Funeral Flowers

Times of sorrow bring along a moment of silence and remembrance. It’s time to say the last farewell. Order funeral flowers from Interflora and we will deliver them to the funeral.

Respect and remembrance

Funeral flowers are a sign of respect and remembrance towards the deceased. Mourning is a long and an individual process and choosing flowers for the funeral is a part of it. Choosing the right ones might seem difficult in times of sorrow. We here at Interflora are here to help you choose them.

When choosing flowers, it’s good to consider the possible wishes of close relatives or the deceased. The flowers might bring up the personality, fancies or your own relationship to the departed. Blue and white flowers are commonly used in Finland, but other colors have become more popular with time. Common flowers used in funeral bouquets and sprays are for example white lilies, arum, carnations, roses, irises and Eustoma.

Deliveries to funerals

Funeral flowers must be ordered at least two days before the funeral. They use a lot of flowers and other materials which might not always be instantly available for our florists. The more specific your order is, the earlier it should be made.

Flowers are delivered straight to the church or the chapel for the funeral. This makes the funeral day easier and more fluent. Delivery practices differ between different areas and therefore our florist handle the deliveries themselves as they know the customs on how to deliver the flowers locally. Delivery fee for domestic deliveries in Finland is 12,80€.

After the sorrowful news have arrived, it’s customary to send condolence flowers to the near relatives of the departed. You can look at our catalogue for sympathy flowers here.

Our customer service helps via chat between 8.30-16.00. Outside these hours you may leave a contact request for us.

You can order flowers here. When choosing ’Funeral’ from the ‘Occasion’ menu you can see our catalog for funeral flowers.

Ordering funeral flowers from Interflora’s online store

Ordering funeral flowers from Interflora’s web store makes the funeral day more fluent and leaves more time for organizing other things. On our web store, you can look at our catalogue around the clock and order on your own schedule.

Our catalogue for funeral flowers when you choose ‘Funeral’ from the ‘Occasion’ menu. By opening a bouquet, spray or wreath from that list you can look at its details and add it to your basket. From your shopping basket press continue to order the selected flowers and any additional products.

After the order summary you may choose a folded greeting card, a card of condolence or a ribbon to be added to your flowers. Traditionally a card of condolence is sent to the relatives after the news of the death have broken, but it can also be sent to the funeral if you can’t personally come there. More information about condolence flowers can be found here. The additional products have their own text fields which appear after putting in the recipient information when making the order. There you may write memorial verses, poems, etc.

When making the order it’s good to mention in the section ‘special wishes for the delivery’ that who will lay the flowers and their number unless the one who orders is the same person. It’s also good to mention if you wish the church staff to lay the flowers.

Funeral flowers are split into 3 categories: funeral sprays/arrangements, funeral bouquets and wreaths.

Funeral spray/arrangement

The most popular funeral flower is the funeral spray/arrangement. It’s often drop shaped, and it’s made into a flower sponge. Round sprays are also available, but they are not as common as the drop shaped ones. The look of the spray can be altered by changing its height and with flower choices. To help carry the spray, it has a handle under the flowers. Interflora sprays are priced between 95-120€.

Funeral bouquet

A lighter version of the funeral spray is a funeral bouquet. They are usually drop shaped or round, but other shapes are also made more often than with funeral sprays. Compared to normal bouquets the stalks of the flowers are shorter to bring out the flowers when laying them to the grave. Interflora funeral bouquet prices range from 60-100€.

Funeral wreath

The most traditional option for funeral flowers is the wreath. Its round shape represents eternity, a motion that never stops. Historically the symbolic nature of the unmoving motion was seen as the wreath’s most important aspect which was emphasized with simple and uniform materials. Nowadays wreaths have gained a more modern look by including more flowers. Interflora’s funeral wreaths are priced between 175-240€.

Single flower

Laying a lone cut flower laid upon the grave is a beautiful end for a funeral service and a last goodbye. With single flowers, also children may easily take part in funerals and give their condolences. The single flower may be any flower with which to remember the departed.

Finnish funeral traditions

Finnish funeral tradition has formed into its contemporary form after the arrival of Christianity with Lutheranism bringing burials as a part of the tradition. This article is about Finnish funeral traditions where Lutheranism is strongly represented. Our florist can also help with information about secular funerals and funeral traditions of other religions.

Two weeks

Funerals are usually held two weeks after the passing. According to Finnish law the departed should be buried or cremated within one month of their death. Burial requires a permit which is signed by the doctor or a coroner. When planning the funeral one should find out if the deceased had a will or any wishes regarding the funeral.

