At my first DH's funeral we specifically asked that no flowers be given, but donations in his name be made to the Wounded Warriors foundation. We gave people links to their donation page and donation envelopes and it worked great. We used some flowers I'd grown in our yard in a simple vase beside his casket. The flag drapped the casket so I was happy.
Okay back to point - a flag looks lovely on a coffin. I think a runner/quilt/lapquilt etc would look lovely too! And save a ton of money.
I was happy to read what you all wrote - i thought I was the only person who was trying to save money in a funeral and using personal touches that mattered to the one who passed.
Thank you all - :)