Is It Worth It to Spend Time Arranging Flowers at a Funeral, or Let a Florist Do It?

Losing someone we love can be overwhelming for most family members. The plethora of decisions that need to be made, coupled with the uncertainties associated with events in general can be a lot to handle. Throw intense emotions of grief mixed with at times remorse, guilt and sorrow into the mix and the capacity to handle anything else except your own emotions gets super limited. 

Funerals are moments of deep emotion, reflection, and love. For many, flowers are one of the most meaningful ways to express sympathy, honour a life, and bring comfort to grieving families. Flowers are also used to decorate the wake venues and in recent years, there has been garden-themed funerals where there will be fresh flowers elegantly placed at the wake venue with artificial grass carpet. These arrangements can transform the whole area to make it a lot more like a celebration of life for the decedent than just a solemn funeral event. Flowers carry symbolism that words alone often cannot. White lilies represent peace and purity, chrysanthemums symbolize loyalty and grief, while roses express love and remembrance. Choosing the right flowers is about more than aesthetics — it’s about sending a heartfelt message that aligns with cultural and personal traditions.

However, such floral arrangements usually have to be done within hours due to the fast pace of which funeral wakes are being organised in Singapore and hence these fresh floral arrangements usually do not come cheap. As such, some family members might choose to do the arrangements on their own in a bid to save costs. While doing this might be therapeutic and helps with healing and finding closure, we personally feel that it might not be the best use of time during this critical period. 

Buying flowers on your own and then trying to arrange them in an aesthetically pleasant manner might prove to be challenging especially for someone with near zero experience in floral arrangements. Floral arrangements require skills and the flowers will need proper conditioning to last longer with Singapore’s warm and humid climate. The time and energy needed to source for these flowers, to condition them, and then to place them in the right positions will easily take 5 hours or more. Furthermore, the flower types that you particularly want might not be available at just any wholesale flower market and the supplier might not provide you with the best prices if it is just a one-time purchase. The final result of the floral decor might not be something that you envisioned as well as getting down to arranging the flowers can prove to be much more difficult than just seeing the end result itself. 

A funeral wake typically last from 3 to 7 days and every moment counts. Visitors, friends and relatives wills stream in at different times of the day and it is important to be able to tend to these people who take effort and time to come over. We cannot split ourselves more than two ways and thus focusing on arranging the flowers would undoubtedly mean we do not have the time and capacity to make sure that we tend to these visitors and make them feel welcome. In situations like this where the funeral for someone you love will only happen once in a lifetime, it might be wiser to place the task of floral arrangement which is secondary to making a funeral wake happen, into the hands of the professional florist so that you have the time and space to grief and can tend to visitors who come over as well. You are already stressed enough as it is and adding on another level of responsibility is not exactly the best thing to do when someone you love departs.

At such a sensitive time, small details matter. Flowers are not just decoration — they are symbols of love, respect, and remembrance. By entrusting a florist, you free yourself to focus on what truly matters: being present with loved ones and honouring the memory of the departed.

At Harmony Essentials, our team designs funeral flowers with care, ensuring each arrangement carries meaning and comfort. Whether simple or elaborate, we help you express your condolences with dignity and grace. Call us today at +65 94892424 to help create a floral-themed funeral for your loved one.