When you’re arranging a funeral in Tunbridge Wells, flowers shouldn’t be another stress on top of everything else.
Last week, the Morrison family came to us three days after losing their father. They’d been to two other funeral directors who just handed them a basic flower catalogue and said “pick something.” No guidance. No understanding of what different arrangements actually mean. Just another box to tick.
That’s not how we do things at Welham Jones. After 25 years as funeral directors in West Kent, we’ve learned that flowers are never just decorations, they’re part of saying goodbye properly.
Here’s the thing about flower delivery for funerals – timing is everything. We’ve seen other funeral directors promise flowers will arrive, then leave families panicking when nothing turns up.
We handle all our flower deliveries ourselves. Our team knows every church, crematorium, and venue between Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. We know exactly when flowers need to arrive for different types of services.
Kent and Sussex Crematorium [1] [2] has specific timing requirements, flowers must be in place 30 minutes before the service. St Barnabas Church [3] [4] prefers morning deliveries for afternoon services. We know these details because we’ve been working with these venues for decades.
When we arrange your funeral, flower delivery is just part of the service. No extra stress for families. No wondering if things will turn up on time.
Our delivery van is clearly marked “Welham Jones Funeral Directors,” families find it reassuring to see us taking care of every detail personally.
Most funeral directors in Tunbridge Wells work with one flower supplier and offer whatever’s in their standard catalogue. We do things differently.
We’ve built relationships with three specialist funeral florists over the years. Each one understands the weight of what they’re creating. They know the difference between a birthday bouquet and a final tribute.
Mrs. Patterson wanted sunflowers for her husband’s funeral last month. He’d grown them in their garden for forty years. Our florist partner sourced two dozen perfect blooms from a Kent farm and created something that captured his passion for gardening.
That’s what proper funeral flowers should do, tell the story of a life lived.
As funeral directors in Tunbridge Wells, we guide families through all the flower decisions. Casket sprays versus wreaths. Family flowers versus donations. What works for different types of services. Most people have never had to think about these choices before.
When someone loses a colleague or neighbour, they often ask us about sending sympathy flowers. Not for the funeral itself, but to show support during the difficult weeks that follow.
We arrange sympathy flowers for delivery to family homes, workplaces, or care facilities. Simple, respectful arrangements that say “we’re thinking of you” without overwhelming.
Last month we delivered sympathy flowers to an office in Tunbridge Wells after one of their team lost her father. The arrangement was small enough for her desk but meaningful enough to show genuine care from her colleagues.
These aren’t grand funeral displays. They’re gentle reminders that people care, that grief doesn’t have to be faced alone.
We often suggest sympathy flowers for people who can’t attend the funeral but want to show support. Or for families dealing with loss where there’s no formal service planned.
Twenty-five years of arranging funerals teaches you that every life deserves something personal. Standard catalogue flowers don’t capture who someone really was.
We work with Tunbridge Wells families to create custom arrangements that reflect personality and passions. The music teacher gets arrangements incorporating sheet music. The gardener gets tributes using flowers from their own greenhouse.
Our most memorable custom arrangement was for a Royal Navy veteran, we worked with our florist to create an anchor design using white chrysanthemums and blue delphiniums. His grandson, also serving in the Navy, said it was exactly what granddad would have wanted.
Custom work takes longer to arrange. Needs more planning. But when we’re helping families say goodbye to someone irreplaceable, extra effort feels necessary.
We guide families through what’s possible and practical. Some ideas work beautifully. Others need adapting. That’s where our experience helps – knowing what will work and what won’t.
When families come to us to arrange a funeral, flower choices often feel overwhelming. Casket sprays, wreaths, posies, loose flowers, most people don’t know what any of these terms actually mean.
Our floral design consultations happen as part of the funeral planning process. We explain different types of arrangements, what works for different venues, how flowers fit into the overall service.
Bring photos if you have them. Tell us about the person you’ve lost. We’ll suggest arrangements that feel right, not just what’s available in the catalogue.