Funeral service and memorial service

Funerals consist of two parts: a funeral service and a memorial service. The funeral service happens usually in a chapel, a church or at a cemetery after which the memorial service is held elsewhere. The funeral service is a calm and peaceful moment of saying goodbye. Speeches, condolences and other greetings are for the memorial service. Usually at the memorial service there is a table with a picture of the departed framed by beautiful flowers and a single burning candle.

Laying flowers

Close relatives arrange with the funeral organizer how flowers will be laid during the funeral service. In Finland flowers are usually set near the coffin or the grave by everyone themselves. Internationally it’s more common to bring the flowers in advance to the church or chapel where the staff lay the flowers in advance near the coffin or on racks set next to the coffin.

The flowers may be laid at the chapel or the church or at the grave. Close relatives lay their flowers first. Then it’s the turn of more distant relatives and finally friends. While laying down flowers it’s common to hold a brief silent moment near the coffin after which a few words may be said to the departed from a card or the ribbons on the flowers. Flowers are not laid on top of the coffin but on racks next to the coffin. If the flowers are laid inside a chapel or church, memorial verses won’t be read again at the grave, but flowers are laid on the burial mound.

Burial in a coffin or urn

There are to forms of burial: burial in a coffin or cremation and burial in an urn. In Finnish tradition coffin and urn adornments are used in Lutheran funeral services and secular funerals. The adornments are meant bring out the coffin and not cover it, so no more than 1/3 of the urn or coffin should be covered.

Coffin and urn adornments can be ordered directly from Interflora member florists of which many also offer funeral home services or work closely with a local funeral home. It’s important that the florist knows the exact model of the coffin or urn when designing these adornments.

Secular funerals

Non-religious funerals or secular funerals are more free form than a traditional Lutheran funeral and they don’t have a strict norms that should be followed. When arranging the funeral the wishes of the departed, their lifestyle and other beliefs should be taken into consideration. Both coffin burials and cremations are common with secular funerals.

Congregations are mandated by law to offer burial places also to those who don’t follow their religion. Many cemeteries have an area with no religious marks. If the departed wishes, their ashes may be scattered to other areas with the permission of the land’s owner. In secular funerals the departed may be blessed by the church before they are buried.

Memorial verses are written on a card or ribbons

Memorial words play a large role in the Finnish funeral tradition and are an irreplaceable part of funeral flowers as they are read aloud when laying the flowers. All Interflora flower orders include a blank white card. With funeral flowers you may also order ribbons that are attached to the flowers.

There are always two ribbons and the other one has the memorial verse and the other has the names. With funeral bouquets a narrower ribbon or card is used than with other funeral flowers. When choosing a card instead of the ribbons, it will also have the memorial verse and sender’s names.

Ribbons are available in single or multicolor. The most common color combinations are blue and white, blue and yellow or red and black. The color of the ribbon is determined by the color of the used flowers for a harmonic look. If you wish for a certain color, you may write the wish in the ‘special wishes for the delivery’ part when making the order.

In our online store you may add additional products after choosing the flowers and continuing the order which brings up the additional product options.

Memorial verses for ribbons and memorial poems

  • Rest in peace
  • We will miss you
  • You will always be remembered
  • Our most heartfelt farewell
  • You will always be missed

  • If I should go tomorrow

    It would never be goodbye,

    For I have left my heart with you,

    So don't you ever cry.

    The love that's deep within me,

    Shall reach you from the stars,

    You'll feel it from the heavens,

    And it will heal the scars.

    - Anonymous

  • Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.

    I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.

    I have run and leaped with the rain,

    I have taken the wind to my breast.

    My cheek like a drowsy child

    to the face of the earth I have pressed.

    Because I have loved life,

    I shall have no sorrow to die.

    - Amelia Josephine Burr

  • Under the wide and starry sky,

    Dig the grave and let me lie.

    Glad did I live and gladly die,

    And I laid me down with a will.

    - Robert Louis Stevenson

  • When I come to the end of the road

    And the sun has set for me

    I want no rites in a gloom filled room

    Why cry for a soul set free?

    - Christina Rossetti

  • My candle burns at both ends;

    It will not last the night;

    But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends It gives a lovely light!

    - Edna St.Vincent Millay

  • Look beyond the empty chair

    To know a life well spent

    Look beyond the solitude

    To days of true content.

    - Anonymous

  • And when the stream that overflows has passed,

    A consciousness remains upon the silent shore of memory;

    Images and precious thoughts that shall not be

    And cannot be destroyed.

    - William Wordsworth, from The Excursion

Read more:

  • Read more about Sympathy Flowers here.