Beyond Lilies and Carnations: Meaningful Botanicals to Elevate Memorial Arrangements
I was on a mission to create fresh and dried botanical wreaths for an autumn season, outdoor celebration of life ceremony without using the cliché white lilies and carnations. I wanted to use ingredients that still held significant and appropriate meaning but without the stereotypical floral options that didn't feel sincere for this particular memorial event. Here’s what I chose and why:
Grapevine creates the structure for the wreaths and symbolizes the abundance of love and support that surrounds the family on this day.
Maidenhair fern’s symbolism of secrecy honored the unspoken memories and private moments with the departed that those in attendance held in their hearts.
Eucalyptus represents the protection and spiritual shelter for both the departed and the grieving.
Rosemary, symbolizing remembrance, honors the legacy of the one who has passed.
Strawflower symbolizes the departed’s everlasting love and memory that will live on forever inside those left behind.
Statice symbolizes remembrance and sympathy, holding significant meaning for all who are experiencing this profound loss.
Wheat represents prosperity and a life well-lived.
Lunaria symbolizes the guidance and illumination the departed brought to the lives of those around them.
Poppy pods representing peace and the wish for the departed to rest calmly and for those who mourn to find comfort.
Lamb’s Ear, symbolizing quietness and softness, represents the hope for peaceful, easy reflection of those who love and mourn the departed.
Pampas Grass, symbolizing freedom, represents the deceased’s spirit being freed.
Cress pods, honor the vitality and enduring spirit of the deceased and the nourishment they brought to others.
Hydrangea represents the calmness and gentle comfort to those who mourn.
Hypericum (St. John’s wort berries) symbolizes the rebirth of the departed, as their spirit continues on within the hearts of the grieving.
How did I do?