Mrs. Williams brought her husband’s gardening gloves to our meeting. Wanted to include them somehow in the flower arrangement. We worked with our florist to incorporate them into a garden-style tribute with his favourite roses.
These consultations aren’t sales meetings. They’re conversations about how to honour someone properly. Sometimes the answer is grand displays. Sometimes it’s simple elegance. Often it’s something completely unique.
Some lives call for extraordinary tributes. When families want something truly spectacular to honour someone special, we work with master florists who understand the importance of perfection.
Our most ambitious commission was for a prominent Tunbridge Wells businessman, his family wanted 400 white roses covering the entire casket. Took three days to source and condition all those flowers properly.
Luxury arrangements require advance planning and specialist skills. We work with florists who’ve supplied flowers for state occasions, who understand the technical challenges of large-scale displays.
Not every luxury arrangement is enormous. Sometimes it means rare orchids flown in specially. Or using specific flowers that held personal meaning, regardless of cost or difficulty sourcing them.
These commissions are partnerships between our funeral planning expertise and specialist floral artistry. The result is something that truly reflects the significance of the life being celebrated.
More families want funerals that honour both their loved one and the environment. We’ve developed eco-friendly flower options that create beautiful tributes without environmental guilt.
We work with Kent flower growers who use organic methods and minimal packaging. Local flowers have lower transport emissions and often look fresher than imports flown from Holland.
Seasonal arrangements work with nature’s timing rather than forcing unsuitable flowers. Spring services get daffodils and tulips. Summer allows for roses and sweet peas. Autumn brings chrysanthemums and dahlias.
Biodegradable alternatives replace plastic wrapping and foam foundations. Everything breaks down naturally instead of adding to landfill waste.
Had one family request completely wild flowers, meadow grasses, field flowers, even some brambles. Created a tribute that looked like their father’s beloved countryside walks. Perfect for someone who’d spent every weekend hiking the North Downs.
Not every funeral needs to be sombre and traditional. Some people lived vibrant, adventurous lives that deserve equally bold tributes.
We arranged a celebration of life last year for someone who’d spent decades in the Caribbean. His family wanted proper tropical flowers, birds of paradise, ginger flowers, bright colours that reflected his love of sunshine and warmth.
Tropical flowers need specialist handling and climate control. We work with importers who guarantee quality and freshness. The flowers arrive the day before the service and need immediate professional conditioning.
These arrangements work particularly well for celebration of life services rather than traditional funerals. The bright colours and exotic shapes create a sense of joy and adventure that matches the occasion.
Costs more than standard arrangements because of the specialist sourcing and handling required. But when families want something that truly captures an adventurous spirit, the result is worth the investment.
Orchids divide opinion. People either love their exotic elegance or find them completely alien. But when they work for a tribute, they’re spectacular.
White phalaenopsis orchids create pure, peaceful displays that feel almost spiritual. Perfect for someone who appreciated simplicity and elegance.
Purple dendrobiums offer dramatic impact with rich, deep colours. Ideal for people who understood quality and weren’t afraid to be noticed.
Orchids last much longer than traditional funeral flowers. Families often take them home afterward where they’ll flower again for months. A living memorial that extends the remembrance.
Working with orchids requires specialist knowledge. They’re temperamental flowers that need exact conditioning and careful handling. Our florist partners understand these requirements completely.
Hydrangeas work beautifully for intimate services and smaller venues. Their soft, full heads create gentle displays that don’t overwhelm modest spaces.
Different colours carry different meanings. White hydrangeas represent grace and purity. Blue suggests peace and understanding. Pink expresses heartfelt emotion without being overpowering.
We source hydrangeas locally when they’re in season, typically June through September. Kent growers produce exceptional quality blooms that last well and support our local community.
Had a recent service where the family wanted only blue hydrangeas. Their mother had grown prize-winning hydrangeas for fifty years. We filled St Barnabas Church [3] [4] with every shade of blue we could find, from pale powder blue to deep navy.
