Sympathy flowers

Call the funeral home before you send flowers

A two-minute call saves the most common mistakes: flowers arriving after the service, a wreath sent to a cremation with no viewing, or an arrangement the family had asked people not to send. The funeral home knows the schedule and the family's wishes, and they take these calls all day.

Find the funeral home

Why it's worth the call

The date and time can move. Services are often set a day or two before, and the obituary may already be out of date. The funeral home has the final schedule.
Not every service takes flowers. Some cremations and memorials have no viewing, and some families ask for donations instead. One question saves an awkward delivery.
The service may not be at the funeral home. A church, a cemetery chapel or a graveside service means the flowers should go there, and the funeral home will tell you where and when.
Flowers are received at set times. Most funeral homes take deliveries in the hours before visitation. They'll tell you the window, so nothing arrives after the family has left.
Customs vary. Flowers aren't part of every tradition. If they're not expected, the funeral home will say so, and a plant or a gift basket to the family's home is a kind alternative.

Find the funeral home

Enter the ZIP code or the town from the obituary. You'll see the funeral homes nearby with a phone number, so you can call to confirm the service details before you order.

Listings come from Overture Maps Foundation data (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) and may be incomplete or out of date. Call to confirm before you order.

What to ask when you call

Say you'd like to send flowers and ask for the person handling the arrangements. Five questions cover it.

When and where is the visitation or service?Get the date, the time and the place: the funeral home itself, a church, or the graveside. Flowers go where the service is.
Is the family accepting flowers?If the family asked for donations in lieu of flowers, honor that. A card, or flowers to the home a week or two later, is still welcome.
What time should flowers arrive?Usually a few hours before visitation. Choosing a delivery date before the service is the safe answer when the service is in the morning.
How should the name appear?Ask for the name of the person who passed exactly as the funeral home lists it, and write it on your card message. Staff match flowers to the right service by that name.
Will the flowers go home with the family afterward?Vase arrangements and plants are easy to carry home. Standing sprays and wreaths stay for the service, and some families take them to the cemetery.

Then choose the flowers

Pick a delivery date before the service, usually the day before or the morning of, and enter the funeral home's ZIP code when you add to cart. In the card message, write the family's name and the name of the person who passed as the funeral home gave it to you, so the staff place the flowers with the right service.

Same-day delivery is available on orders placed by 14:00 ET Monday to Friday and 13:30 ET on Saturday. We review every order after it's placed and contact you if anything needs attention.

For the serviceStanding sprays, wreaths, hearts and floor baskets, placed near the casket or urn.For the family's homeVase arrangements and gift baskets, welcome any day in the weeks after.A plant that staysPeace lilies and green plants the family keeps long after the service.

Questions people ask

Can I send flowers straight to the funeral home?

Yes, and it's the most common way. Enter the funeral home's address as the delivery address, choose a delivery date before the service, and put the name of the person who passed on the card so the staff place the flowers with the right service. We review every order after it's placed and contact you if anything needs attention.

When should the flowers arrive?

The day before the service or the morning of it, a few hours before visitation. Same-day delivery is available on orders placed by 14:00 ET Monday to Friday and 13:30 ET on Saturday. When the service is first thing in the morning, choose the day before.

The obituary says "in lieu of flowers". What should I do?

Follow the family's wishes and give to the cause they named. If you'd still like to send something, a plant or a gift basket to the family's home a week or two after the service is thoughtful and doesn't go against the request, which is usually about the service itself. When in doubt, a handwritten card means a great deal.

It's a cremation or a memorial service. Are flowers still appropriate?

Often, yes. Many memorials have a table or an urn display where a wreath, a heart or a vase arrangement sits well. Ask the funeral home whether flowers are being displayed. If not, send to the family's home instead.

I don't know which funeral home is handling the arrangements.

The obituary almost always names it, along with the service details. Search the person's name with the town in your browser; local newspapers and funeral homes publish obituaries online. A relative or close friend of the family will also know.

What should I write on the card?

Keep it short and sincere: who the flowers are for, a line of sympathy, and your full name so the family knows who sent them. "With deepest sympathy to the Rivera family. Thinking of you all. The Chens" is plenty. Our sympathy page has more card ideas you can copy.

Is it too late to send flowers after the service?

No. Many people send flowers or a plant to the family's home in the week or two after, when the visitors have gone and the house is quiet. It's often the delivery the family remembers most.