Master florist and Masterpieces ambassador Rieke van Milles Fleurs works not only on weddings and events, but also creates funeral floral arrangements. In this article, she shares her approach to this profession and explains what makes her work so special. Being a funeral florist is challenging work, yet deeply meaningful during moments of farewell. Flowers often play a quiet, but significant role in these occasions.
My name is Rieke Rahlfes. I am a master florist and run my company Milles Fleurs in Hanover as a commission-based florist. My focus lies on weddings, events and funeral floristry. A field one does not choose because it is easy, but because it carries meaning. Under the name Blackline, I have developed a clear philosophy: when our voice fails, flowers can speak.
Curious to see all of Rieke’s funeral work? Visit her Instagram: @milles_fleurs_blackline.
*Rieke Rahlfes
Grief is a state in which many people do not know what they need. Decisions feel heavy, words are missing. That is exactly where my work begins. In consultations, the focus is rarely on flowers at first. It is about the person who has passed. About their life, their individuality, their relationships. From these conversations, a design emerges that truly fits and supports.
I work in a highly individual way. Some families wish for a single funeral wreath, others for a holistic concept for the farewell ceremony: including urn decoration, floral frameworks, candles, lanterns or spatial accents. Both are valid. What matters is that everything feels coherent and right.
One particularly formative moment was a farewell ceremony in which the children and grandchildren each received a lantern filled with flowers and a real candle. I called this form of funeral floristry “Light of Life.” No big words, no explanations, just light. All the lights stood together beneath the urn. None stood out. Each was equally valuable. They symbolised that every person emerged from the life of the deceased and carries her flame forward. Such quiet moments stay with you.
At another urn burial, I created a wreath of daisies. I asked the relatives to each pick an additional daisy during a shared walk. During the ceremony, everyone placed their flower into the wreath. In this way, it became visible that each individual had touched the life of the deceased.
On one occasion, I also incorporated the ties of a deceased man into the design. His family hardly knew him without a tie. In the different colours and patterns, his personality and moods were reflected. For the relatives, he felt tangibly close.
We also design non-denominational funeral ceremonies. At the burial of a child, the urn ceremony took place directly by a lake, together with the funeral director. We developed a floral backdrop inspired by a rainbow. Through its opening, water and sky shimmered. There are no words for such a loss. But the place, nature and the design offered a moment of comfort.
From a professional perspective, the choice of flowers plays a central role. Colours carry emotions: deep reds stand for depth and love; light tones for lightness and remembrance. Foliage is not merely an accessory for me, but structure, support and frame. Technical elements may be visible: they provide security. Funeral floristry is craftsmanship and emotion at the same time.
I work exclusively by appointment, because these conversations need time. For larger projects, I coordinate closely with the funeral director. For families, everything should run calmly, clearly, and reliably. The less they have to take care of, the better.
Photo: Diana_Frohmüller_Photography
