When you order flowers for a funeral the florist will often ask what you’d like printed on the ribbon. Which puts you somewhat on the spot. You have to quickly think what few words would work and sum up someone you cared deeply about.
It may not seem like a huge thing but the ribbon is usually the first thing people read when they walk past the arrangement. On top of that many families keep the ribbons long after the flowers are gone.
Thankfully the ribbon wording is meant to be short. Nobody expects a full message. A simple “Beloved Mother” or “Forever in Our Hearts” is what most ribbons say.
So if you need some help with what to say on funeral flower ribbons you’ll find over 150 examples of ribbon and banner wording, split by who the flowers are for and who they’re from. If you’re also writing the card that goes with the flowers our funeral flower messages have longer wording for that too.
Ribbons, Banners and Cards: What’s the Difference?
A funeral ribbon is a satin ribbon with gold or silver lettering that is draped across a wreath, spray or casket flowers. A banner (some florists call it a sash) is the same idea but usually wider and longer and it usually goes across bigger standing sprays.
Both are meant to be read from a few feet away so the wording is short. Mainlu just a relationship (“Loving Grandpa”) or a short sentiment (“Rest in Peace”).
The card is different. It’s put in the arrangement and is where a longer message and your name go. So you don’t need to fit everything on the ribbon. Let the ribbon say who the person was to you and then the card does the rest.
Many arrangements have two ribbons. One says who the person was (“Beloved Wife”) and the other says who the flowers are from (“Love, Your Husband John”). There are wordings for those too further down.
Short Ribbon Wording That Works for Anyone
If you’re not sure what to put these will work on almost any arrangement whoever it’s for and whoever it’s from.
- Rest in Peace
- Forever in Our Hearts
- Always Remembered
- Gone but Never Forgotten
- In Loving Memory
- With Deepest Sympathy
- Until We Meet Again
- Forever Loved
- Loved and Missed
- In Our Thoughts Always
- Sleep Peacefully
- Remembered With Love
- Always in Our Hearts
- Gone Too Soon
- With Love and Sympathy
- Forever Missed
Ribbon Wording by Relationship
Relationship ribbons (“Beloved Mother”, “Our Dad”) are traditionally sent by close family as they describe who the person was to the sender. If you’re a friend or coworker the general wording above or the sections further down are usually a better fit.
For Mom
Mom is one of the most common ribbons you’ll see on casket sprays and standing hearts. There are more ideas in our funeral flower messages for mom.
- Beloved Mother
- Loving Mom
- Our Mom, Forever Loved
- Mom, Always in Our Hearts
- Devoted Mother
- Our Wonderful Mom
- Mom, Rest in Peace
- Forever Our Mom
- Mom, We Love You
- Mother, Grandmother, Friend
For Dad
Dads often get a slightly plainer ribbon, but there’s nothing wrong with “We Love You, Dad” if that’s how your family speaks.
- Beloved Father
- Loving Dad
- Our Dad, Forever Loved
- Dad, Always in Our Hearts
- Devoted Father
- We Love You, Dad
- Dad, Rest Easy
- Our Hero, Our Dad
- Forever Our Dad
- Father, Grandfather, Friend
For a Husband
Usually the ribbon from a wife is the one on the casket spray so it tends to be the most personal.
- Beloved Husband
- My Loving Husband
- My Husband, My Best Friend
- Forever My Love
- Until We Meet Again, My Love
- All My Love, Always
- Devoted Husband and Father
- Love of My Life
For a Wife
- Beloved Wife
- My Loving Wife
- My Wife, My Best Friend
- Forever My Love
- Until We Meet Again, My Darling
- My Heart Is Yours Forever
- Devoted Wife and Mother
- Love of My Life
For a Grandmother
Grandchildren often send their own arrangement and the ribbon can use whatever name they called her: Grandma, Nana, Granny, Mimi. Our funeral flower messages for grandmother have more.
