truly meaningful for a loved one’s final farewell.
At Jackson Family Funerals, we understand how difficult this decision can be. During such an emotional time, selecting the most fitting tribute may feel overwhelming, and we are here to help guide you with care and sensitivity every step of the way.
Most Popular Funeral Flowers in the UK
Lilies
Lilies are perhaps the most commonly known and most traditional flowers for funerals. Their long-standing association with remembrance can be traced back to Victorian times, when floriography (the language of flowers) gave them the meaning of restored innocence of the soul. Today, Lilies are chosen to symbolise peace, purity and sympathy as well as new beginnings.
Roses
Roses are another timeless and traditional choice for funeral flowers. They are known for expressing love, respect and remembrance. Each colour has a slightly different meaning, making tributes more personal to the relationship once had. Pink roses convey appreciation and grace, yellow roses symbolise friendship and white roses represent purity and innocence.
Carnations
Carnations are a popular choice for funeral flowers alongside Roses and Lilies. Carnations are well known for symbolising love and affection for those who have passed. They are often an affordable choice, while still creating a full and beautiful display.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums hold a strong connection to funeral traditions and are widely used across the UK and Europe. They represent grief, sympathy and remembrance, while also symbolising loyalty and honour. In some European cultures, chrysanthemums are linked to rebirth.
While these are some of the most popular choices for funeral flower tributes, there is no right or wrong flower to choose, every flower has its own beauty and significance, it’s truly up to the family to give their own meaning to the tribute.
Types of Funeral Flower Arrangements
There are many different styles of funeral flower arrangements to choose from, each with their own meaning and purpose. Deciding on which type of arrangement to order depends on your relationship to the person who has passed.
Coffin Sprays
Coffin sprays are large floral arrangements placed on top of the coffin during the funeral service. They are usually chosen by the immediate family or who is planning the funeral. This is the main floral tribute during the service. A coffin spray can be double ended (most traditional) which is diamond shaped or single ended, which is teardrop shaped. At Jackson Family Funerals, we work with our local florists so that our families can have the choice of eco-friendly floral tributes, which are suitable for green funerals, as they are made without the use of floral foam. The eco-friendly coffin spray would be made like a tied sheaf, which is a bigger version of a flat bouquet to lie on the coffin, tied with some eco-friendly raffia.
Wreaths
Wreaths are one of the most common and traditional funeral tributes, arranged in floral foam in a circular shape to symbolise eternity and the cycle of life. They are a good choice for friends, extended family, and colleagues.
Posies
Posies are smaller and rounder shaped arrangements which are often chosen by friends or family members who would like something simple but meaningful. Posies are arranged in floral foam and are quite versatile for funeral services.
Sheaves
Sheaves or tied-sheaves is a bouquet that is designed to lie flat in a teardrop shape, often given by friends, extended family or colleagues. These are often quite loose and natural looking, as they are made without the structure and use of floral foam. After the service, this arrangement is often taken home by the family or friends and placed in water, as a lovely memorial to keep for a few days after the service.
Letter Tributes
Letter tributes are very personal arrangements shaped into letters to spell out a name or nickname, most commonly used for ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’, but any word or letter can be spelt out. These are placed in the hearse alongside the coffin and then brought to the service, they are chosen by the immediate family.
Heart-Shaped Tributes
Heart shaped arrangements are a deeply symbolic choice, representing love and affection. These arrangements can be made as a filled heart or an open heart, which has a hollow centre, both are arranged in floral foam to keep the shape. Heart shaped tributes are often chosen by close family members or partners as a way to express their love and emotional connection.
Custom-Shaped Tributes
For those looking to create something truly personal, custom-shaped tributes offer a meaningful way to reflect a loved-one’s passions and personality. These bespoke funeral flower arrangements can be created in almost any shape, depending on the florist’s expertise. At Jackson Family Funerals, we have led funeral services in which the families have created truly unique arrangements such as a sewing machine for someone who loved sewing, an anchor for an avid sailor, or tributes using the colours of a favourite football team.
If you would like further guidance in choosing the right funeral flowers or creating a meaningful tribute, our team is here to help. We work closely with trusted local florists in Worcester, allowing us to offer the highest-quality and best advice to our families, when choosing their funeral flower arrangements.