Funeral Flowers for Sister: A Floral Tribute from Those Who Love Her
A sister is part of your whole story, and losing her leaves a gap nothing else fills. Choosing her flowers is a way to say what you feel when it is hard to speak. Below are the designs brothers and sisters most often choose, from the coffin tribute to a small posy, each made by a local florist and delivered before the service.
Choosing funeral flowers for sister
Start with where the tribute will go. If your sister was married or had children, her partner or children usually choose the main funeral flower tribute that rests on the coffin, and siblings send something that sits beside it. If she lived alone, her brothers and sisters often choose it together. Then think about what would reflect her: her favourite colour, what she grew in the garden, the clothes she wore. When choosing funeral flowers for a sister, that will always mean more than any rule.
The main types of funeral flowers are the coffin spray, the smaller single-ended spray, the wreath, the sheaf, the posy and the basket. Each one is described below with the designs we make. Some shops sell a letter tribute that spells SISTER; we don't make those. Every design here uses fresh flowers, and her name and yours go on the card.
A wreath made for a sister
The circle is a symbol of eternal life and of a bond that doesn't end. The Sister Wreath is made with pink gerberas, pink carnations, lilac lisianthus, pink roses and white chrysanthemums, a soft, cheerful mix that suits most sisters. If she loved lilac, there is a pink and lilac design with iris and daisies, and a purple one where each purple carnation sits beside lilac roses and gerberas. For a more formal look, the based wreath in purple and white is a ring of glossy laurel and moss with a cluster of roses and lilies on top. See every design in our funeral wreaths.
The coffin spray and smaller sprays
The coffin spray, called a casket spray in America, rests on the lid and reaches towards both ends. For a sister, many families choose the Purple and White Coffin Spray of purple roses, white gerberas, lilac spray chrysanthemums and white lisianthus. A single-ended spray is smaller: a teardrop shape that can lie on the coffin, beside it or at the graveside. One is pink and white, one is made only of pink oriental lilies, and one is all in purple and lilac. We don't make a standing spray on an easel; ours are laid down. All are in our funeral sprays.
Sheaves, posies and floral arrangements
A sheaf is a hand-tied bunch with a ribbon and the stems on show, and families often move it to the grave afterwards. Our pink sheaf has pink roses, lilies and eucalyptus with a blush ribbon, and the Natural Hand Tied Sheaf of blush roses, ranunculus and cream hydrangea has a simple raffia tie. A pink posy is small and round, a gentle choice from a niece, a nephew or a friend.
Baskets and floral arrangements can stand at the service or the wake and go home with the family afterwards. Our pink basket comes in whitewashed wicker, and the lilac arrangement is a funeral arrangement in a pale grey container, with lilac roses, white lilies and purple stock. Colleagues who want to send corporate flowers on behalf of her workplace often pick one of these, because it is easy to place. Browse more in our funeral baskets.
Colours, sizes and sharing one floral tribute
Pink feels warm and loving, lilac and purple feel calm, and white looks peaceful. No single flower represents a sister, so choose the colour she would have picked; bright colours can celebrate a life well-lived as much as mourn it. Every design except the lilac basket comes in three sizes, Standard, Preferred and Elegant. The larger sizes add more stems of the same kind, so if several brothers and sisters share one tribute, the Elegant size gives fuller, elegant funeral flowers in the same design. Sharing one piece also spares everyone a decision at one of life's most difficult times.
Finding the words for the card
The card is where you personalise the flowers, and a few words in your own voice are enough. "To my big sister, my first friend. Love you always" or "Forever my sister, forever in my heart" say a great deal. From a brother, a twin or a sister-in-law, add a nickname or a memory you shared; the sentiment matters more than the length. Families often keep the cards they received, so write what feels true. Our guide on what to write on funeral flowers has more ideas.
Funeral flower delivery and prices
To order funeral flowers, choose a design and size, write your card, and give the address of the funeral home or the family's house and the delivery date. Your tribute isn't passed to a courier: a florist near that address makes it and brings it by hand, so it is a local delivery wherever the service is held, even if you live far away. Flower delivery runs Monday to Saturday, from tomorrow onwards, with none on Sundays or bank holidays, and we cannot deliver to AB10 postcodes. Flower delivery prices are simple: one charge of £12.49 per order to one address, added at checkout. If there is a memorial service later instead of a funeral, give that venue and date in the same way.
Each florist works with seasonal flowers, and the stems they arrange may vary a little with the week. If seasonal availability means one bloom isn't in stock, they may use another of the same colour and style, of equal or greater value.
What happens on the day
The main tribute goes on the lid and the others beside the coffin or in the hearse. At a crematorium, they are usually laid out afterwards in an area set aside for them, so the family can read every card. A sheaf is often taken on to the grave, while a basket can go home or to the wake and is the easiest to move from one place to another.
Something for the family's home
If you can't be there, or you want to support the grieving family afterwards, you can send flowers to the house as a kind gesture of condolence and remembrance, offering comfort in the quiet weeks after the funeral. A lilac bouquet is ready for a vase, the pink lily and rose vase arrives arranged, and the pink orchid keeps flowering long after cut stems fade. For flower care, trim the stems and top up the water every few days. Lilies are toxic to cats, so choose the orchid or the pink basket for a home with a cat. More flower arrangements for the home are in our sympathy flowers.
Questions about flowers for your sister
How much does a tribute for a sister cost?
The orchid plant starts from £32.99, the pink sheaf and pink basket from £43.99, the Sister Wreath from £60.49 and the Purple and White Coffin Spray from £60.49, plus £12.49 delivery per order.
Which flowers suit a sister best?
Roses, carnations, lilies, lisianthus and the white chrysanthemum are the most common choices, often in pink, lilac or white, but her favourite colour matters more than any tradition.
Can I send one tribute from the whole family?
Yes. Choose one design, often in a larger size, and put everyone's names on the card.
Can I order for the service and the family's home together?
Yes, but each address is its own order with its own delivery charge.
Can I send something if I can't attend?
Yes. A tribute with a card at the service, or flowers sent to the family's home in the days after, means your love is still there.
