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Author : Jessica Hanson

Avalon European Floral's wild flower feel is for the girl (or boy, of course) who would 'rather be camping'! Designers use curly willow, yarrow, orange lilies and other flowers that suggest a roadside gathering. Delivered in a rustic basket or vase with polished rock or other ourdoorsy accents!

Date Published : 8/17/2018 11:19:49 AM

If you’re choosing flowers for a funeral, discover these beautiful funeral flower meanings, from white lilies for peace to lilacs for love.

The history of funeral flowers

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Giving funeral flowers is one of the oldest funeral traditions in the world. Archaeologists have analysed graves from over 62,000 years ago in Iraq and found fragments of flowers left as a tribute.

Thousands of years later, funeral flowers are still a tradition that exists across many different cultures around the world.

The meaning of funeral flowers

Flowers are thought to represent the natural circle of life. Different types of flowers also have different symbolism. Here are some other common funeral flower choices and their symbolic meaning:

White lilies– This is the flower most associated with funerals. They are commonly used in funeral flower arrangements, floral sprays and funeral wreaths. The white lily represents peace and purity. In Christianity, the Virgin Mary is often shown holding lilies.

Gladioli– Meaning ‘little swords’ in Latin, these tall-stemmed flowers are often used in funeral sprays, which may decorate the coffin. Because of their name and sturdy shape, Gladioli are traditionally associated with strength and courage.

Carnations– These flowers are a popular choice for sympathy flowers, perfect for a posy or bouquet. They are also widely used in special tributes in unique shapes such as hearts and teddy bears. Pink carnations in particular represent a mother’s love.

Chrysanthemums– In some European counties, such as France, Belgium and Italy, chrysanthemums are symbolic of death. They are only used for funerals and as floral tributes. In China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums symbolise sadness and grief.

Roses– The ancient Greeks and Romans associated roses with the goddesses of love. White roses have become a classic choice for funeral flower arrangements. Traditionally, yellow roses symbolise friendship, while dark red roses stand for eternal love and grief.

Lavender– These purple, scented blooms are a common addition to gardens and flower boxes, but can also be used in funeral flower arrangements. Lavender represents devotion and holiness.

Daffodils– Because daffodils are a sign of the start of spring, they have come to represent hope and rebirth. Although not a traditional funeral flower, they’ve become a popular addition as a symbol of joy and celebration of life.

Orchid– These stunning flowers are popular choices as sympathy flowers, particularly in white or pale pink. They can be bought as potted plants, for a longer lasting sympathy gift.

Peace Lily– The peace lily symbolises innocence and remembrance. It lasts longer than traditional cut flower arrangements, making it perfect for a thoughtful bereavement gift.

Hyacinth– These fragrant flowers are perfect in a mixed funeral flower arrangement. They are said to be named by Apollo, in memory of the Greek hero Hyakinthos. Purple hyacinths are particularly associated with sorrow.

Forget-me-nots– As the name suggests, these delicate blue flowers represent remembrance. As an alternative to traditional funeral flower arrangements, some grieving families hand out seed packets of forget-me-nots so that each guest can grow their own floral tribute.

Lilacs– These flowers often represent love, while white lilacs are symbols of youth and innocence. The flowers make a beautiful addition to a sympathy flower arrangement.

Sunflowers– A choice that has become recently popular for celebrations of life, sunflowers are remarkable for the way they always turn to face the warmth of the sun. Their large, bright petals are a perfect symbol of joy and thankfulness.

Willow– Branches from weeping willows can be used in floral arrangements to represent sadness and grief. In China and some other Asian countries, willows are associated with the afterlife and spirits of people who have died.

Choosing funeral flowers

Funeral directors and florists can help you find the perfect floral tributes for a loved one’s funeral. Although there are some traditional choices, more and more types of flowers are becoming acceptable for funeral flower arrangements.

If there’s a particular flower that was your loved one’s favourite, ask your chosen funeral director or florist if they can incorporate it into arrangements.

Alternatively, more people are choosing not to have funeral flowers. Instead, mourners are asked to make a charitable donation in the name of the person who has died.

If you’re arranging a loved one’s funeral, or thinking about what you’d like at your own funeral, discover beautifulfuneral poemsand popularfuneral songs.

When you buy anAvalon funeral plan, you can make special requests, such as what flowers you’d like, or what music you want played. Your requests will be given directly to the funeral director when the time comes, so your family will know exactly what you wanted for your final farewell. Find out more about our range offuneral plans.

