Día de los Muertos is a time of remembrance, when many families set aside space to honor loved ones who have died — often through an ofrenda, a personal altar of photographs, favorite foods, keepsakes, and flowers. How families observe it varies widely by heritage, region, faith, and generation, and each ofrenda is as particular as the family who builds it. This guide is written to help a florist support that remembrance gently, never to define it.
The flower most widely associated with the season is the cempasúchil, the marigold, whose bright color and scent are often used to line and adorn ofrendas. That association is real and worth knowing — but how, whether, and in what way a family uses marigolds is theirs to decide, and some families draw on other flowers or their own traditions entirely. We offer beautiful flowers; the family brings the meaning.
Bentley Florist, family-owned in Burton, Michigan since 1963, approaches this the way we approach all remembrance work: quietly and by asking. The tone throughout is warm rather than solemn — this is a season of loving memory — but it is never a party or a costume. The ofrenda is personal and sacred to those who build it, and our role is simply to supply flowers worthy of the memories they hold.
Overview
About This Celebration
For many families, Día de los Muertos centers on the ofrenda — a place where the living welcome the memory of those who have died with the things they loved. Flowers often play a warm, visible part, their color and scent understood by many families as a way of inviting and honoring memory. How each family arranges this is deeply personal, and no two ofrendas look alike.
Marigolds are the flower most commonly linked with the season, and their vivid orange and gold are a familiar sight on and around ofrendas. Still, this is an association, not a requirement — some families use them abundantly, some sparingly, and some alongside other flowers that mattered to the person being remembered. We ask rather than assume how a family wishes to use them.
The season is one of loving remembrance, and its tone is warm — but the ofrenda itself is personal and sacred to those who build it. A florist's place is to supply beautiful, well-chosen flowers and to leave the meaning-making to the family. We never treat the observance as a theme or novelty, and we never arrange sacred elements ourselves; the flowers are ours to grow well, the remembrance is theirs to shape.
Our starting point
Begin With the Family
Before we suggest a single stem, these are the questions we ask — because your family is the authority on your traditions.
- 01Ask whether the family is building an ofrenda and how they envision the flowers supporting it.
- 02Ask whether marigolds are central to their remembrance, or whether they draw on other flowers as well.
- 03Ask which loved ones are being honored and whether particular colors or blooms hold meaning for them.
- 04Ask where the flowers will be placed and how long they need to stay fresh.
- 05Ask whether the family prefers to arrange the flowers themselves or would welcome our help.
- 06Ask whether there are family or regional traditions they would like us to keep in mind.
Floral opportunities
Where Flowers Can Live
Marigolds for the ofrenda
Where a family uses them, marigolds in their warm oranges and golds are the flower most associated with the season; we can supply them by the bunch or in loose form for the family to place.
Loose blooms and petals
Many families prefer to arrange or scatter flowers themselves; supplying loose stems and petals lets them build the ofrenda in their own way.
Companion flowers
Some families pair marigolds with other seasonal blooms in warm tones; we can suggest options that complement without overtaking the ofrenda.
Flowers a loved one favored
A bloom the person being remembered loved can be a tender addition; the family knows best which flowers carry a memory.
Photograph and keepsake area
Small, soft arrangements can frame a photo or a cherished object on the ofrenda where the family welcomes them; the family places what is meaningful.
Home gathering table
Where families gather to remember, a warm-toned arrangement can support the table without crowding the ofrenda itself.
Graveside remembrance
Some families bring flowers to a graveside; weather-ready, warm-toned blooms suit an outdoor visit in late fall.
Fresh versus lasting choices
Depending on how long the ofrenda stands, a family may want a mix of fresh flowers for immediacy and hardier blooms for longevity.
Palette
Color & Design Considerations
Warm color defines much of the season's visual language for many families — the oranges and golds of marigolds, often joined by deep reds, magentas, and other vivid tones. These warm hues suit the spirit of loving remembrance, though how much and in what combination a family uses them is entirely their choice.
Design here often means supplying rather than composing. Because ofrendas are personal, many families prefer loose flowers and petals they can arrange themselves, placing each bloom where a memory belongs. When a family does welcome our help, we build with a light hand, leaving room for the family's own touches.
Scent is part of the tradition for many families, and marigolds bring their own distinctive fragrance. We take our cue from the family on how prominent they want it, and we can balance the palette with other blooms if a softer presence is preferred.
Above all, the flowers support the ofrenda; they are not the ofrenda. The photographs, foods, and keepsakes a family places carry the meaning, and we never arrange those sacred elements or treat the observance as decoration. Our work is to offer flowers worthy of the memories, then step back so the family can do the remembering.
Bring these questions to your family conversation
- Are the warm oranges and golds of marigolds central to your remembrance, or do you prefer other tones?
- Would you like loose flowers to arrange yourself, or would you welcome our help?
- Is there a flower or color a loved one favored that you would like included?
- How prominent would you like the marigold scent to be?
- Would you like companion flowers alongside marigolds, or marigolds alone?
- Where will the flowers be placed, and how long should they stay fresh?
- Are there family or regional traditions we should keep in mind for the palette?
