Perhaps they had specific requests for the service or perhaps they explicitly requested not to have a service at all! Check here if you need to probate a will.
Funerals are usually held very soon after death, as the body is made available for viewing by mourners. While funerals are not necessarily religious, they do tend to be so, and are a good type of service to have if you and your family want something more traditional. [4] X Trustworthy Source Federal Trade Commission Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson Go to source Memorials can often be held any amount of time after a funeral, either for a more public audience, for loved one’s who could not attend the funeral, or to emphasize a different aspect of remembrance. Conversely, many often elect to have a memorial in place of a funeral. Either way, the body is not present at a memorial. The purpose is to remember the deceased and allow loved ones time and space to grieve. [5] X Expert Source David I. JacobsonFuneral Home Director Expert Interview. 14 July 2020. Life celebrations are a newer form of memorial service in which the emphasis is less on grief and more on, as the name suggests, celebrating the life of the deceased. These events tend to be quite lively, with jokes on and toasts to the deceased made instead of tearful remembrances. As with memorials, the body is not present at a life celebration. [6] X Research source
This is important so that no one person is saddled with the weight of so much responsibility, preventing them from having any time to mourn properly. It also ensures everyone has the opportunity to help. Think of in the old days when people passed around a shovel so each person could dump a little bit of dirt on the coffin in the ground. The symbolic act of helping “bury” the loved one is important for everyone’s grieving process. While this is surely a difficult topic at this time, funerals and memorial services can be expensive. This financial burden should not by default fall on one person’s shoulders.
Know how many chairs will be needed for everyone who has RSVPed and how many tables are required for food and floral arrangements. Be sure to have a podium for a guestbook. You should also consider whether the deceased would have wanted a memorial service in a place of worship or a nonreligious building.
You may also need to assist with organizing accommodations for people coming from out of town. Consider compiling a list of local hotels to provide guests, as well as whether you and anyone else might be able to host out-of-town guests at home.
Use floral arrangements with the person’s favorite flowers or colors and compile a play list of favorite songs or types of music to be played throughout the service. [8] X Research source Consider adding any other mementos that you consider properly reflect the person’s life.
Contact individuals you would like to speak at the memorial service well in advance to verify that they’re willing to speak and to give them time to gather their thoughts. Ask them if there are any particular resources they need to help them speak, such as a microphone, a screen, etc. You might also consider choosing specific readings which reflect the personality of the deceased readings to give to speakers.
Additionally, an obituary can be a means of announcing the passing of the person, as well as information regarding their memorial service if done beforehand, to the general public, in case the deceased may have had friends unknown to you. Just call or send an email to the newspaper you would like to publish the obituary to get started. If you’re publishing the obituary after the service, conclude with a line that says something like “Services were held privately with the family. “[10] X Expert Source David I. JacobsonFuneral Home Director Expert Interview. 14 July 2020.
At your service, place a blank poster on a wall or table for people to leave their personal expressions and condolences in writing and drawing. Create a page on a website like Tributes. com to upload photos, remembrances and other contributions from the bereaved. Have guests bring small objects to share with others their memories of the deceased. For example, they might bring photos, articles of clothing, or trip souvenirs given as gifts by the deceased.
