Casket Spray Flowers: Types, Costs, and How to Choose

What a Casket Spray Is and Who Orders One

A casket spray is the large floral arrangement placed directly on top of the casket during the viewing and funeral service. It is traditionally ordered by the immediate family — the surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased — and it's usually the most prominent (and most expensive) floral piece at the service.

There are two types:

Full casket spray — Covers the entire lid of a closed casket, running 5 to 6 feet long. These are elaborate, densely packed arrangements and typically the centerpiece of the service. They're only used when the casket remains closed throughout the visitation and ceremony.

Half casket spray — Covers only the lower half of the casket lid, leaving the upper portion open for viewing. This is the standard choice for open-casket services. Half sprays run 2.5 to 3 feet long and are designed to frame the viewing area without obstructing sightlines.

What Casket Sprays Cost

Prices vary dramatically depending on where and how you order:

The funeral home price is highest because most funeral homes subcontract floral work to a local florist and add a markup. Wire services are cheaper than funeral homes but still take 20-30% in commissions before any money reaches the fulfilling florist.

The best value is always ordering directly from a florist in the town where the service is held. Call and specify "casket spray for [funeral home name]" — experienced funeral florists know the standard casket dimensions and build to fit.

Popular Flower Choices

Classic casket spray flowers include:

• Roses — Red roses signal love and respect. White roses are a common choice for parents or grandparents. A full spray of all roses is striking but expensive ($400+)
• Lilies — White Asiatic or Stargazer lilies are traditional funeral flowers. Their strong fragrance fills the chapel, which some families love and others find overwhelming
• Carnations — More affordable than roses with excellent vase life. A carnation-heavy spray holds up well during multi-day visitations
• Chrysanthemums — The default funeral flower in much of Europe and East Asia. In the US, they're common as filler in mixed arrangements
• Gladioli — Tall, dramatic stems used in full sprays to add height and visual impact

Most florists build sprays from a mix of focal flowers (roses, lilies) and support flowers (carnations, snapdragons, stock) with greenery to fill volume. Telling the florist your total budget up front lets them maximize what they can build.

Buying Your Own Casket (and Spray) Independently

Under the FTC Funeral Rule, you have the legal right to purchase a casket from any source — online retailers, wholesale outlets, membership warehouses — and the funeral home must accept it with no handling fee. That specific protection does not cover outside flowers; call the funeral home to confirm whether it accepts floral deliveries from another florist and whether it charges a handling fee.

If you're coordinating both a casket purchase and a casket spray from third parties, call the funeral home in advance to confirm their delivery dock hours and give them the florist's name. This prevents any last-minute confusion on the day of the service.

Timing and Logistics

Order your casket spray at least 2 to 3 days before the visitation. Funeral florists work on tight schedules, and last-minute orders limit your flower options (the florist works with whatever's in stock from their most recent wholesale delivery).

The spray is delivered to the funeral home, not to the family. Most florists deliver 2 to 4 hours before the visitation begins so the arrangement can be positioned and adjusted before guests arrive.

After the service, the casket spray either goes to the cemetery (where it's placed on or near the grave after burial) or is left behind at the funeral home for disposal. If you want to preserve blooms from the spray, arrange for someone to remove a handful of stems immediately after the service — resin preservation studios need fresh flowers shipped within 24 hours.

The Flowers, Donations & Memorial Contributions Guide includes a Florist Order Log and a cost comparison worksheet so you can track quotes, confirm delivery windows, and make sure the arrangement you ordered is the one that actually arrives.