07/09/2025
4 Simple Ways to Use Color to Personalize a Service
While the color black has traditionally been associated with mourning in the western world, it’s not a hard and fast rule. In fact, in other areas of the world, white, red, purple, gray, and even gold are considered colors of mourning. With the increase in personalized services, it’s become much more accepted to use different colors, especially if that color has special significance.
1. Select Specific Flowers
If you are decorating with flowers or accepting flowers as sympathy gifts, you could request a specific color. To be the most meaningful, select a color that is special in some way – either to you or to the one who has died. Or, if the deceased person loved pumpkins, succulents, or even tiny cactus plants, you could encourage well-wishers to give those, instead. Imagine how sweet it would look and feel to see a loved one’s service filled with the color that brought them so much joy in life.
2. Decorate with Intentionality
Another option for using color to personalize is by choosing your decorations intentionally. If you choose to focus on a specific color, you can use it in a multitude of places. For example, you could display photo frames in that color. At the gathering or visitation, use tablecloths or centerpieces in that color. Place themed decorations on memorial tables. Provide a keepsake to mourners that showcases the theme color. The options are endless. Think on what the person loved and use that information to create something one-of-a-kind.
3. Request that Mourners Wear a Certain Color
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to incorporate color into a service is to ask mourners to wear it. This way, when people attend the service, there’s a sea of pink, green, orange in honor of your loved one.
4. Customize the Urn or Casket
Urns today come in many shapes, sizes, and hues. If you plan to have a memorial service after cremation, you can select an urn of a specific color.
As for caskets, there are a few different personalization options. Second, you could customize the casket itself. Rather than selecting one of the standard colors or wood types, you could pick a casket of any color.
What If I Don’t Know What Color to Choose?
If a color doesn’t immediately come to mind, that’s okay. You can either personalize the service in other ways, or you could even choose a color based on its meaning.
Red – Energy, passion, strength, love, sincerity
Pink – Love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance
Beige – Calm and simplicity
Ivory – Quietness and pleasantness
Yellow – Joy, happiness, imagination, hope, friendship
Blue – Peace, tranquility, trust, harmony, loyalty
Purple – Spirituality, transformation, wisdom, honor
Lavender – Femininity, grace, elegance
Orange – Enthusiasm, warmth, vibrancy
Green – Renewal, generosity, service
Brown – Stability, hearth & home, comfort, reliability
Gray – Security, intelligence, dignity, modesty
White – Purity, peace, innocence, goodness
Ultimately, color is just one option for creating a meaningful service. Whether you are planning ahead for your own funeral wishes or are planning a loved one’s services, you have options. If you have a specific idea of what you’d like to do or you need a little help, let us know we can help.