Korean Wreath Ribbon Messages: Phrases and Sender Names

What is written on the ribbons of a Korean wreath?

A Korean wreath usually carries two ribbons. Seen from the front of the wreath, the right ribbon carries a short ceremonial phrase (for example 祝開業 or 謹弔) and the left ribbon carries the sender's name or company. With Korea Flower Express you set both on the order form.

In Korea this phrase is often written in Chinese characters, such as 祝結婚 for a wedding or 謹弔 for a funeral, though a plain Hangul sentence is also normal. Either is a proper form, so what matters is that the meaning fits the occasion.

Wreaths and plants (oriental orchids, Western orchids, foliage plants) use ribbons, while baskets and bouquets take a card with your own message. This guide covers ribbons. You can browse the wreaths under Congratulatory Flower Stands and Funeral Flower Stands.

What ribbon phrase should I use for a celebration such as an opening, wedding or promotion?

For a celebration, pick one phrase that fits the situation, for example 祝結婚 (wedding), 祝開業 (opening), 祝昇進 (promotion) or 祝就任 (inauguration). The table lists examples based on the phrases in the order-form buttons and the ribbon preview tool, with the Korean reading in brackets next to Chinese-character phrases; leave the bracketed reading out when you paste a phrase. The Korea Flower Express order form has buttons for only some of them (祝結婚, 祝華婚, 결혼을 축하드립니다, 祝開業, 祝發展 and 개업을 축하드립니다); you paste in the rest.

There is no rule that Chinese characters are better than Hangul. For an older recipient or a formal event, a Chinese-character phrase feels natural. For a warm, casual occasion, a Hangul sentence reads well.

What ribbon phrase is appropriate for a funeral wreath?

For a funeral wreath, 謹弔 is the most widely used phrase, and 삼가 고인의 명복을 빕니다 is a condolence phrase written in Hangul only. Keep condolence ribbons calm and short, and use a set phrase as it is rather than adding personal words. The table is based on the phrases in the order-form buttons and the ribbon preview tool. The Korea Flower Express order form has a button only for 삼가 故人의 冥福을 빕니다, so paste in the others.

Never mix celebration and condolence phrases. Choose the wreath under Funeral Flower Stands, and read Sending Funeral Flowers to Korea From Abroad for funeral etiquette and how to order.

How do I write the sender on the ribbon?

In the sender field of a Korean ribbon, put a name or a company (for example 홍길동, or 주식회사 00 대표이사 홍길동). If you have a title, place it before the name, and for a group sending together, add "일동" (all of us / everyone).

The ribbon has limited space, so keep the line short enough to read at a glance.

How do I write a foreign name on a Korean ribbon?

The recipient will read the ribbon in Korean, so a Hangul spelling of the sound (for example 존 스미스 for John Smith) is the easiest for them to read. Whether Latin letters can be put on the ribbon as they are, please check with us in chat before you order. Card messages can be printed in a foreign language, mainly English.

• English names: write by sound, so John Smith becomes 존 스미스 and Emma becomes 엠마.
• Japanese names: follow the Korean convention, so 田中 becomes 다나카.
• Chinese names: tell us the Chinese characters and we can convert them to the Korean reading, for example 王 is 왕. Ask in chat whether the characters themselves can be printed.
• Vietnamese names: Nguyen Van An becomes 응우옌 반 안.
• One name can be spelled in Hangul in more than one way. If the spelling matters, leave the form you want and your English name in the memo or in chat.
• For a company name, use its Korean name if one exists. If not, give us the English name and the Hangul sound together.

Can I order a wreath if I cannot read or write Hangul?

Yes. At Korea Flower Express you can set the ribbon text without typing Hangul yourself: press one of the 7 phrase buttons on the order form (祝結婚, 祝華婚, 결혼을 축하드립니다, 祝開業, 祝發展, 개업을 축하드립니다, 삼가 故人의 冥福을 빕니다) or copy a phrase from the tables in this guide and paste it in. The steps are below.

• Decide the type of wreath: Congratulatory Flower Stands for celebrations, Funeral Flower Stands for condolences.
• The order form has seven phrase buttons you can tap: 祝結婚 (축결혼), 祝華婚 (축화혼), 결혼을 축하드립니다, 祝開業 (축개업), 祝發展 (축발전), 개업을 축하드립니다 and 삼가 故人의 冥福을 빕니다.
• For any other phrase, such as 謹弔, 祝昇進, 祝榮轉, 祝就任, 번창을 기원합니다 or 축하합니다, copy the original Korean from this guide and paste it into the phrase field.
• Open the ribbon preview, choose celebration or condolence, enter the phrase and the sender, and look at the rough result. The real ribbon may differ in letter size and arrangement.
• Type the sender in Hangul by sound. If that is hard, type your English name and tell us in chat right after you order.
• If the event has a fixed time, also choose the time rule on the form. For a funeral, you can paste the notice message into the paste box and our team confirms the hall and room.

What should I double-check before I send a wreath?

The most common mistake is a good phrase on the wrong kind of wreath, such as a condolence phrase on a congratulatory wreath or the other way round. Check these before you pay.

• Do not put a condolence phrase on a celebration wreath, or the reverse.
• Choose between similar-looking phrases, such as promotion and opening, by the recipient's actual situation.
• Copy the characters exactly as listed. Do not build your own, because one stroke can change the meaning.
• Re-check the recipient's name, the company name and the venue.
• Once we start making the arrangement, cancellation and refunds are not possible. To change the wording, message us right after ordering.