Five Ways to Include Flowers at a Funeral and How to Preserve Their Memory Forever

Flowers have long been a symbol of love, remembrance, and peace, especially during times of loss. At Bouquets Forever, we believe that honoring a loved one with beautiful floral arrangements is not only a heartfelt tribute, but also a way to keep their memory alive long after the ceremony. Here are five meaningful ways to include flowers in a funeral service—and creative ways to preserve them for a lasting keepsake.

1. Casket Sprays: A Final Tribute of Love

Casket sprays are often the central floral arrangement at a funeral, resting atop the casket in tribute to the life being celebrated. Whether a full-length spray or a smaller arrangement for an urn or keepsake, these flowers reflect personality, passion, and peace.

Preservation Tip: Select a few blooms from the casket spray and have them professionally pressed, preserved and framed. This timeless piece can include your loved one’s name, a meaningful quote, or their favorite flower for a personal touch.

2. Standing Sprays and Wreaths: Symbols of Eternity

Standing sprays, wreaths, and crosses are traditionally placed near the casket or at the altar. These grand floral tributes offer a powerful expression of grief, love, and eternal remembrance.

Preservation Tip: Consider preserving a section of the wreath or cross in a glass-encased display. The circular shape of a preserved wreath can beautifully symbolize never-ending love.

3. Floral Tributes from Friends and Family

Guests often send smaller arrangements, such as sympathy bouquets or basket arrangements. These tokens of affection show the support and solidarity of loved ones during a difficult time.

Preservation Tip: Collect petals from these arrangements and transform them into a pressed frame in the shape of a heart, resin jewellery, candles, or handmade paper used to write a letter to your loved one. These creations can serve as heartfelt gifts or family keepsakes.

4. Pallbearer Boutonnieres and Family Corsages

Providing flowers for pallbearers, immediate family, or close friends honors their role in the ceremony. These smaller, wearable arrangements create a sense of unity and remembrance throughout the service.

Preservation Tip: Save these flowers and create a pressed flower album, complete with names and notes of the roles each person played. It’s a beautiful, reflective way to document the day and those who were part of it.

5. Petal Toss or Floral Farewell Rituals

A growing trend is the use of loose flower petals for guests to toss during a final goodbye—at a graveside service, cremation ceremony, or memorial gathering. This ritual symbolizes love, release, and farewell.

Preservation Tip: Gather leftover petals and dry them in batches. These can be used later for creating potpourri, memory jars, or even infused into handmade soap or oils that serve as sensory reminders of your loved one.

Final Thought: Let Flowers Speak Beyond the Day

At Bouquets Forever, we believe flowers hold stories. By choosing to preserve them, you’re keeping more than a beautiful arrangement—you’re saving a moment in time, a tribute, a memory. Whether it’s a single bloom or an entire bouquet, let those petals remind you of the love that never fades.

Need help preserving funeral flowers?

Contact Bouquets Forever for personalised preservation services—from framed 3D flowers to custom pressed keepsakes and accessories using readings, poems  and photos. Let us help you hold onto the beauty, forever.