Can You Have Flowers Delivered to a Grave?

Yes, you can. Flowers can be delivered and placed directly at a grave in any cemetery in the United States, whether the cemetery is across town or across the country. The part most people are unsure about is not whether it can be done, but how it works, since a grave has no doorbell and no one there to sign for a delivery.

Why a regular florist usually cannot do it

A typical florist delivers to homes, offices, funeral homes and churches. Some will drop an arrangement at a cemetery office, and a few local shops will place flowers at a grave in their own town if you can give them the plot location. Outside their delivery radius, though, most will decline, and few will send you proof that the flowers were placed.

That gap is what graveside delivery services exist to close. Instead of a driver dropping flowers at a gate, a local person walks into the cemetery, finds the grave and places the arrangement at the headstone.

How graveside flower delivery works

1. You choose the arrangement and the date

You pick an arrangement designed for outdoor use at a grave and choose the delivery date. That can be a one-time delivery for a birthday or anniversary, or a schedule of deliveries through the year so the grave is never without flowers.

2. You tell us where the grave is

You provide the cemetery and the name on the headstone. Section, lot and plot numbers help, and so does anything you remember about the location, such as "near the big oak by the north gate". If you found the grave on Find a Grave, that memorial page is often all that is needed.

3. A local Runner places the flowers

A BloomBridge Runner who lives near the cemetery collects the arrangement, goes to the cemetery, locates the grave and places the flowers by hand, following the cemetery's rules for what can be left and where.

4. You get a photo

After every delivery you receive a photo of the arrangement at the headstone. You see exactly where the flowers were placed and how they look, the same day they were placed.

What kind of flowers get delivered to a grave

Fresh-cut flowers wilt within a few days outdoors, and many cemeteries clear them quickly. For that reason graveside delivery services usually use hand-crafted silk arrangements, which hold their color for months through sun, rain and wind. They can be placed in a ground vase beside the marker or as a saddle across the top of an upright headstone. Our guide to graveside flowers covers the choices.

What it costs

A graveside delivery costs about what a good florist arrangement costs, with the placement and the photo included. Annual plans with more than one delivery a year bring the per-delivery price down. Current pricing is on the BloomBridge homepage.

Can I send flowers to a grave in another state?

Yes. That is the most common reason people use a graveside delivery service. Families move, and the cemetery stays where it is. BloomBridge delivers to cemeteries in all 50 states through local Runners, so the distance between you and the grave does not matter.