Master florists Sofia Tavares and Marc Noël met while working in a flower shop. Together, they decided to start a flower shop and launched Moments Subtils in Bastogne, Belgium, in 2015. In June 2023, they opened their second flower shop, with the same name, in the center of Brussels. Sofia and Marc also find challenge in decorating events and participating in competitions. In September, they will both participate in the Belgian Floristry Championship.
The two have a passion for the beauty of nature and for flowers. 'For us, floral art is a language of flowers to convey all beauty. We find inspiration in a walk in the woods, in a city and its architecture, or simply in a flower or a moment of wonder.'
What is the meaning of funeral arrangements for Sofia and Marc? ‘Words can bring comfort, but flowers have the extra power to express emotions more strongly than words. For us, all flowers and all colors can be used in funeral arrangements, because every flower and color has its own message.’
Moments Subtils is the name of two flower shops in Bastogne, Belgium, and in the heart of Brussels.
For floral designer Chantal Post, funeral arrangements represent a highly personal tribute to the deceased. 'The choice of flowers is often related to the character of that person. A conversation with the family ensures that you get to know the specific characteristics of the deceased, the sensitivities, the favorite flowers.'
'It is a challenge to make use of more or less known symbolism. As a florist, you can add more depth to your funeral work. For example, a cylinder is open at both ends, which is why this shape symbolizes the communication between two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world.'
‘In this contribution, I mainly wanted to show different techniques and different forms of coffin decorations. There is so much more possible than traditional decorations. For example, I made a structure with paper coffee filters that gives the impression of a soft pillow. That creates a lot of possibilities. Moreover, the paper structure already has a voluminous effect in itself, so relatively few flowers are needed to create a large arrangement.’
Florist Mélodie Mahin from flower shop La Mélodie des Fleurs in Libin, Belgium, was educated at the Institut Horticole de Gembloux. Together with ten young florists, she participated in the Fleur Talent! training project and regularly takes part in competitions in Alden Biesen and Beloeil. She also decorates weddings and parties and is renowned for her workshops and children's parties.
In addition to the daily colorful arrangements for her customers in the flower shop, farewell floral work also occupies an important place in Mélodie's work. ‘A personal farewell is the birth of a beautiful memory. That's why I would like to help to provide the most beautiful farewell possible.’
‘That can be an arrangement in very neutral colors, white and green, and with classic funeral flowers such as chrysanthemums. But funeral work can and may also be very colorful. There are also various possibilities in terms of shape. A flower cushion remains a classic, but I also like to opt for other shapes or for a combination of different small creations.’
Belgian floral designer Sören van Laer considers making funeral arrangements a very important part of his work as a florist. ‘Flowers not only bring comfort, they also express appreciation for the deceased. It is therefore very important to create very personal and creative funeral work because creativity gives meaning to loss.’
‘I am noticing that the demand for urn decorations is increasing. This requires a separate approach but also offers opportunities to create very refined funeral work. For farewell flower arrangements, I prefer to use colorful flowers. Colors soften the grief.’
Working with symbolism also generates many possibilities. 'For example, lavender has the properties of being soothing, calming, softening, uplifting, and balancing. The flower symbolizes balance, dedication, friendly love, admiration, and beauty. Lavender has a subtle color and scent and thus connects body, mind, and soul, making it an excellent flower for farewell floral arrangements.'
Freelance florist and teacher Linda Eising prefers to keep her farewell floral arrangements close to the personal wishes of the customer. ‘It is my challenge and strength to translate those wishes into floral work. Gathering information from the bereaved by visiting, listening, asking the right questions and looking around gives me the right information to get started.’
‘Purchasing materials or, even better, using plants from home or the garden. Strolling together in your own garden for the most beautiful materials. It is often precisely those materials that have been lovingly cared for and admired by the deceased.’
‘When searching for materials together with the bereaved, the most beautiful stories and precious memories emerge. This often immediately serves as a piece of bereavement processing. When you then make an arrangement from all those materials, you see tears of emotion and recognition in the eyes of the relatives when delivering it. That gives me a lot of satisfaction.
‘Deep red and burgundy are welcome,’ says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, ‘with accents in gold, cream or white tones and surfaces with an oil luster or mother-of-pearl, you make it special. Distinctive color and powerful design: the Lush Natural Elegance theme doesn't need much.’
‘Within this theme, plants and organic shapes play a major role. These can be characteristic strong leaf shapes, but also flowers with special shapes that often match beautifully with each other. Consider the Guzmania, Gloriosa, Phalaenopsis, but also Celosia, with which you as a florist can really make a statement.’
‘Everyone knows it, you have nice vases but a piece is missing or the paint is peeling off. But you don't throw them away either, so they often gather dust in the closet for ages. Yet they offer many possibilities if you think 'out of the box' for a moment and breathe new life into them by sprucing them up. For example, I applied dark red and gold accents to pots and vases with self-adhesive mourning ribbon made of woven fabric. A product for which I see many other applications.’
