How do I order and pay for funeral flowers?
by Sammie Hall, Sammie’s Flowers @ Kiddal Quarry Farm, Leeds.
Sammie holds one of her shareable plastic-free casket sprays which divides into tied bouquets after the funeral service.
If you're looking for compostable, seasonal funeral flowers The Farewell Flowers Directory is a great place to start.
The first step is to find the nearest farewell flowers florist via the 'Find Flowers page' - the directory divides the country into regions, and then each region lists counties in alphabetical order. When you've found a florist in right area, just click on the link to their website - each florist should have a dedicated funeral flowers webpage for you to take a look at - so explore the information and images on their websites to see who is a good fit.
Every florist may be slightly different in the way they work, but here's my own process for dealing with a funeral order:
I ask customers to fill in a contact form on my website with the information about the date and location of the funeral. If you're emailing a florist whose website doesn't have a contact form, be sure to give them this information, and the address of the undertakers who are looking after the funeral - the florist will need this to work out if delivery is practical/possible.
When I've checked that I'm available on your date, I'll get back to you to confirm that I can help and together we'll work out a way to have a conversation about what your ideas for funeral flowers: this might include any preferences for flowers which either you or the person who has died loved, and anything else you think is relevant - this could be ideas about colours or ways to reflect hobbies, interests or life experiences in some way. This conversation can be conducted by email or text, or by phone/video call if you’d prefer - it depends whether you find it easier to write or chat about things.
Depending on the florist you choose to work with, you may be able to meet them in person - it's always best to ask if you'd like to do this so that you can work out a convenient time to meet.
Once you've settled on the details for your chosen flower arrangement, you need to find out how to pay for your order. Some florists may ask only for a deposit at this stage and then ask for the remaining balance after delivery; other florists, like me, may charge in full when you place your order. I take payments by card or bank transfer but every florist's website should give you information about the different payment methods that they accept.
If a florist works regularly with your chosen undertaker, it may also be possible to include the cost of the flowers with your overall funeral bill - this is helpful in reducing your admin workload at a time when you're dealing with lots of paperwork so it's worth checking if this is possible when you order your flowers.
On the day of the funeral, I'll prepare your arrangement using my garden grown flowers and foliage, and it can either be collected by you, or delivered by me to the funeral director to travel with the coffin for an extra charge depending on distance. I'm near Leeds and deliver within a 20 mile radius of my farm - but delivery areas will be different from florist to florist - in very urban areas where rush hour traffic is heavy, distances will probably be much shorter, simply due to travel time practicalities. It's always best to check what your florist offers in terms of delivery.
If you're local to the Leeds area and need help with natural funeral flowers, please get in touch.
Find out more
If you’re looking for more sustainable plastic-free funeral flowers, visit our directory listings to find a florist near you.
Find inspiration for funeral flowers by visiting our photo gallery
Find out more about different styles for funeral flowers
