Sending Smiles ~

FUNERAL FLOWERS TREND CONTINUES AT OUR SHOP IN NJ Funeral Flowers Trend Continues with many family funeral flowers being created and delivered by our shop in Princeton NJ this week ~ well, it's been a super busy week in the shop and it's not over. With 2 bridal meetings tomorrow, 2 large school functions needing flowers and balloons, a small wedding and another wedding on Sunday, we will be happy to be closed on Monday for Memorial Day. In addition to all that, we had 3 rather large family funeral orders come in. We consider them "Family Funerals" when the immediate family of the person who has passed orders the larger floral displays from us. These include the casket displays and larger designs such as wreath, sprays and hearts.  This design above was created to stand on a wooden easel in the shape of a heart constructed out of over 60 white Playa Blanca Roses. Aren't the gorgeous? This design below was created for a young man who passed that was very, very...

It's summer and the weather outside is hot (with a storm brewing as I type this). In addition to lots of wedding and party flowers being designed, we've had multiple family funerals this week, including this piece for delivery tomorrow. Designing funeral pieces can be both rewarding and sad but we sincerely hope that the flowers we create bring comfort to the families who receive them. This wreath is being delivered to Fire Company for a memorial service. The sender requested a blue, yellow and white theme and Designer Alanna used an assortment of cremone mums, hydrangea, daisies, sunflowers and baby's breath. Measuring 28" wide on an elegant white wooden stand, this piece should look lovely among the other flowers at the memorial.

One of the most asked questions is "Should I send flowers to the service or to the home" and although either one can be appreciated, they are very different. With the time between the death and funeral services getting shorter and shorter (sometimes less than 3 days) it's becoming harder for folks to make arrangements to attend a service. Of course, most want to express their sympathy in some way, so sending flowers is a thoughtful way to do that. The flowers sent to the service are often highly personalized, especially those coming from direct family members. Favorite flowers and colors are often requested and personal items or even hobbies can be included. Flowers and plants sent directly for the funeral home or church help provide a backdrop and atmosphere for the service. They represent the person who has passed while gifts sent directly the home are meant to express feelings of support towards the survivors. The next question we often get is "What...

Nothing makes a florist cringe more than reading those words in an obituary ~ In Lieu of Flowers. The death of a family member or close friend is one of life's most painful episodes. Those in mourning need support and most of us are anxious to find some way to comfort them. One of the most appropriate and appreciated ways to express sympathy and compassion, as well as respect for the deceased, is by sending flowers . Occasionally, the obituary announcement includes the phrase " In lieu of flowers , contributions may be made to...". Often times, this terminology is used to encourage charitable gifts but not necessarily to discourage other expressions. Most families sincerely appreciate all personal expressions and may later regret having too few flowers at the funeral . It is important that each giver make their own choice and many people are choosing to send a floral remembrance to the service or family home as well as a donation to the charity indicated. Whil...

Here at the shop one of the hardest elements to give advise on is funeral flowers . Whenever I have written a blog about the subject, I notices that it seems to draw many readers and I think it's because folks find it so intimidating.  Not only is it something that you don't have to do every day (thank goodness) but flowers can express so many sentiments, that knowing what to send can be difficult to determine. This blog will break it down in understandable part so read on!  This is a Casket Spray . Usually sent by the family, the Casket Spray can sit on or above the casket and is most often sent by immediate family. The Casket Spray can be a wonderful way of representing the person who has passed. As in this example of a loving wife and mother, her favorite color was purple and she loved daisies. This piece really represented who she was and what she loved.  Another piece often sent by immediate family or the spouse in particular is the Broken or Bleeding Hea...

It's a fact of life that every now and then we have to send flowers for a funeral. Imagine a funeral without flowers... it's a depressing thought. Flowers are such a lovely way of express our grief and support for the family and there are so many flowers options to choose from. One of my favorites is to send a wreath of beautiful blooms. They come in different shapes such as squares (yes, squares), ovals, rounds and even hearts, like this one. Elegant and tasteful, a wreath arrangement really stands out and gets noticed. Choose a solid color of mixed flowers or a sunny color theme like this yellow and white heart wreath pictured below. The next time you need to send flowers, perhaps this blog will have you considering a wreath. It's always our greatest pleasure to guide our customers in their floral selections . To see these and other sympathy flowers options visit our sympathy site at www.sendingsympathy.com or visit our Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/lo...

