Our Monthly Tip: Create a Wall of Flowers as a Stunning Backdrop for a Memorial Service

A eulogy delivered in front of a stunning wall of roses is a beautiful tribute to your loved one.

Our Tip of the Month

If you’re planning a memorial service for your loved one during the cold weather months, you can bring an outdoor vibe to the setting by adding a solid wall of  flowers to brighten up the room. If you have the budget and the time available, you can hire an event planner to set up the display for you. Or with a little help from some crafty friends you can create a gorgeous display yourself.

How-to Suggestions

Start by choosing the type of flowers you’d like to use and your color scheme. Roses are stunning and come in a wide array of colors, but if price is an issue you can get the same effect with carnations or even daisies. (You can dye them by adding a little food coloring to their water for a day or two). Decide beforehand whether you want a solid wall of color or bold, colorful mix. You can do a striated or striped effect too. Check with several floral retailers to make sure you can get the number of flowers you will need for the project and compare prices in advance. You’ll want to buy the flowers as close to the date of the service as possible so that they stay fresh.

Making a DIY flower wall is not as difficult as you might think.
Credit: Sarahshermansamuel.com

If you’re making the wall of flowers yourself, you will need some chicken wire to hold the flower display and a staple gun to attach the wire to the wall. You can purchase both quite inexpensively at Home Depot or Lowes, or online. Have a friend help you hold the wire in place while you attach it to the wall with staples. Pull it taught, but make sure to  leave about 1 inch of space between the wire mesh and the wall so you can insert the flower stems. Or you can use a floral foam bricks soaked in water and secure them to the chicken wire with heavy-duty cable ties. Then just insert the flower stems directly into the foam.

To keep the flowers as fresh and vibrant as possible, store them in a refrigerator and assemble the wall a few hours before the memorial service is set to begin. Cut the stems with sharp scissors (Ikebana flower scissors are great, and make a big difference in how long the flowers last.) Then spritz the flowers with cool water regularly to keep them looking their best. The end result will be a stunning flower wall that will dazzle your guests and serve as a beautiful tribute to your loved one too.