Funeral flower arrangement ideas: choosing the right tribute

Flowers are common at many types of funerals. In traditional UK funeral practices, they symbolise love, respect and remembrance. At Hindu funerals, they're closely tied to belief in reincarnation – a visual reminder of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

If you're planning a funeral, it's up to you whether to have flowers. Many find that funeral flower arrangements bring comfort.

Others prefer to keep things simple or choose not to have flowers for religious or cultural reasons.

In this guide, we share a few flower arrangement ideas for funerals. We look at:

• Common flower arrangement styles
• Types of funeral flowers and what they symbolise
• Where to get flowers for the funeral
• How to choose the right funeral flowers
  
  

We hope it helps you come up with the right funeral flower ideas for the service you're planning.

Funeral flower arrangements: the most common styles

Flower arrangements come in all sorts of styles, from the simple to the ornate. These styles are most common at funerals in the UK.

Sprays and sheaves

A spray is a structured floral tribute where flowers are arranged around a foam base. A sheaf is similar, but has no foam base – instead, the flowers are hand-tied like a bouquet.

What they have in common is that they're designed to lie flat and be viewed from one side. Often, they're laid out on the coffin or a stand. That's why sprays are sometimes called "coffin sprays".

Sprays and sheaves come in a wide range of sizes and can be simple or elaborate, though sprays tend to be more elaborate. You can expect to pay between £30 and £190, depending on the size and intricacy of the arrangement.

Wreaths

Wreaths are ring-shaped arrangements, often including flowers, leaves and shrubs. Their unbroken shape symbolises eternal life and everlasting love.

Like sprays and sheaves, they're often placed on the coffin at the funeral. People also commonly lay them on graves.

A small, simple wreath can cost as little as £35, while a large, elaborate wreath might set you back £150 or more.

Posies

A posy is a small, compact bunch of flowers. At funerals, they're often shaped like domes so they can be viewed from all angles.

Because of their size, posies are a more affordable option. Prices typically range from £25 to £65, though more elaborate designs can cost as much as £150.

Pillows

A funeral pillow (or cushion) is a traditional floral arrangement shaped like a pillow. This shape symbolises peace and eternal rest.

Most commonly, funeral pillows feature a dense base of white chrysanthemums, with only a few larger flowers for decoration.

Sometimes, flowers in other colours are used to spell out a word, such as "sister", "mother" or the name of the person who died.

Funeral pillows tend to be on the costlier side, with options typically ranging from £50 to £180.

Shapes and letters

You can get flower arrangements in all sorts of shapes. At Christian funerals, crosses are common, while hearts are a popular non-religious choice.

It's also common to see floral letters spelling out a meaningful word, such as "Dad", "Mum" or the person's name. These are often placed on a stand inside the hearse (funeral car) or at the front of the service.

Floral hearts are often priced between £50 and £100. Letters must be bought individually, with each letter typically costing from £25 to £55.

Bespoke designs

If you have unique funeral ideas for flowers, you can work with a florist to create a completely bespoke tribute.

These types of floral arrangements usually involve more work, so tend to cost more. A small custom arrangement might cost £75, while a very large and elaborate design can cost as much as £700.

Types of funeral flowers