A colourful farewell with flowers

06 March 2024

The Funeral Event took place on March 5th at the Plantion Wholesale Center. Plantion, the VBW (Royal Association of Florists and Retailers), and Smithers Oasis joined forces to create a special evening. Marginpar is present as a flower sponsor.

Commercial opportunities for florists

Flower arrangements are widely used during funerals, yet it's sometimes difficult for florists to see the commercial value in it. Ellis van Verseveld, of Plantion, explains: "Florists can be a bit shy sometimes. They think that because there are already partnerships between funeral directors and other florists, there is no room for their input. While there are still so many opportunities; florists can really be more entrepreneurial. With this event, we want to inspire florists to get more commercial value out of a funeral."

Non-standard funeral work

But what does this look like? Ellis: "Today we are showing that there is so much more than 'standard'. Various trends are emerging: for example, natural burial grounds are on the rise, and there are different rules for them than for a regular cemetery. Or the trend of burial shrouds instead of the traditional coffin, or an urn decoration. But it goes further than that, you can also think about aftercare. A beautiful bouquet a year after the funeral, for example. In addition, sustainability is becoming increasingly important." For example, at a natural burial, everything must be biodegradable. Oasis TerraBrick offers a solution as a sustainable base. During the event, florists can try out the base themselves in a workshop.

Challenges

Another challenge is when the funeral card asks to bring a single flower. This requires extra creativity from the florist. Pascal Zijlmans, one of the attending arrangers, explains that you can for example create a base in the shape of a heart. People can then add loose flowers to it on the spot. Or as a florist you can 'hire' yourself out to arrange the flowers into a beautiful bouquet on-site.

Personal funeral work

Another challenge for a florist dealing with funeral work is to create something that is a perfect match for the deceased. Arranger Ilona Oostenveld was given the task of creating inspirational pieces for 'a young mother'. Incredibly sad, but because you recognise her optimistic personality in the colourful flower arrangements, this still offers comfort. Meanwhile, Pascal explains in his presentation how you can also use personal belongings of the deceased for personal funeral work. For example, an old leather doctor's bag, which beautifully accommodates flower arrangements. This is also a recommendation from a commercial point of view, as no additional costs are needed for a vessel or base.

Distinguish yourself through craftsmanship

Bram Rijkers of VBW explains why such an event is important: "With funeral flower work, you can distinguish yourself as a craftsman (and woman), you can really express your own style and creativity in it. And: nothing is as personal as funeral work. This allows you to offer a lot of value for the bereaved, often resulting in customer loyalty." Bram notes that there is still a lot to be gained, also in terms of commercial opportunities for florists: "There is a tension between florists and funeral directors. Sometimes they get in each other's way. There are even funeral insurers who discourage the use of flowers. That has to do with misunderstandings - about sustainability for example. That's why it's good to inform florists about this." The Marginpar team experienced this point firsthand and had plenty to discuss. About our sustainability certificates, for example, water management, and what we do on a social level for our people and communities.

Bram concludes: "Plantion and VBW have the same approach: to help the florist further. Marginpar is the same, it's good that you are joining in. Marginpar flowers are well suited for making personal floral arrangements, they are products that demonstrate your added value as a florist."

With this beautiful conclusion, and full of new insights, we leave this special event.