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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Not sure what flowers to send? What to spend? Want to know about ordering flowers online? Here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) and some answers:
Q: My friend’s mother has passed away and I don’t know whether to send the flowers to her at home or whether I should send something to the funeral?
A couple of things to think about here, First of all, are you close to other members of the family? If so, sending a floral bouquet to the funeral home is the best way to express your condolences to the entire family. If the family has chosen to have a formal visitation and funeral service they also may appreciate a more traditional floral display and the fact that you have chosen to send your love and support during this very difficult time, is sure to be especially touching.
Many families choose to have only private family viewing and funeral or may opt for a memorial service at a time in the future. In this case you will certainly want to send flowers and a personal note to the family or your friend’s home now in order to acknowledge her loss and convey your sympathy.
As well, if you are not acquainted with anyone else in family of the deceased, and if your friend is traveling to another city for the funeral it would also be more thoughtful to send a beautiful vase of tulips or some other favorite flower to your friend upon his or her return home. This will express your caring and support in a very personal way.
Q: My family is preparing for the imminent loss of our Dad, what type of flowers do we need to order for his funeral and who should each of the arrangements be from?
A: When the departed is in your immediate family, i.e. your spouse, parent, sibling, child, or grandparent, you will want to make sure that the proper family pieces are present for visitation and the funeral service.
Traditionally, the casket blanket or spray would be furnished by the husband or wife of your loved one. If there is no spouse, then usually the children (or parents in the case of a young person) would want to provide this piece. Larger floral wreaths and easel sprays are generally also provided by immediate family members. If the deceased has small children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren, we quite often suggest a small nosegay or pillow that is placed in the casket on their behalf. In the case of a closed casket this could be set either on top of the casket or on a small side table alongside a picture of the deceased.
Keep in mind that these are only suggestions, and that although these are the norms for most North American funerals, there are no rules. Some families choose to have a really lush and beautiful casket spray from the entire family, especially if there is a very large group of extended family and friends who will be likely to send flowers. Some choose to order several substantial pieces and request donations in place of flowers from those not in the immediate family. The needs of every family can be varied and unique and there are no wrong choices, you should do what feels right to you and your loved ones.
Q: What do we do about flowers for my mother’s memorial service? It is going to be very small, just immediate family and a few very close friends. Do we need flowers at all?
A: There are many beautiful arrangements that are specifically designed to suit the specific needs of each family and respect the wishes of the deceased. Traditionally, there are fewer flowers sent to Memorial services than to a formal funeral home visitation and service, so in some cases the flowers chosen by the family can be especially important and may even be the only ones present. This does not mean that the floral bouquets have to be large or expensive, but from a purely personal point of view, I have to say that I feel that even the smallest simplest, floral arrangement at any formal or informal memorial service adds a much needed reminder of the beauty and wonder of this life. Even a single rose or some other exquisite bloom can be a comfort to the anguished hearts of those left behind.
Q: How much should I spend on funeral flowers? I haven’t had to do this before and I don’t want to look cheap but is there some kind of guideline as to what will be enough without going overboard?
A: This is the question we are asked most often and there isn’t an easy answer to this one, but here are a few points that may help you to decide.
If this is for the funeral of a family member, you will want to take into account
the closeness of the relationship. If this is for a parent, sibling, child or other very close family, of course you would expect to spend more than you would on say an elderly aunt that you haven’t seen in many years. In our shop we have created casket blankets, and larger family pieces costing anywhere from $150.00 to $750.00 or more, but in general in most North American cities an average will probably be somewhere in the middle of that price range.
Family pieces in the form of traditional tributes or larger vase arrangements, for a more distant relative can vary quite a bit but on average you could spend $75.00 to $250.00 on flowers. You will want take into consideration whether or not this is from a larger group as well. If you are sending one arrangement from several families or a large group of cousins, say, you may want to send something in the mid to higher price range.
For a very close friend, a similar price range would be appropriate, and once again if this is from a group of friends or several neighbors, you might want to consider the mid to upper end of the price range, depending on how close the relationship is.
Many of our customers send beautiful floral expressions of their condolences to the funeral chapel in the form of smaller table arrangements and plants that can be taken home by a member of the bereaved family. These smaller, but no less cherished, gifts can be as simple as a few pretty flowers in a vase and can be sent for as little as $30.00
to $50.00 and up. Ordering flowers for a funeral is never easy, and sometimes people are so afraid to appear cheap that they don’t ask how much things are or they are not sure exactly what is appropriate. Remember it is never embarrassing to ask and in fact in our store, we always try to make sure that our customers are aware what the averages are for the type of bouquets they are ordering. This way we avoid any misunderstanding about what the cost for flowers will be, as well as ensuring that our clients are not disappointed by the size or type of arrangement sent on their behalf.
Q: How fast can Canada flowers get my flowers delivered? I would like to send flowers to my daughter in Toronto for her birthday. How do I know that she will receive them on time?
A: Canada flowers can normally have your gift of flowers delivered the same day if we have the order before 2:00 pm in the recipient’s time zone. Of course this is not always possible if the flowers are being delivered in a rural area or a small town where there may not be a florist in the immediate area. In such cases we will contact you and let you know that there will be a delay in the completion of your order.
However, even in big cities like Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, we recommend that you place your order the day before you would like delivery. This helps to ensure that the florist has ample time to make sure the flowers are as close as possible to the type of arrangement you have chosen to send and that any special delivery instructions (such as specific times) can be accommodated.
Q: What about delivery overseas? My mom lives in the UK and I would like to send her something for Mothers Day. Can this be done?
A: Absolutely! Canadaflowers can arrange to have flowers delivered in the UK, Italy, Germany or almost anywhere in the world through our membership in FTD.
International orders do require a little more time to complete and we recommend that you allow 3 business days to compensate for time differences. In most European countries we usually find that if the recipients address and telephone information is complete there is almost never a problem getting flowers delivered on time. In fact in some countries the order can be completed within 24 to 36 hours.
Q: My girlfriend at work got flowers delivered to her in a box. They were not very nice and her husband was really upset because he ordered them online and thought that they would come from a real flower shop. Do your flowers come that way?
A: The flowers that your friend received were probably ordered from one of the big online flower websites. These sites advertise really low prices and quite often their products are delivered as you describe. In our industry, this is called “drop shipped”.
At Canada Flowers, we never drop ship. Every order is placed with a trusted FTD florist who is located in the recipient’s city, often in the immediate neighbourhood.
Our flowers are designed and delivered by hand and by a local flower shop whose name and reputation rest on the quality and service they provide. We also stand behind our service and guarantee that we will arrange for a replacement or refund on any order that is unsatisfactory provided we are notified within 10 days of delivery.
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