Turning Sympathy Flowers into Lifelong Memories

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When most people think of flower preservation, they think of pressed flowers from some fantastical excursion or the dried wedding bouquet hanging in a relative’s living room. True to form, most of the clients we receive at Keepsake Floral are brides looking to preserve a token from the start of their new married life.  However, there are plenty of other reasons to preserve flowers, one of which is to remember a loved one after he or she has passed away.

Memorial flowers have been a tradition for thousands of years.  It started as a way to mask the smell of the deceased and give the family more time to say goodbye.  While the reasoning behind the practice may have shifted over time, the practice has persisted nonetheless.  Today memorial flowers are a way to celebrate the life that was and let the deceased’s loved ones know they are in our thoughts.

Memorial flowers hold a special place in the hearts of the Keepsake team because they help people heal.  I believe that preserving memorial flowers helps the grieving process because keepsakes that are created with the flowers from a memorial or funeral service keep the beauty of the living blooms “alive” for decades, even lifetimes, after the deceased is gone.

Many sympathy clients choose to include mementos like prayer cards, articles of jewelry, or photographs to make a truly personal keepsake.  Small to mid-sized keepsake designs, such as a single rose in a small cube or shadowbox, are also popular for sympathy flowers. Sometimes this is a consequence of purchasing multiple keepsakes for family members, but we’ve found that a sweet simple keepsake is often all that’s needed as a reminder of that person who will always be in your heart.

All of our keepsakes are crafted custom to each client.  After the service, one only needs to overnight their flowers and make a deposit before they can set up a one-on-one consultation for the keepsake to be designed exactly how they need it.  We preserve the flowers immediately after they arrive and any memorabilia that needs to be added to the keepsake will be stored safely or can be sent in later during the process. The Keepsake team takes special care of any items sent to us.  Prices for keepsakes start at $100 and go up depending on the style, size, and additions. The designing and building of any given keepsake takes about 12 – 20 weeks and will be shipped directly to you after it is completed.