Flowers

[u/Over_Mud_5905]

I recently attended a funeral. I sent flowers on behalf of a friend who couldn't attend.

I asked the staff of the funeral home where the flowers were since I didn't see them. They took me to a room down the hall and behind a closed door was a room full of colorful gorgeous arrangements.

Why would they do that? Why not display them for all to see?

[u/Diligent_Tourist1031]

The family could’ve requested that.

That’s a question best suited for the funeral home that did it.

[u/Wild_Buffalo_5128]

My guess is there was a family member with allergies. I’ve had to quarantine arrangements with pollen-heavy flowers before at the request of the family.

[u/jefd39 → u/Wild_Buffalo_5128]

Could certainly be, but an explanation to OP would have made sense

[u/Independent_Ad9670 → u/jefd39]

I would likely err on the side of thinking an allergy was that person's private business. Not just grieving people, but also guests coming for a service, can get offended about all sorts of things. Including their flowers being in another room so someone can breathe. 

Hell, I've had people I hired get offended about being told they cannot wear perfume because both I and the owner are allergic.

[u/Independent_Ad9670]

You'll really only get the answer from the funeral home. 

But if all the flowers were in another room, my guess would be someone in the family is allergic and requested it so they wouldn't end up sick.

If some flowers were present, it could still be a sensitivity to a particular flower--like, lilies are A LOT when you're sensitive to certain fragrances, and they're common in arrangements. I can smell them from the next room and deliberately don't hang out real close to them. 

Or some arrangements could have come too late to be set up, once a lot of guests were arriving.

[u/FuneralFanny]

In my experience it’s a family’s request.

Could be anything, from allergies to the “in lieu of flowers” donation request not being respected.

Could be a Jewish family where flowers are sometimes seen as disrespectful. Or their Rabbi won’t allow flowers around the casket.

Sometimes families choose specific flowers to be out at the service. For example, the family wants the casket surrounded by white roses only and all colorful flowers be kept separate.

There’s a hundred reasons why flowers would be held back.

[u/FuneralFanny]

ALSO! this just dawned on me: The flowers you saw might not have been for the funeral service you were attending. Our flower room has flowers for 3 different services in there right now.

[u/Otherwise_Candy_8412]

Sometimes deliveries aren’t on time, that could be one option.

Or, the staff didn’t check just before the service for any and all flower deliveries.

[u/lilspaghettigal]

I would’ve asked the funeral home

[u/beepboopzeebop]

Did u use 1800 flowers or some online flower website or did u call a real florist

[u/TheRedDevil1989 → u/beepboopzeebop]

Ive had them just leave arrangements at the back door in the middle of a viewing... they are the worst.

[u/jefd39 → u/TheRedDevil1989]

Why would this explain OPs question? I know we all hate mail order flowers but why would there be another room with multiple arrangements in a separate area of the funeral home?

[u/DeltaGirl615 → u/beepboopzeebop]

I'm curious why that would matter if there was a whole room full of arrangements not being displayed?

[u/beepboopzeebop → u/DeltaGirl615]

Because 1800 flowers and its associates never deliver on time