- Beloved Grandmother
- Loving Grandma
- Our Nana, Forever Loved
- Grandma, Always in Our Hearts
- Our Wonderful Granny
- We Love You, Grandma
- Forever Our Nana
- Grandma, Rest in Peace
For a Grandfather
- Beloved Grandfather
- Loving Grandpa
- Our Papa, Forever Loved
- Grandpa, Always in Our Hearts
- We Love You, Grandpa
- Forever Our Pop
- Granddad, Rest Easy
- Our Grandpa, Our Hero
For a Son or Daughter
There’s no easy wording for the loss of a child. Most parents go for something very simple.
- Beloved Son
- Beloved Daughter
- Our Precious Son
- Our Darling Daughter
- Our Boy, Forever Loved
- Our Girl, Always in Our Hearts
- Forever Our Baby
- Loved Beyond Words
- Sleep Tight, Sweet Angel
- Until We Hold You Again
For a Brother or Sister
- Beloved Brother
- Beloved Sister
- Loving Brother
- Our Dear Sister
- Brother and Best Friend
- Sister, Forever in Our Hearts
- Big Brother, Forever Missed
- Little Sister, Always Loved
- My Brother, My Hero
- My Sister, My Best Friend
For an Aunt or Uncle
- Beloved Aunt
- Beloved Uncle
- Our Dear Auntie
- Loving Uncle
- Aunt and Friend, Forever Loved
- Uncle, Always in Our Hearts
- Our Favorite Aunt
- Our Favorite Uncle
For Other Family
- Beloved Cousin
- Loving Niece
- Dear Nephew
- Beloved Stepmother
- Our Dear Stepdad
- Beloved Mother-in-Law
- Loving Father-in-Law
- Beloved Godmother
- Dear Godfather
- Beloved Great-Grandmother
For a Friend
A friend’s ribbon can be a little warmer or more personal than the general wording. It’s fine to use “friend” on its own too.
- Dear Friend
- Beloved Friend
- Forever My Best Friend
- Friends Forever
- A True Friend, Always Missed
- Friend, Rest in Peace
- Till We Meet Again, Friend
- Thank You for the Memories
- Our Friend, Forever Loved
- Gone but Never Forgotten, Friend
TwoRibbon Pairings
When an arrangement has two ribbons the usual way is a relationship on one and who it’s from on the other.
- Beloved Mother / Love Always, Your Children
- Loving Dad / Forever Your Kids
- Beloved Husband / Love Forever, Your Wife
- Beloved Wife / All My Love, Your Husband
- Our Nana / Love, Your Grandchildren
- Loving Grandpa / From All the Grandkids
- Beloved Son / Love Forever, Mom and Dad
- Our Darling Daughter / Love Always, Mom and Dad
- Beloved Brother / Love, Your Sisters
- Dear Sister / Forever Your Little Brother
- Beloved Aunt / Love, Your Nieces and Nephews
- Dear Friend / Love, The Johnson Family
- Rest in Peace / With Love From ______
- In Loving Memory / From Your Friends at ______
Wording for Casket Sprays
The casket spray is usually ordered by the immediate family so its ribbon tends to speak for everyone closest to the person. If you’re the one arranging it wording that includes the whole family works well.
- Beloved Wife, Mother and Grandmother
- Loving Husband, Father and Grandfather
- Forever Loved by Your Family
- Our Hearts Go With You
- Always Loved, Never Forgotten
- With All Our Love, Your Family
- Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma
- Dad, Papa, Friend
- Together Again
- Rest Now, We’ll Take It From Here
“Together Again” is a lovely choice when someone has died after their husband or wife as it says they’re reunited.
Ribbon Wording From a Group or Workplace
If you’re sending flowers on behalf of a team, club, business etc. the ribbon usually names the group and keeps the sentiment simple. For the card our professional sympathy messages from businesses can help.
