Choosing flowers
Headstone Saddle or Ground Vase? How to Pick the Right Grave Arrangement
Saddles sit across the top of an upright headstone. Vase arrangements go beside a flat marker or into a built-in vase. Here is how to choose for the grave you have.
Grave flowers come in two main forms, and the right one depends on the headstone. Choose well and the arrangement looks like it belongs there and stays put in the wind. Choose the wrong one and it may not fit at all.
The headstone saddle
A saddle is an arrangement built on a curved base that straddles the top of an upright headstone, the way a saddle sits on a horse. The flowers spill down both faces of the stone.
Best for
- Upright headstones and monuments with a flat or gently rounded top.
- Graves with no vase, or where the ground rules do not allow anything set on the lawn.
- Making the flowers visible from the path. A saddle puts them at eye level.
Things to know
- It needs a stone to sit on. A saddle cannot be used on a flat, flush-to-the-ground marker.
- Very thick or very narrow stones need a saddle sized to match. Our Runners adjust the fit on site.
- Some cemeteries prefer saddles because nothing touches the ground and mowing is unaffected.
The vase arrangement
A vase arrangement is a bouquet in a vase, either set into the vase built into the marker, or into a ground vase with a stake beside the headstone.
Best for
- Flat and slant markers, which have no top to hold a saddle.
- Graves that already have a built-in vase, common in memorial parks. Using it keeps you inside the cemetery's rules.
- A fuller, taller look at the grave.
Things to know
- A built-in vase is the safest spot in a cemetery with strict rules. It is what the vase is for.
- A staked ground vase needs the cemetery to allow items on the lawn beside the stone. Most do; memorial parks often do not.
- In high wind, a vase arrangement that is set low and staked holds better than a tall, top-heavy one.
Not sure what the grave has?
If you cannot picture the headstone, a Find a Grave memorial page usually includes a photo of it. Failing that, tell us what you remember when you order, and your Runner will place the arrangement the way that grave allows. When BloomBridge delivers, the photo you receive afterwards shows exactly how it was placed.
BloomBridge offers both: hand-crafted silk vase arrangements and headstone saddles, all built for the weather at the grave.
A quick decision guide
- Upright headstone, no vase: saddle.
- Upright headstone with a vase: either. Saddle for visibility, vase to stay inside strict rules.
- Flat marker with a built-in vase: vase arrangement in the built-in vase.
- Flat marker, no vase: staked ground vase beside the marker, if the cemetery allows it.
Flowers at the grave, wherever it is
A local BloomBridge Runner places a hand-crafted arrangement at any cemetery in all 50 states and sends you a photo of it in place.
Send FlowersFrequently asked questions
A properly sized saddle grips the stone and is heavier than it looks. In exposed cemeteries, Runners seat it firmly and choose the side facing away from the prevailing wind.
No. The base is padded or coated and rests on the top of the stone without fasteners or adhesive.
It happens often in older memorial parks. Tell us when you order and the Runner will use a staked ground vase where the cemetery allows it.