'Funeral arrangements can also be very colorful'

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.’

'There is so much more than traditional decorations'

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.’

‘Every flower and color has its own message’

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.

Endless connection

This urn decoration contains a lot of symbolism and personal elements. The round lines of the Sanseveria plant and the Tillandsia symbolize the ‘circle of life’, a symbolic representation of birth, survival and death. The added blackberries represent the beautiful end of a valuable and loving life. The construction is assembled using black pins.

Lasting memory

This handmade frame is 90% made of wood. The base construction is digitally designed and cut using a laser cutter. The remaining wood has been transformed into a top part, where wood powder was mixed with water and wood glue. For the flower combination, Clematis, various grasses, blackberries, Viburnum berries, Zinnia, and other beautiful seasonal flowers in soft purple and pink hues were chosen. This arrangement can first be beautifully placed next to the coffin as a tribute and then taken home as a lasting memory.

Infinite love

A slab cut (plank with bark edge) can serve as an arrangement for a natural grave or as a temporary grave covering – until the headstone is placed. Heart shapes have been milled and sawn from the plank. Jute cloth is attached to the underside of the heart shapes. Sempervivum and Muehlenbeckia are planted in the heart shapes. The plants can root through the cloth so that the arrangement remains beautiful indefinitely.