Sending flowers to a wake is one of the few gestures where getting it slightly wrong is noticed. It is also governed by more rules than most senders realise, because the wreaths at a void deck wake sit under published guidelines covering how many there may be and when they must be switched off.
This covers both: what to send, and what the family receiving it is allowed to display.
Stand or bouquet, and who sends which
A wreath or flower stand is the standard for a wake. It stands on a tripod, carries a sash with the sender’s name, and is displayed in the wake area. Companies, associations, business contacts and extended networks send these.
A bouquet or basket is more personal and less common at a Chinese wake. Close friends who are attending usually bring nothing at all, because attendance is the gesture, and give a white envelope instead.
If you are unsure which applies, the deciding question is whether you are sending on behalf of an organisation or as an individual who cannot attend. Both point to a stand.
Colours and flowers
White is the convention: white chrysanthemums above all, with white lilies, orchids and carnations also usual. Yellow is acceptable and often paired with white. These carry mourning associations in Chinese custom, which is why they dominate.
Red is avoided. It signals celebration and luck, and a red arrangement at a Chinese wake reads as a genuine mistake rather than a stylistic choice. Bright pinks and festive mixed bouquets fall into the same category.
For a Buddhist or Taoist wake, white and yellow arrangements are safe. Buddhist funeral customs and Taoist funeral practices cover what else differs between them.
If the family is Christian or the wake is at a church, the palette is wider and white lilies are the common choice. When you do not know the family’s religion, white chrysanthemums are the safest thing to send in Singapore regardless.
Quick version, if you are ordering in a hurry.
- Safe anywhere: white chrysanthemums
- Also usual: white lilies, orchids and carnations, and yellow alongside white
- Avoid: red, bright pink, and festive mixed bouquets
- At a church: white lilies, and a wider palette is acceptable
What goes on the sash
The sash is where senders hesitate, and the convention is simpler than it looks.
One side carries a short condolence phrase. The other carries the sender’s name, whether an individual, a family, or a company. Common Chinese phrases include 沉痛哀悼 and 音容宛在; in English, “In Loving Memory” and “Deepest Condolences” are standard.
Match the language to the family, not to yourself. A wake conducted in Mandarin or Hokkien usually receives Chinese sashes. Florists taking these orders daily will advise, and it is worth asking rather than guessing.
Wakes are short, and a stand delivered after the family has left is wasted. Give the florist all of this when you order.
- The deceased’s name, spelled as the family writes it
- The wake address, including block and unit, or the parlour and hall number
- The dates of the wake, and the delivery window you want
- The wording for each side of the sash, and which language it should be in
- Your own name exactly as it should appear, whether personal, family or company
The rules the family has to follow
This is the part senders almost never know about.
Light-emitting wreaths and inflatables at funeral wakes are covered by guidelines jointly developed by the National Environment Agency and the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore, introduced in June 2022 after complaints about light and noise pollution, blocked pedestrian traffic, obstructed sightlines for motorists, power trips and trip hazards.
The limits that matter:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Quantity | 10 light-emitting wreaths per wake, inclusive of up to 1 inflatable |
| Inflatable size | No more than 4.0m long, 1.0m wide, 3.2m high |
| Cordon | Inflatables secured and cordoned with a minimum 2m radius |
| Switched off | Not turned on from 10pm to 7am, pumps included |
| Setup | No setting up or dismantling between 10pm and 7am |
Note the wording on quantity: ten inclusive of the inflatable, not ten plus one.
Placement rules apply too. Nothing may sit within 5 metres of a carpark, parked vehicle or road, or within 5 metres of a fire hydrant. Where wreaths are placed on pedestrian walkways or pavements, at least 1.5 metres of clearance must remain for people on foot or in wheelchairs.
Deployment at public spaces needs written permission from the Town Council or relevant authority, and any deviation from the guidelines needs written permission too. Where generators power the display, a supply installation licence is required and the Licensed Electrical Worker in charge applies for it.
The practical consequence for a sender: if a family is already at ten light-emitting wreaths, an eleventh cannot be displayed. Sending a fresh flower stand instead of an LED one avoids the cap entirely.
Arranging a funeral in Singapore covers what else the family is coordinating, and what the days involve covers the days themselves.
What it costs
No authority publishes funeral flower prices. Florists set their own, and the variable driving cost is size: a single-tier stand is the entry point, and multi-tier arrangements with orchids or lilies run several times higher.
Ask for the price with GST included and confirm the delivery window before ordering, since wake delivery is time-critical and surcharges for specific timings are common. Common mistakes families make covers the wider pattern of unclear funeral pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What flowers are appropriate for a Chinese funeral in Singapore?
White chrysanthemums are the convention, with white lilies, orchids and carnations also usual. Yellow is acceptable, often paired with white. Red is avoided because it signals celebration, as do bright pinks and festive mixed bouquets.
How many wreaths can be displayed at a wake?
Guidelines from the National Environment Agency and the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore limit light-emitting wreaths to 10 per wake, inclusive of up to 1 inflatable. Fresh flower stands are not counted under this limit.
What time must LED wreaths be switched off?
They must not be turned on from 10pm to 7am, including the pumps for inflatables. Setting up and dismantling is also prohibited during those hours.
What should be written on a condolence sash?
One side carries a condolence phrase such as 沉痛哀悼, “In Loving Memory” or “Deepest Condolences”. The other carries the sender’s name, whether an individual, family or company. Match the language to the family rather than to yourself.
If you are ordering today and short on time, three details do most of the work: white chrysanthemums, the wake address with hall or unit number, and the family’s language for the sash. Give a florist those and the rest is their routine. The one thing to confirm yourself is when the wake ends, because a stand arriving on the final morning may reach an empty hall.
Wreath quantity, size, placement, timing and permission requirements above are as published by the National Environment Agency and the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore in their joint guidelines on light-emitting wreaths and inflatables at funeral wakes. Flower prices are set by individual florists and are not published by any authority.
