The Secret Garden Decatur: A Guide to Ordering Funeral Flowers

We hope that you find the information in this guide useful. Ordering funeral flowers is never an easy task. Our goal is to make the process easier on you.

You will need to gather as much information you can about the funeral arrangements. When you call your florist the are going to need the basic details on the arrangements.

The name of the deceased - We know this may sound strange but it does happen. If you are sending flowers for a family member of a co-worker for example you may not know the full named of the deceased. We always recommend asking someone close to them for the details or checking in the obituaries. If you are unable to find out the name we can normally find that out for you based on the details you do know.
The day and time of the visitation - We recommend having the flowers sent to the visitation rather then the actual service. This gives the family and friends an opportunity to admire the arrangements. This can normally be found in the paper or online through the local newspaper. If it is a recent passing it may take a day to get into the local paper. Your florist can verify the information you have when the paper lists the information. You can also call the funeral home or have your florist do that for you.
The location of the visitation - More and more visitations are taking place at churches. You will need to know the name and possibly the address of the church. This again will be listed in the paper or online. A call to the funeral home handling the arrangements will also help you find the location.
Making your selection - You can use our selection guide to help you decide the type of arrangement you would like to send. If you know what type of flowers or colors are favored then you could even incorporate those into your selection. Your florist can help you select the arrangement or gift that best fits your needs.
What kind of sentiment - Your florist will have several types of cards to choose from. Most popular are, With Deep Sympathy, In Loving Memory, and Our Thoughts and Prayers are With You. Decide how you would like to sign the card. If it is from a group of you the best way to sign would be something like, The Staff at ABC company or Your Friends at ABC company. If it is from a family, we suggest, The Smith Family or Bob and Jan Smith. You want to avoid getting to wordy with this card. It will be seen from a distance so your florist will have to make it clear and easy to read.

A few more things to remember. Your florist will need to have your flowers to the location at least 2 hours before the visitation starts. This allows time for the funeral directors and staff to arrange the room for the family before the private viewing. The family viewing normally starts an hour or so before the actual visitation. In emergency situations your florist can take the flowers to the visitation a little late but this practice is frowned upon by both the florist and the funeral homes. The sooner you can order the better. We understand that sometimes word is not received until the last minute, this occurs a lot when family and friends are out of town. Your florist will work with you up to the last minute, but you may need to accept what they have to offer rather then a custom design. You can always send flowers direct to the home of a family member if you do not receive word in time. Also flowers taken to the burial, if the burial takes place on a later date, would also be appropriate.

Here are a few links that will help if you are sending flowers to the Decatur Illinois area.

Decatur Herald & Review Obituary Page.

1215 E. Pershing Rd.

Decatur, IL 62526

217-875-9038