Planning around the calendar
Michigan Seasons & Your Venue
Spring
Not the season for this observance in Michigan, but marigolds and warm-toned blooms are widely available in spring for those planning ahead or marking remembrance at other times.
Summer
Marigolds thrive in Michigan summer gardens and are at their most abundant; summer-grown blooms can be planned toward a fall observance.
Fall
The observance falls in late autumn, when marigolds, chrysanthemums, and warm-toned blooms are at their best; early frost can end field-grown marigolds, so we confirm current supply as the date nears.
Winter
By deep winter, Genesee County relies on greenhouse and imported flowers; warm-toned blooms remain available, and we protect them from the cold in transit for any later remembrance.
Most ofrendas stand indoors, in a home, where conditions are steady and flowers can be enjoyed over the days of remembrance. That indoor setting lets a family use both fresh flowers for their immediate beauty and hardier blooms that hold longer as the ofrenda stands.
Where remembrance moves outdoors — to a graveside or an outdoor gathering — late-fall Michigan weather is the consideration. A cold or wet visit calls for weather-ready, warm-toned flowers, and we plan delivery timing so blooms arrive fresh rather than sitting in the cold.
Because a family often builds the ofrenda over time, we coordinate on when flowers are needed and in what form. Some families want everything at once; others prefer fresh flowers closer to the days of remembrance. We ask, so the flowers are at their best when the family is ready to place them.
Making choices with impact
Where Flowers Matter Most
Where flowers carry the most impact during this season is the ofrenda itself — the warm color and scent that many families use to honor a loved one. Directing attention there, rather than toward a broad display, keeps the flowers close to the remembrance they serve.
Marigolds are often used generously, so their volume can matter more than any single elaborate piece. Supplying loose flowers and petals a family can arrange themselves often stretches further and suits the personal nature of the ofrenda better than a formal arrangement.
Fresh and lasting choices can work together. A family building an ofrenda that stands for several days may mix fresh blooms for their immediacy with hardier flowers for longevity, letting the display stay beautiful across the whole observance without redoing it.
When a family gathers to remember at a table or graveside as well, one warm-toned arrangement that can move between the ofrenda area and the gathering makes a single gesture do more. We are glad to plan with that flexibility in mind.
Your family's traditions and preferences deserve to be heard. Share the details that matter to you, and Bentley Florist will help explore floral ideas that respectfully support your celebration.
Conversation guides
Questions Worth Asking
For your family
- Are you building an ofrenda, and how do you envision the flowers supporting it?
- Are marigolds central to your remembrance, or do you draw on other flowers too?
- Which loved ones are you honoring, and are there flowers they favored?
- Would you prefer loose flowers to arrange yourself, or would you welcome our help?
- Where will the flowers be placed, and how long should they stay fresh?
- How prominent would you like the marigold scent to be?
- Would you like companion flowers alongside marigolds?
- Are you also gathering at a table or graveside where flowers would help?
- Do you prefer everything at once, or fresh flowers closer to the days of remembrance?
- Are there family or regional traditions you would like us to keep in mind?
- Would a mix of fresh and hardier blooms suit an ofrenda that stands for several days?
- Is there anything about your remembrance you would like us to understand?
For your venue or house of worship
- Will the ofrenda stand indoors, and how long will it be up?
- When would you like the flowers delivered or ready for pickup?
- Would you like flowers in loose form for you to arrange, or arranged by us?
- Is there a graveside or outdoor gathering where flowers will also be used?
- How much space is there for flowers around the ofrenda?
- Do you prefer a single delivery or fresh flowers closer to the days of remembrance?
- Is there parking or access guidance for delivery to the home?
- Should any flowers be able to move between the ofrenda and a gathering table?
- Would you like companion flowers, or marigolds alone?
- How would you like to receive marigolds — by the bunch, loose, or arranged?
Learn from experience
Planning Mistakes to Avoid
Treating the season as a theme
Día de los Muertos is loving remembrance, not a party or costume; approach it with warmth and respect, and never as decoration or novelty.
Arranging the ofrenda for the family
The ofrenda is personal and sacred to those who build it; supply beautiful flowers and let the family place what carries meaning rather than composing it for them.
Assuming every family uses marigolds the same way
Marigolds are widely associated with the season, but how and whether a family uses them varies; ask rather than presume a single approach.
Missing the timing on fresh blooms
An ofrenda that stands for several days benefits from planning when fresh flowers arrive; delivering everything too early can leave blooms fading before the observance.
Overlooking late-fall weather
For any outdoor graveside visit, late-fall Michigan cold can shorten a bloom's life; choose weather-ready flowers and plan delivery so they arrive fresh.
Keep track
Your Planning Checklist
Understanding the remembrance
Choosing the flowers
Timing and delivery
FAQ
Common Questions
Related resources
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Written by the Burton Floral Design editorial team, presented by Bentley Florist. Published July 22, 2026 · Last updated July 22, 2026.
© Burton Floral Design, presented by Bentley Florist. All rights reserved. This guide may be shared in its original, unmodified form with attribution and a working link to BurtonFloralDesign.com. Content may not be republished, resold, altered, or represented as another organization's work without written permission.