"Hi, I need a floral sympathy piece shaped like an Ice Cream Cone to send to a woman who used to own an Ice Cream Store, can you do that"? Yes we can! How cute is this arrangement that Designer Norman made for a recent viewing. Funerals are no laughing matter but how sweet (not pun intended) was it for someone to remember this woman by having this created. Not only is it thoughtful to come up with the idea of sending these particular flowers but the card read "She made the best ice cream in town".  I'd imagine her family will remember this tribute for many years to come.  Our designers always take pride in what they do but you can imagine that pieces like this are the ones that really make us proud. Great job Designer Norman!! To see this and other samples of our sympathy designs, visit our website at www.sendingsmiles.com or our facebook back at www.facebook.com/localflorist

What is it about the holiday season? Mixed among the poinsettias deliveries, boxwood trees and holiday party decorations, we always seem to have more than our share of family funerals to create flower tributes for. As if the holidays are not stressful enough, imagine loosing a loved one at this time.  Actually, I don't have to imagine it, I lost my own father on Christmas Eve 19 years ago. The flowers above were delivered today for a very good customer who was having a memorial service for her mother. Soft pinks, seasonal but feminine made for a striking display at church and the pink marble poinsettias could be given away to family members after the service as a remembrance. There is no substitution for the personal touch needed to create flowers like these. Meeting with the family and discussing their wishes is both an honor and duty that we take very seriously. Above is an arrangement we created a few years back for man who had a sp...

If you've read my blog before you know how I feel about funeral flowers. Yes, those obituaries sometimes say "In Lieu of Flowers" and you all know, that it does not mean not to send flowers. It merely means if you want to make a donation, yadda, yadda. You know that floral tributes not only express your sympathy for the grieving but don't you think the funeral home looks very sad if there were no flowers there? Sending flowers for funerals is a tradition that goes back ages and the reason is that it helps folks know you care, flowers make them feel loved, make it known the person who has passed was loved. It helps make the funeral more bearable. This blog is not about that. It's about NOT sending flowers that arrive to the funeral home in a box! We are not against ProFlowers, who just happens to be pictured here. They are not the only ones that sell flowers delivered in the mail. FTD and 1800flowers sell those, among others.  This blog aims...

We see it all the time in the obituaries in the paper and online - "In Lieu of Flowers" send money to this organization or charity but what is it really saying? Customers ask all the time if that means they are not allowed to send flowers and the answer is a big NO. That sentence does not mean that the family does not want flowers for the service and that the funeral director will not accept them, it means that if you wanted to honor the person by making a donation, this is the organization the family would like you to donate too. Can you imagine walking in to a funeral service and not seeing flowers? How sad indeed. Flowers help to express your feeling in a visual, loving way and families have expressed that flowers are measurable representation of how well loved their family member was. So the next time you need to express your sympathy, remember that flowers are still very much appreciated and I personally believe that nothing will ever change that!

This seems like it would be an easy question to answer but sometimes it's not so straightforward! Today I had lunch with a dear friend (and business associate) along with a gentleman whom I'd never met. He is in a similar industry to mine my friend thought it might be nice for us to meet. Anyway, back to the topic of this blog - have you ever noticed when you ask someone, "What is it that you do?" it's funny how they take a deep breath and really have to give it some thought. Most of the time, 10 minutes later, you are listening intently but you are still not sure you understand how they make a living, right? That was me today. This gentleman's business seemed so confusing to me but I'm sure his customers know what he does or at least I hope so!! I believe that's because business today is so much more complicated than even 20 years ago. Remember back in the day when you needed meat you'd go to the Butcher? Or if you need a birthday cake you'd g...

If you live any where near either of my shops, you woke up to snow this morning! How crazy is that? Well, it is if you are in New Jersey or near Buck's County Pa! Anyway, I am so ready for spring! This morning I walked around the Princeton shop taking it all in and so here are some Scenes from the Shop - Part 3!! Pretty wheat grass and spring colored roses. Fresh bunches of tulips (only $8.95) and hand painted vases with tulips designs. Designer Rocio shows off her very tasteful sympathy piece. It's taller than she is! Rocio is a designer in training and has been slowly learning sympathy design. Lucky for her (and us) she's been taught by her sister who helped bring her into the business. Both Reina and Rocio are naturals!!

One of the challenges of any business is having people know what your business is about. For me, it becomes especially hard because we do the normal flower shop stuff, which in itself has so many facets, but then add balloon decor , candy and funeral flowers into the mix and it becomes many run on sentences instead of one clear concise description!! One minute you are getting balloons out the door for a festive affair and then next you are creating a funeral spray that includes a symbol meaningful to the family. Anyway, that's pretty much what I love about my business, even if it does make it hard to describe. My husband is fond of telling people the flower business is about everything from the craddle to the grave and it really is true. New Baby, Birthdays , Proms, Graduation, Congratulations, Weddings, Get Well, Sympathy and Funerals . Our product touches people, makes them happy, and even comforts them. From joy to sorrow and back to joy again. The cycle of life......

Recently a customer and I got to talking about sympathy flowers. This started me thinking about the floral industry and what an important role we play during the grieving process. I remember when my father passed away I asked my mother if she wanted me to inform friends and family to make a donation instead of sending flowers. My mother's response was something I've never forgotten, even 15 years later. She looked completely grief stricken and told me that her greatest fear was that she would walk into the wake and not find any flowers there. Being in the floral business, I've always known that flowers are sent as an expression of sympathy but I never truly understood what an important role they played in the minds of the surviving family members until that moment. My mom feared that no flowers at the service would mean that no one cared about my father. Since that moment, unfortunately, I have lost many family members, including my mother and it's never been more ...