The Sympathy Store vs. Ordering From a Florist Directly

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Both routes can work. The Sympathy Store is convenient when you start from an obituary or funeral home page and want the service details carried over for you. Ordering from a florist directly takes a few more minutes, but you choose the shop, compare its photos and sizes, and check the order yourself. Choose the route that matches what matters more to you: convenience, or control over the florist and the design.

Ready to order directly? Shop Bloom Lane sympathy flowers for the service or the family’s home. Delivery is included in every price, with only tax extra.

This guide covers that one choice. For the wider question of buying through a funeral home or a florist, read buy funeral flowers through the funeral home or a florist. For what the store is and how it works, read what is The Sympathy Store.

Bloom Lane is a separate, independent florist. It is not affiliated with The Sympathy Store, funeralOne or HelloFlowers.com.

What The Sympathy Store says about itself

funeralOne, the company behind The Sympathy Store, says it manages setup, merchandising, billing, returns and customer support. It says that once a funeral home approves, its store is “up and running within several days.” It also says flower orders are “hand delivered by a florist,” and that it works with a funeral home’s preferred florist to set up floral sourcing. Its guided tour says visitors “will always speak to a human being.” These are funeralOne’s statements. Its pages do not describe every step of an order in more detail.

Side-by-side comparison

	The Sympathy Store	Ordering from a florist directly
Who you buy from	The Sympathy Store, which funeral homes add to their sites	The florist you choose
Who fills the order	A florist in the store’s network, according to funeralOne	The florist you chose
Service and address details	Can save typing when the page supplies them. Check every field.	You enter them yourself
Selection	Flowers, baskets, gifts, food and books. funeralOne calls it the largest online catalog of sympathy gifts.	Whatever that florist offers. Compare its own photos and sizes.
Support and returns	funeralOne says it handles both	The florist you ordered from
Commission	funeralOne says a funeral home earns “a competitive commission” on sales through the store	Bloom Lane is not part of that program

funeralOne does not state an exact commission rate on the pages we read. The commission question is covered in its own guide.

What customers report

The Complaints Board page for The Sympathy Store carries several customer comments. They describe arrangements that looked smaller, different or less fresh than the photos, florists that were not named, and service fees. Some say the company refunded a fee or offered a discount. Others mention no response. These are individual accounts that we have not verified, and they do not show how any order will turn out. They are still worth reading before you order through any route. If an order goes wrong, see what to do when a sympathy store order arrives wrong or late.

How to order from a florist correctly

Whichever route you choose, give the florist the same details:

• The full name of the person who died, as the family uses it
• The funeral home’s name, street address, and the date and time of the service or visitation
• Where the flowers should go: the funeral home, the chapel, or the family’s home, and who will receive them
• A delivery date that arrives before the service or visitation

What a florist needs for funeral home delivery lists the rest. For the step-by-step, read how to send flowers to a funeral home.

Also check the size, container and palette you chose, and read the substitution terms. Save the order confirmation and the seller’s contact details. If you are unsure whether the funeral home accepts outside deliveries, ask before you pay.

Where Bloom Lane fits

If you want to choose the design yourself, Bloom Lane offers a curated selection with clear photos and guides to ordering. Delivery is included in the price, and applicable tax is extra. Confirm the receiving plan with the funeral home for any service order. For a display at the service, compare White Standing Spray and Lily & Rose Tribute. For the family’s home, compare Gentle Embrace, Ivory Haven Bouquet and Serenity Basket.

Questions about The Sympathy Store and ordering from a florist

Is The Sympathy Store a florist?

No. funeralOne describes The Sympathy Store as a service it runs for funeral homes, with flowers filled through a florist network. Check who the seller is on each order, and keep its contact details.

Will the funeral home accept flowers from another florist?

Many do, but each funeral home sets its own policy. Ask before you order. The guide on whether funeral homes accept flower deliveries explains what to ask.

Does an obituary’s “Send Flowers” link mean I must use The Sympathy Store?

No. The link is one option. You can also order from a florist you choose. Sending flowers from an obituary page explains what happens when you click the link.

Is ordering from a florist cheaper?

Not always. Compare the final total on each route, including delivery and tax, and make sure the size and container match. Do not assume either route costs less.

What if I am sending flowers from another state?

The same details apply. Confirm the funeral home’s address, the service time and the receiving plan before you order. The guide on sending funeral flowers from another state covers the extra steps.

Further reading

• funeralOne: The Sympathy Store guided tour
• funeralOne blog: Sympathy Store uses
• Complaints Board: The Sympathy Store by HelloFlowers.com customer comments