Going the extra mile(s)

[Rhonda]

I had Monday notice of a service to be held on Thursday. The deceased is a former customer for many years. The son states "she loved Christmas" so wants casket piece with Christmas greens, roses and white lights (have to call FD to arrange for lots of extension cords), hear of boxwood with three roses and white lights, and wreath of Christmas Greens and white lights.
He also requested an orchid corsage to which after three calls to all our wholesalers none being available. I called my daughter who was downstate and asked her to stop at Lowes and pick up an orchid plant with a pink or white with pink blooms.......she brings home two plants (duh - book smart, life stupid). Now I have gorgeous dendros in pinks and pinks and whites, four boxes of white mini lights (that the Rite-Aid had already inventoried and stored away for next year) and am ready for the wholesaler to show up tomorrow (in over a foot of new snow this evening) to begin to work on the pieces.
This should prove to make very interesting pictures!!
Ah the newest twist in my design portfolio!

 

[ivygreen]

It will be lovely!

 

[Beth]

Can't wait to see pics! (hint, hint)

Beth :~)

 

[JCT]

Post pictures please Rhonda, bet it will be beautiful, and feel real cozy inside the funeral home.

 

[RWK]

White lights in the casket spray ????? I wanna see that.

 

[Rhonda]

The heart is all greened with boxwood - almost went blind from the white lights while inserting them in. Family came in and went "ga ga" over it without the roses added to it.
The wreath is greened with balsam, cedar, pine, and lights are wound in and out -
The casket spray is waiting for noble fir in the a.m. for my base. They want it to be almost an inverted tree on the casket. Should prove to be very interesting in the a.m. The casket is "Mother of Pearl" and she is wearing a black jacket over a light pink dress. The gorgeous dendrobium's daughter got will be perfect on the jacket. I'll try to get pics before we deliver or maybe after (the FD loves it when we do "different" so he lets me take pics inside).
They have requested most all the tributes be in a Christmas theme, so far only two have requested something different, the rest of the orders were agreeable to the "theme".

 

[Sher]

I bet it will be gorgeous. You seem to always put your heart and soul into the things you do and this family will forever hold you in their hearts for doing this special tribute for them. If only all florists gave the care that you are giving. I also can't wait to see the finals...
Sher

 

[Connie]

This family will remember and discuss this tribute to their mom for many, many years to come. (Can hardly wait to see the pics.)

 

[RWK]

.......... Family came in and went "ga ga" over it. They have requested most all the tributes be in a Christmas theme, so far only two have requested something different, the rest of the orders were agreeable to the "theme".................

This leads me to ask a question: HOw do you all handle it when a family requests a particular theme be carried out throughout all the work and then in comes someone who wants something different from what is being done. How do you all handle that, Do you ignore the wishes of the family, try to talk them into something to blend, or just what?

I have talked with families who for one reason or other, wanted the flowers to all be in a specific theme.......I recall one that we had. The decedent was a Champion fisherman.....He had won just about every trophy there was for fishing....the family wanted all the designs to be fish and or fish themed/related.

 

[RWK]

.......... Family came in and went "ga ga" over it. They have requested most all the tributes be in a Christmas theme, so far only two have requested something different, the rest of the orders were agreeable to the "theme".................

This leads me to ask a question: HOw do you all handle it when a family requests a particular theme be carried out throughout all the work and then in comes someone who wants something different from what is being done. How do you all handle that, Do you ignore the wishes of the family, try to talk them into something to blend, or just what?

I have talked with families who for one reason or other, wanted the flowers to all be in a specific theme.......I recall one that we had. The decedent was a Champion fisherman.....He had won just about every trophy there was for fishing....the family wanted all the designs to be fish and or fish themed/related.

 

[Rhonda]

When someone calls for tributes if they are specific we follow their wishes (third party like WS), if they are not specific we tell them of the theme the family wishes to follow. If they do not want to follow the theme (such as one sister has), we do as they ask. The family has been told beforehand that if people wish specific or not theme we will fill the customers request. They totally understand. We have never had a family request that we fill all orders to the theme. (yet)

 

[virginia_Bob]

That is how we handle the theme question as well Rhonda.
One thing you might want to do is remind the FD to have someone unplug the lights before they roll the casket out or it could be a disaster if the top piece got pulled off and the casket keeps going. I know you have probably already thought of that and you don't want to tick the FD off but just a thought.

Bob

 

[Rhonda]

Catholic mass, no flowers on the pall. Casket spray will be used tonight only.
As we're delivering, the drivers window drops to the bottom of the door. It's 4 degrees out.........get out the other van which hasn't been started since the first snow storm of 3 in the past 4 days.....needed time to warm up.
All delivered now......Have pics.

 

[Rhonda]

oops try again.......
Pictures taken in a hurry, should have taken them at FH ......
Director states he'd heard nothing but wows.

 

[Rhonda]

and one more time to get this casket spray resized ...

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

How lovely Rhonda! I'm sure the family was pleased - I can imagine the lights made a beautiful impression in the soft lighting they use at FH's.
Nicely done!

tracy

 

[Twila]

very nice Rhonda!

 

[RWK]

From what I can see with the small photos.........very nice and pretty designs. I would love to see how the lights worked and looked at the funeral home.

 

[VJD]

Rhonda

Hey Maine Master Florist - will you do my funeral? lol

Truthfully Rhonda, very tastefully done - nice work!

Val

 

[MANORVILLE]

Beautiful job Rhonda. Wish we could have seen them lit up.
Send some of that snow down here to Manorville.