Altar Flowers Part 2

Sometimes I'm asked to design altar arrangements in memory of someone.  Living in a small town, I usually know the family as well as the deceased family member being honored.  Here is a summer memorial altar arrangement.

 

I don't remember the specific occasion for these flowers, but we know they were done during Ordinary Time by the green altar cloth.  See the previous post about liturgical colors.

And finally, these are some summer altar flowers.  There's no doubt that flowers definitely have a place in the worship service.



Altar flowers Part 1

Occasionally, I am called on to design altar flowers.  I know many churches have an altar guild or committee to handle the task, so with Pentecost Sunday this weekend I naturally thought of altar flowers.  If we use the traditional liturgical colors, Pentecost provides an opportunity for bold color that is compelling in contrast to the usually subdued colors in altar arrangements.  For more on liturgical colors, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_colours

These are at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  The ferns stay in the church all the time, and they provide nice contrast for the bright colors in the arrangements.

During Ordinary Time, which is traditionally associated with green, any seasonal arrangements will work.  Here is a fall altar arrangement I designed for a christening at First Methodist Church.

Dried hydrangeas are great to have on hand for fall.