A grieving daughter who could not afford flowers for her dad's funeral has set up a business renting them for those on a budget to say goodbye to their own loved ones. Samantha Quereshi, 25, was devastated when her beloved father Shaun, 52, passed away suddenly in August 2021 after contracting sepsis.
As his only child, the funeral responsibilities were all left to Sam who was shocked at the price of floral arrangements for her dad's goodbye and couldn't afford to give him the send off she wanted to. Determined to not let others grieving go through the same experience, the mum-of-three now started a business where you can rent fake flowers for funerals at a far more affordable price.
'Forget Me Nots' founder Sam, who lives with her children and boyfriend Samuel O'Neill in Meir, Staffordshire, said: "I just wanted to help other people not feel like I felt. We've had a really good response. It's been really heart-warming and amazing for me because its helped me deal with what I went through by helping others not have to go through it too.
"The response has been overwhelming, in that people have seen how helpful this can be for families."
For her dad's funeral last year, Sam had originally wanted flowers arranged into the words 'Grandad' and 'Dad' in the colours of Liverpool football club - her father's favourite - but was heartbroken to find she couldn't afford them. According to Sam, many funeral directors offer payment plans to help those grieving to pay for the day over several months but most florists require upfront payments.
Quoted £240 for 'Grandad' and £90 for 'Dad', Sam was left with no option but to opt for roses from a supermarket instead and felt like she had 'failed' her father as a result. She said: "He was my everything, my whole world, my entire support network.
"He was my only family, really, I don't have any other close family so he was so much to me. When he passed away, I found that really difficult. All the responsibilities were on me and I just couldn't afford it.
"When I was in the funeral directors planning the funeral and they asked about flowers, I wanted so many things, and they had to kindly remind me of the prices. That was it for me, I felt like I'd failed him.
"I know if my dad was there, he'd tell me not to worry about it, but with how much he'd done for me throughout my life, I just wanted to give him that final send off he deserved.
"Not being able to do that broke my heart. I think you feel a pressure as well - friends and work colleagues are coming to the funeral and it was on my head to do it and I couldn't provide this beautiful funeral for my dad that I wanted to.
"I felt like I'd let him down, it was very difficult to process."
Six months after her dad passed away, Sam started her business 'Forget Me Nots' from her living room in February 2022, arranging fine silk to look like flowers as floral tributes for funerals. Customers can request what words and colours they want for the tribute and Sam's boyfriend Samuel, 30, delivers them to the funeral directors of their choice the day before the funeral.
The tributes can be kept for the entire day, used in the hearses, funerals and wakes, before being returned to the funeral directors where self-employed plasterer Samuel collects them for Sam to reuse in future arrangements.
Sam said: "I shocked myself to be honest, I'd never put my hand to a flower in my life. I watched a few tutorials on YouTube and they ended up looking just as good as real.
"I've had comments from customers afterwards who have thanked me and said they looked as good as real, nobody could tell they were fake. We use all artificial flowers so then we can reuse the flowers over and over again, taking them out of one tribute and putting them in another - nothing goes to waste.
"There's a lot of pressure and a lot of money that goes into giving people a good send off, and often we lose people unexpectedly and people living pay cheque to pay cheque can't afford it. I just wanted to help other people not feel like I felt, and it's amazing that it's been able to help."
