The sending of flowers has had several functions over the years. It is believed the most valuable of these functions was to allow the family of the departed member to realize the passage of time before having to say their final goodbyes. It was not uncommon for a wake to be spread over a much longer period of time than we are accustomed to today as it took family members and friends longer periods of time to travel to pay their last respects. Flowers that were received as a show of sympathy for those who were unable to make the trip served two functions. It represented the individuals that were unable to attend and the perishability of the cut flowers signaled a significant passage of time from the date of death to the graveside ceremony.

Today's customs have changed significantly. Long wakes are no longer the norm. In fact, there has been a significant shift to no wake at all. Only a memorial service is given. How does this affect the sending of flowers?

Professional florists often hear "I don't like sending flowers because they just die". Actually, that used to be the very reason for sending flowers, to visualize the passage of time. With today's shorter wakes, one should not expect their floral presentation to perish before the final service. There are a few exceptions for flower varieties that have an extremely short expectancy but generally, that statement remains true. In an effort to provide a variety of options, professional florists have several categories to accommodate different intentions of the sender. They include:

Traditional Funeral Arrangements focus on giving a maximum amount of size and show for each dollar spent. They include arrangements made in large containers, on easels, or set pieces made in the shape of hearts, crosses, etc. The term traditional is because for many decades, these were the only styles of arrangements that were sent for funerals. It was a way of separating sending of flowers for a funeral from that of happier occasions. If bigger is better, this is the choice you will want to make.

Table Arrangements became popular for two different reasons. First, because they usually do not provide the size and show of a traditional arrangement, less materials are required to make one. This allowed the minimum cost to be under that of a traditional arrangement. Second and most importantly, they are designed in a style that would be appropriate for someone to take home after the service is over and enjoy in their homes. With today's shorter wake time, this became an added value.

Plants and Dish gardens have grown significantly in popularity over the past two decades. While they provide the smallest presentation at the funeral home, they will last the longest after the service is over. This is mostly a good thing but for some situations it can be a bad thing. It can be bad if one dies suddenly and prematurely, looking at this plant for an extended period after the service only rekindles the shock and loss that a loved one experiences. While this is an unusual circumstance, it does happen with occasion so you need to ask yourself if this is possible for your situation.