'Funeral work may also be very colorful'

Florist Mélodie Mahin of La Mélodie des Fleurs flower store in Libin, Belgium, received her training at the Institut Horticole de Gembloux, she attended the Fleur Talent! training project with ten young florists and regularly participates 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 store, farewell flower arrangements also have an important place in Mélodie's work. 'A personal farewell is the birth of a beautiful memory. That's why I like to help provide the most beautiful farewell possible.'

'That can be an arrangement in very neutral colors, white and green, and with classic funeral flowers like chrysanthemums. But funeral arrangements can and may also be very colorful. There are also different possibilities in terms of form. A flower cushion remains a classic, but I also like to choose other shapes or a combination of different small creations.'

'There is so much more than traditional decorations'

For floral designer Chantal Post, funeral arrangements mean a very 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. This allows you as a florist to give more depth to your funeral arrangements. For example, a cylinder is open at both ends, reason that this shape symbolizes communication between two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world.'

'In this contribution I especially wanted to show different techniques and different forms of coffin decorations. So much more is possible than traditional decorations. For example, I used paper coffee filters to make a structure that gives the impression of a soft pillow. That creates a lot of possibilities. Moreover, the paper structure has a voluminous effect of its own, so relatively few flowers are needed to create a large arrangement.'

'Each flower and color has its own message'

Master binders Sofia Tavares and Marc Noël met while working in a flower store. They decided to start a flower store together and in 2015 started Moments Subtils in Bastogne, Belgium. June 2023 their second flower store, with the same name, opens in downtown Brussels. Also, Sofia and Marc find challenge in decorating events and participating in competitions. In September, they are both participants in the Belgian Flower Arranging Championships.

The pair has a passion for the beauty of nature and for flowers. 'Floristry for us is a language of flowers to pass on all the 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.'

The significance of funeral arrangements for Sofia and Marc? 'Words can bring comfort, but flowers have the extra power to express emotions stronger than in words. For us, all flowers and all colors can be used in funeral arrangements, because each flower and color has its own message.'

Moments Subtils is the name of two flower stores 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 precious and loving life. The construction is composed using black pins.

Lasting memory

This handmade frame is made of 90% wood. The base structure was digitally designed and cut out using a laser cutter. The remaining wood was transformed into a top section, mixing wood powder with water and wood glue. Clematis, various grasses, blackberries, Viburnum berries, Zinnia and other beautiful seasonal flowers in soft shades of purple and pink were chosen for the floral combination. This arrangement can be beautifully placed next to the casket first as a tribute and then taken home as a lasting memory.

Infinite love

A scale piece (plank with bark edge) can serve as an arrangement for a natural grave or as a temporary grave cover - until the capstone is placed. Heart shapes are milled and sawed from the plank. Burlap cloth is attached to the bottom of the heart shapes. Sempervivum and Muehlenbeckia were planted in the heart shapes. The plants can root through the cloth so the arrangement will remain beautiful indefinitely.