The result looked like her garden had moved indoors for the day. Her daughter said it was exactly what mum would have wanted.
Roses remain the most popular choice for funeral flowers, but many families don’t understand the significance of different colours.
Red roses express deep, passionate love, usually chosen by spouses or life partners. White roses symbolise new beginnings and purity, appropriate for any age but especially meaningful for younger people or those with strong faith.
Pink roses convey gentle affection and gratitude, perfect from friends, colleagues, or distant family members. Yellow roses traditionally mean friendship, though some older generations associate them with less positive meanings.
Orange roses celebrate enthusiasm and passion for life, ideal for people who lived boldly and without regret.
We work with rose specialists who understand proper conditioning and care. Well-prepared roses will look perfect throughout the service and beyond.
Popular combinations include roses with lilies for traditional elegance, or roses with seasonal foliage for more natural displays.
When the Henderson family came to us after losing their father, they were overwhelmed by all the decisions that needed making. Flowers were just one concern among many, venue booking, order of service, catering, transport arrangements.
That’s the advantage of working with funeral directors who understand the complete picture. We coordinate every aspect of the service, including flowers, so families can focus on grieving and remembering.
We know which flower arrangements work best in different venues. St Augustine’s Catholic church [5] [6] has limited space near the altar, large displays need positioning carefully. The Assembly Hall’s [7] [8] modern setting suits contemporary arrangements better than traditional designs.
Our florist partners understand funeral timing. They know that flowers for morning services need different preparation than afternoon ones. They know that crematorium flowers have different requirements than church displays.
After 25 years serving Tunbridge Wells families, we’ve learned that the best funerals feel personal and meaningful. Flowers play a crucial part in that, but they’re most effective when they’re part of a thoughtfully planned service.
We’re here to guide families through every decision, from the grandest gesture to the smallest detail. Because saying goodbye properly matters, and everyone deserves support during the most difficult time.
[1] Kent and Sussex Crematorium, Benhall Mill Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN2 5JJ, https://maps.app.goo.gl/qddYsJx2RCgYTRZq6
[2] Kent and Sussex Crematorium, https://kentandsussexcrematorium.com/
[3] St Barnabas’ Church, Stanley Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2RH, https://maps.app.goo.gl/vcdiH4Qcy545bYje8
[4] St Barnabas’ Church, https://www.sbtwells.org/
[5] St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Crescent Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LY, https://maps.app.goo.gl/GjaRNadNv1obv66v5
[6] St Augustine’s Catholic Church, http://www.st-augustine.co.uk/
[7] Assembly Hall Theatre, Crescent Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LU, https://maps.app.goo.gl/FKx2qLeG6J4rPu3n8
[8] Assembly Hall Theatre, https://www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk/
Do you arrange all the flowers yourselves?
We work with specialist funeral florists who understand the importance of what they’re creating. We coordinate everything and ensure quality, but the actual arranging is done by experts in funeral flowers.
How far in advance do we need to order flowers?
For standard arrangements, 48 hours is usually sufficient. Custom work or unusual flowers need more notice. We discuss timing when we’re planning the funeral service.
Can we see the flowers before the service?
We arrange for flowers to be delivered and positioned before families arrive. If you’d like to see them beforehand, we can arrange that during our venue preparations.
What happens to flowers after the service?
Families can take arrangements home, donate them to local care homes, or leave them at the graveside. We discuss preferences during the planning process.
Do different religions have different flower requirements?
Some faiths have specific traditions around flowers. We’re familiar with most requirements and happy to research anything new. We always check before finalising arrangements.
Can we include personal items with the flowers?
Often possible with advance planning. We’ve incorporated everything from gardening tools to military medals. Our florists are creative at including meaningful personal touches.
Address:
39 Crescent Rd
Royal Tunbridge Wells
TN1 2LZ
Phone: 01892 300330
Email: tunbridgewells@welhamjones.co.uk
Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: appointment only
For community deaths outside those hours, we also provide a 24/7 response, 365 days of the year.