About the author

With a Masters from the University of Bristol, Jessica Hanson has worked in the funeral sector for several years, following the latest industry trends and writing about end of life planning. Jessica has previously written as a blogger for the Huffington Post, covering topics such as death positivity, understanding grief and how funerals are changing. You can find Jessica on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Author : Chris Jones

Date Published : 9/3/2018 5:16:58 PM

Sci-fi and fantasy fans are planning the ultimate tributes with themed funerals honouring their favourite books and films.

In recent years, the rising popularity of personalised funerals means that there’s more choice than ever when it comes to choosing how you want to be remembered. Now people young and old are choosing to plan themed funerals based on their favourite books and films.

RecentlyVeronica Leaning, a 78-year-old woman from Grimsby, has been making headlines by planning her own Harry Potter funeral.

After a terminal cancer diagnosis, Veronica started planning the perfect Potter themed send-off, including a customised coffin painted in the Hogwarts house colours. She has also requested that mourners ditch traditional black suits and instead dress up and witches and wizards in honour of her favourite fictional world.

“I don’t want my funeral to be a sad and boring occasion,” she said. “I want people to have a nice time and enjoy some of the things that I loved in life and I can think of nothing better than everyone coming in dressed as wizards and witches.”

Back in 2016, mourners paid tribute to 18-year-old Arthur Peebles with a superhero themed funeral. In loving tribute to the teenage comic book fan, guests arrived dressed as Batman, Buzz Lightyear and Captain America, to name but a few.

Arthur’s custom coffin featured the Superman logo and the funeral service included a reading from one his favourite films, Iron Giant.

Last year, 30-year-old Roman Parsons from Stoke-on-Trent also had a comic book themed funeral. Hundreds attended, with guests dressed as superheroes such as Iron Man, Wolverine and Spiderman. Friends and family gave floral tributes in the design of Captain America’s shield/

The Afghanistan veteran was also an aspiring actor who dreamed of starring in a Marvel film.

“’For as long as I can remember he was a geek, and loved collecting comic books and dressing up as characters from the Marvel films,” his sister Rebecca told theDaily Mail.

“When he passed away, it seemed right to pay tribute to him with a comic book themed funeral, it’s just something that the whole family agreed on very quickly. It’s something that’s a bit different, but that was Roman to a tee. It’s lovely to know that we’ve been able to lay him to rest in the way that he would have wanted.”

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Star Wars super-fan Gordon Deacon from Cardiff had a funeral worthy of a true Jedi after he passed away in 2015. The traditional funeral horsedrawn hearse was led by a procession of stormtroopers.

“He was mad on Star Wars. We went to see the first film in 1977 and ever since then he was fixated with it,” saidhis wife, Marilyn. “My husband didn’t want people to wear black, his wish was to have a different funeral.”

AnotherStar Wars fan in Yeovil, Somerset, also had Stormtroopers leading his funeral procession. Roger Conway, 41, was remembered by friends and family dressed in Star Wars tee-shirts and fancy dress. The ‘Imperial March’ music from the movies was played as his coffin was brought into the crematorium, and the ending theme from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was played at the end of the service.

How to plan your themed funeral

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If you’ve got a favourite film or book that you want to incorporate in your send-off, here are just some of the ways you can make your funeral a themed celebration of life:

• Ask guests to dress up in costumes or different colours – and many funeral directors will also be happy to join in with the fancy dress.
• Check out custom coffins that can be decorated with any logo or picture you choose.
• Think about floral tributes too. Are there any words or logos you’d like to adorn your coffin in the form of flowers? Florists can accommodate all sorts of unusual requests.
• What kind of music do you want? You could play the theme song from your favourite film.
• Include quotations from the book or film as readings in the funeral service.
• Continue the theme for the funeral wake. Having a wake after the funeral service gives you a chance to go all-out with themed decorations.

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If you’ve got an unusual request or personal preference, make sure you write your wishes down or talk to your loved ones about your ideas. That way they’ll know what you want and you’ll know that you’ll get the funeral you want.

When you buy an Avalon funeral plan, you can fill in a special requests form, which is kept with your nominated funeral director. When the time comes, the funeral director will share your requests with your family. Find out more about the benefits of buying aprepaid funeral planwith Avalon.

About the author

With a Masters from the University of Bristol, Jessica Hanson has worked in the funeral sector for several years, following the latest industry trends and writing about end of life planning. Jessica has previously written as a blogger for the Huffington Post, covering topics such as death positivity, understanding grief and how funerals are changing. You can find Jessica on LinkedIn and Twitter.