- With Deepest Sympathy, The Staff of ______
- In Loving Memory, From Your Coworkers
- Forever Part of Our Team
- Our Colleague and Friend
- With Sympathy, Your Friends at ______
- Always Remembered by ______ Church
- From Your Teammates, Forever Missed
- With Love, The ______ Book Club
- In Memory of a Valued Friend
- From the Class of ______
- Thank You for Your Service
- Our Neighbor and Friend
Do check with whoever organized the collection how they want the group named. “The Accounting Team” and “Your Friends in Accounting” feel quite different.
Religious Ribbon Wording
If the person and their family were people of faith a religious ribbon can be a real comfort. If you’re not sure though then it’s best to stick to the general wording.
- In God’s Care
- Safe in God’s Arms
- Rest in the Lord
- With the Angels
- Called Home
- Home With Jesus
- Forever With the Lord
- Gone to Glory
- Eternal Rest
- May God Hold You
- In Heaven’s Embrace
- Asleep in Christ
- Our Angel in Heaven
- God Bless You, Mom
- Until We Meet in Heaven
If you’d like a short Bible verse for the card that goes with the flowers try our short funeral verses for cards.
Lighthearted and Personal Ribbon Wording
Some families want the flowers to feel like a reflection of the deceased. A ribbon that nods to a hobby or a saying they used all the time can bring a smile to people who knew them.
Only go for this if you’re close family or if you know for sure the family would welcome it.
- Gone Fishing
- Gone Golfing
- Forever Our Biggest Fan
- Best Cook in the Family
- Gardening in Heaven
- Dancing With the Angels
- The Coffee’s Ready, Mom
- Last Call, Buddy
- Thanks for All the Laughs
- One of a Kind
- The Life of the Party
- Happy Trails
Spanish Ribbon Wording
For a Spanish speaking family a ribbon in Spanish can mean a lot. These are short used a lot but if you’re not sure then ask a family member or a florist who speaks/reads Spanish to check the wording.
- Descanse en Paz (Rest in Peace)
- Siempre en Nuestros Corazones (Always in Our Hearts)
- Con Cariño (With Love)
- Querida Madre (Dear Mother)
- Querido Padre (Dear Father)
- Querida Abuela (Dear Grandmother)
- Querido Abuelo (Dear Grandfather)
- Con Amor, Tu Familia (With Love, Your Family)
- Nunca Te Olvidaremos (We Will Never Forget You)
- Hasta Siempre (Farewell, Until Always)
Tips for Wording a Funeral Ribbon
- Keep it short. Ribbons only have so much room. Two to five words is usually plenty and your florist can tell you how many letters fit on the size you’ve chosen.
- Use the name they were called. If everyone called her Nana that’s what you should use. It means more than “Grandmother” ever would.
- Check spellings carefully. Especially names. Read it back to the florist letter by letter if you’re ordering over the phone.
- Relationship ribbons are for family. “Beloved Father” from a coworker would be strange. Friends and colleagues are better with general wording or their own name on the ribbon.
- Put your longer message on the card. The ribbon is for a few words. Anything personal or private belongs in the card.
- Think about color. White, cream and purple ribbons with gold or silver lettering are the most common. Some families pick a color the person loved or their team colors.
- Mom or Mum? If the family is British, Irish or Australian they may prefer Mum or Nan. Use whatever the family uses.
- Order in good time. Printed ribbons can take a little longer than plain flowers so try not to leave it to the day before. Our guide on when to send flowers after a death has more on the timings.
- Check if the family wants flowers at all. Some families ask for donations instead. If you see “in lieu of flowers” in the obituary our in lieu of flowers guide explains what to do.
SEE MORE: What to Write on a Wreath for a Funeral
Whatever you choose it’s not something to spend too long on. A ribbon only has room for a few words and everyone reading it knows that so won’t be expecting anything too special.
What the family will notice is that you thought of them. “Forever in Our Hearts” is as good as anything clever.