When someone you know loses a loved one, it’s only natural for your empathy to take effect and compel you to ease their pain in any way possible. These effects can become even more pronounced when the person they lost fell in the line of duty. Since services like a full military honors funeral at Arlington incorporate lots of ceremony and tradition, you should consider the proper etiquette for sending funeral and sympathy flowers. This way, you can best respect those in mourning.

Consider the Arrangement

You must choose between funeral or sympathy flowers and informal or formal arrangements. These aspects often hold their own meanings. If you wish to send your condolences and offer comfort through your actions, informal sympathy flowers are ideal. The receiver can take the flowers home, and you don’t need to deliver them to the funeral location itself. Furthermore, these informal arrangements should include a personal note from the person giving the gift to impart a personal touch to the flowers. However, formal funeral arrangements need to arrive at the funeral place before the service and are typically grander displays than is feasible to keep after the service.

Account for Faith

This is often the most significant aspect when considering the proper etiquette for sending funeral and sympathy flowers. For religions like Catholicism, Protestantism, or Buddhism, most flower arrangements are acceptable without any species of flower holding any particular special meaning. In contrast, Eastern or Greek Orthodox faiths favor white flowers, while Hinduism favors garlands. The meanings of flowers in the Muslim faith can often vary. As for the Jewish faith, floral arrangements are not typical, and you might be better off sending a fruit basket or something similar.

Types of Flowers To Send

Much of what’s appropriate depends on your relationship with the family whom the loss affects. For example, there are arrangements reserved for immediate and extended family members, such as caskets or standard sprays. These familial arrangements always sit close to the casket at a funeral. For friends and associates, it’s often best to stick with informal flowers that simply show you care and have been thinking of the family members during their time of grief. That said, you should endeavor to keep your arrangement simple. Avoid anything too lighthearted, such as balloons or arrangements that include stuffed animals, as these are inappropriate for funeral arrangements.