We offer them to honor the dead and express our sympathies for the bereaved. But who knew that funeral flowers have also become a status symbol?

“We have clients whose orders for flower arrangements depend on the status of the deceased,” said Zosimo Porte, proprietor of Floristera.

“When it’s for a rank-and-file employee, they keep to a certain budget. For their company’s clients, especially if it’s someone with a high position, that’s when you’ll see the really beautiful funeral arrangements. Pagandahan yan,” he continued. Located in Barangay Valencia, Quezon City, Floristera counts many large corporations as clients.

It’s not always about the size of the arrangement anymore, he explained. Some may come small, but are made up of expensive flowers like the phalaenopsis, a kind of orchid, which is priced at P1,000 a piece. Porte told Lifestyle of one well-known businessman’s wake where the flower arrangements sent ranged from P50,000 to P100,000.

Some clients are very particular about which flowers to use, and would pay big bucks for a flower arrangement that would only last for three to four days. These wreaths may consist of five bundles or 100 pieces of Ecuadorian roses, which are imported and come at P2,500 per dozen.

There’s also the matter of placement.

There are some who specifically ask that the funeral wreath they sent be placed next to the casket. “That’s always a dilemma which we have to solve, how to get the arrangement that we brought beside the coffin,” said Porte. “We would talk to the family and explain that the flowers are from the deceased’s employer, for instance, and they would understand.”

It’s a different issue when it’s the wake of someone prominent. That’s when everyone wants the floral arrangements they sent placed front and center.

“Bawal magpatalbog, they want the ones they sent to be seen by everyone at the wake,” he added.

‘Horror’ stori

Porte pointed out that once you’re inside the funeral chapel and take note of the flower arrangements, you can very well determine the status of the sender. But not all VVIPs who send their condolences are pressured into sending costly flower arrangements, even at the price of being branded “kuripot.”

It also leaves an impression on visitors when they see that a funeral wreath came from someone of high status. “Uy, sosyal kayo ha, pinadalhan kayo ni ganito,” mourners would take notice.

As a shop that’s been in the business of arranging funeral flowers for 25 years, Floristera has its share of horror stories, though not of the supernatural kind.

“We’ve had experiences, especially when delivering the flowers, which you would really find hard to believe,” said Porte. One incident involved bringing a wreath to the house where the supposed wake was being held, upon the instructions of a client. “When we got to the house, the deceased turned out to be alive.”

Apparently, the order was for another person with the same name. But Floristera’s client got confused and gave the wrong address. And we thought scenes like this only happen in sitcoms.

The shop’s delivery team almost got chased by a bolo knife. “Katakot-takot na mura inabot namin,” he recalled with a chuckle. But even with those misunderstandings, they never disclosed who made the order. “We also need to protect the identity of the one who sent it because that’s our client.”

Longer shelf life

There was another instance when they got several orders, only to find out later that the person was still in the hospital. “Naghihingalo pa lang,” Porte said. “We were done with the flower arrangements but then the supposed deceased didn’t pass on until three days later.”

It puzzles him how some people get ahead of themselves and couldn’t be bothered to double-check whether the person is really dead. His team eventually learned to laugh off such scenarios. When that happens, they just keep the flowers in storage until it’s time.

“It has become standard procedure that as soon as we receive an order, we get the deceased’s details, so we can verify first with the family or the funeral chapel,” he said.

Marvin Verde, a flower arranger at Letty’s Flower Shop on Libingan ng mga Bayani Road, is spared from such incidents. But one thing that he counts as unforgettable was when he was tasked to arrange the flowers on the hearse that would bear the casket of former President Fidel V. Ramos.

“Nagkataon lang, dito kasi sa amin nagpapagawa ang AFP,” Verde modestly explained. He’s been arranging funeral wreaths for five years. “Natuto lang ako sa mga kasama ko,” the 24-year-old said.

While there are no rules on which kinds of flowers should be used for wakes, it has become customary for florists to go for those which have a longer shelf life. Anthuriums, orchids and Malaysian mums can stay fresh for five to seven days.

Still, it is up to the client—or even upon the dying wish of the deceased. That can be challenging as well, according to Porte, especially if one is requesting a certain color that is not widely available locally.

The ones who usually leave special requests for their funeral flowers are women, from what kind of flowers to how these should be arranged at the wake.

“Kapag lalaki (ang namatay), walang pakialam, kahit anong ilagay mo,” Porte said.