Sending flowers after a death is a kind gesture to offer condolences and provide comfort to those grieving. But knowing when to send flowers can be confusing. If you’re not familiar with the traditions of death and mourning you might be worried about sending them at an inappropriate time. You don’t want to cause offence … Read more
If when an obituary is written the family would prefer an alternative to flowers – a gift, donation to charity etc.- then the phrase “in lieu of flowers” is used. But as it’s not a phrase that is very well known it is often misinterpreted to mean don’t send flowers, rather than what the family … Read more
When you send a sympathy card to someone who has suffered a loss you probably spend most of your time on the message. That makes sense – it’s the words of sympathy you choose that they will read and hopefully take comfort from. But how you address a sympathy card is important too. Who the … Read more
When giving a sympathy gift after someone has suffered a loss you may find yourself worrying about the correct etiquette. What’s appropriate, what isn’t, can I give money, when should I send it etc. Navigating what’s acceptable and what’s not can be difficult. Sending a gift after a loss is a lovely gesture but you … Read more
For most of us Christmas is a time of joy and cheer. But for some it can be a reminder of painful times. That’s why when you’re sending your festive greetings you need to be mindful of the christmas card etiquette after the death in a family. After losing someone at Christmas it is never … Read more
Sending or writing condolences is an incredibly hard thing to do. You have to try and find the words to show how sorry you are for losing someone special to them. And let’s be honest – what words could possibly hope to do that? It is impossible to think a few sentences expressing your sadness … Read more
When talking or writing to someone that has suffered a loss it can be hard to know what to say. When someone is grieving they are in a fragile state and so you want to make sure you don’t make it worse by saying something offensive. But what is and isn’t acceptable? Answering that is … Read more
When sending a sympathy card there can be worry about the correct protocol or ways in which to do things. There are no set rules to this but we can offer some guidelines that you may wish to follow in order to avoid causing any offense or upsetting the recipient. These are by no means … Read more
How to sign a sympathy card is often overlooked. The focus is usually on the sympathy message itself. That’s understandable, and offering your condolences and words of comfort to the deceased should be the priority. But signing a sympathy card when you’ve written the message is important too. I’ve always found the ending to be … Read more