Funeral flowers come in a small set of named shapes, and the names are worth
knowing before you ring a florist, because they are what a florist quotes on. The
difference between a wreath and a sheaf is not decorative. It decides where the
flowers sit, who is expected to send them, and what they cost.
The price bands
Figures below are the range Irish florists quote for a standard version of each
tribute in white and green. Season, flower choice and size all move them, and a
tribute built on scented lilies costs more than the same frame in chrysanthemum.
| Tribute | Typical Irish price |
|---|
| Hand-tied sympathy bunch | 45 to 75 euro |
| Sheaf, flat-backed and tied | 50 to 100 euro |
| Basket arrangement | 55 to 110 euro |
| Posy pad or cushion | 60 to 120 euro |
| Wreath, 12 to 16 inch | 70 to 140 euro |
| Heart, open or closed | 90 to 180 euro |
| Single-ended coffin spray | 90 to 160 euro |
| Double-ended coffin spray | 150 to 300 euro |
| Letter tribute, per letter | 45 to 80 euro |
Delivery is usually on top, and Saturday or same-day slots cost more than a
nominated weekday.
What each one is
The hand-tied bunch. A bouquet in cellophane or a box, no frame, no wire.
This is what most friends, neighbours and colleagues send. It travels well, it
suits a funeral home table or a family kitchen equally, and it is the only item
on the list that also works as a gift sent a fortnight later.
The sheaf. Flowers laid flat and tied at the stem, with a clear front and
back, meant to be placed rather than stood up. It is the traditional Irish
alternative to a wreath and reads as slightly less formal. Sheafs are often
chosen by people who feel a ring is too much.
The posy pad or cushion. A round or square base of foam, covered in flowers,
set on the ground or on the coffin. Smaller ones are common from grandchildren.
The wreath. A closed ring on a frame, worked the whole way around so it
looks right from any angle. The ring is the oldest of these shapes and the one
people picture when they hear "funeral flowers". Stood beside the coffin during
the reposing, then laid on the grave.
The heart. A frame in a heart shape, either open, with the centre left as
foliage, or closed and fully massed. Almost always from a partner, a child or
grandchildren, rarely from anyone else.
The coffin spray. The arrangement that sits on the lid. Single-ended tapers
in one direction and covers roughly a third of the coffin; double-ended runs
from the middle outward in both directions and covers about half. This is the
family's tribute, ordered by the immediate family through the funeral director.
It should not be sent by anyone else, and a duplicate is an awkward thing to
arrive at a funeral home.
The letter tribute. Individual letters on frames, spelling DAD, MAM, NAN,
GRANDAD or a name. Priced per letter, made up one letter at a time, and needing
real notice. Three letters is a serious order and looks like one.
What the family chooses, and what everyone else sends
The split is clear enough to state plainly.
The family orders the coffin spray, the hearts, the letter tributes, and
anything going into the hearse. They do it through the funeral director so that
the shapes are coordinated and nothing is ordered twice.
Everyone else sends a hand-tied bunch, a sheaf, a basket or a wreath, and sends
it to the funeral home rather than carrying it to the church. If you are not sure
which side of the line you are on, you are on the second one.
The exception is a workplace, which often sends a wreath because it reads as a
group tribute rather than a personal one. One from the company, not one each.
The thing florists rarely say
Most of what is sent to an Irish funeral is seen for two evenings and then laid
on a grave in the rain. If the amount matters to you, the flowers are not the
part of it that lasts.
A smaller arrangement to the funeral home, plus a second one sent to the house
three weeks later when the callers have stopped, costs the same as one large
wreath and does considerably more good. Splitting the order like that is not a
recognised convention, which is exactly why nobody suggests it.
Ordering practicalities
Frames and letter tributes take time. A florist can usually pull together a
hand-tied bunch on a same-day cutoff, but a wreath needs the morning and a
letter tribute needs longer. Ring rather than trusting a checkout to tell you
what is possible in a specific town.
Say the funeral home name, the deceased person's full name, and the time of the
reposing when you order. Ask for the card message to be written exactly as you
give it, including the family surname, since funeral homes often hold more than
one family at a time.
Colour convention in Ireland is white and green, with cream, soft pink and lilac
all normal, and stronger colour usually reserved for a young person or where the
family has asked for it. Lilies carry the strongest association and the most
pollen; there is more on both on our lilies page. Carnations
do most of the quiet work in Irish tributes because they hold their shape for
days on a frame, which is set out on carnations.
