Tag: planning a memorial service

Funeral Ceremonies: Creative Ceremonies Can Help Celebrate Your Loved One A creative Funeral Service is a beautiful and inspirational way to honor the life of your loved one. The entire ceremony must be planned well in advance to give everyone in attendance at the time and place they need. The time allotted for the funeral will depend on the number of attendees.   If there are only two attendees at your memorial service, you may wish to make an outdoor ceremony. This can be done by renting a casket or by placing a memorial plaque at the headstone or gravestone of your departed. Your friends and family can then attend in the comfort of their homes. However, if you have a larger group, it would be best to have a funeral home create the ceremony outside.   Planning a memorial service can be quite overwhelming and stressful. It’s important to have someone in charge of planning the ceremony who has plenty of experience. A funeral director or caterer who has performed many such services will be able to help guide you in this area. You can get help from friends and family, as well. You will want everyone to bring something special, so have each guest write down a few items they are most likely to bring.   There are a great selection of funeral programs available to purchase. Many times, a funeral service planner can select the right one for you to use. The program is also a good way to advertise to those not attending your memorial.   If you’re having a traditional funeral, you may want to choose a more traditional casket. These can range in price, as well as style. Traditional caskets are typically made of wood with a metal frame and sometimes even with a marble or stone top.   If you are considering using a funeral home, you will need to decide if the casket should be prepared by the funeral home, or by a casket designer. If it is done by the funeral home, it will allow you to choose a design that… read more Funeral Ceremonies: Creative Ceremonies Can Help Celebrate Your Loved One

A Celebration of Life service is a non-traditional ceremony wherein a deceased person’s life and legacy is commemorated. The goal of these gatherings is to put more emphasis on honoring the memory of the deceased instead of mourning their death. Guests attending these events take this time to talk about the memories they had with the person who died. Compared to the more somber and traditional funeral services, Celebration of Life gatherings is more cheerful and optimistic. It is typically held right after the burial or cremation and, depending on the budget and the personality of the deceased, can either be small and intimate or grand. Due to its non-traditional nature, Celebration of Life services are not typically held inside a church or a funeral home but rather at outdoor gardens, rented halls, or even at a close family member’s home. Some services can also be held at specific places which bears significance to the deceased. Unlike traditional funerals, there are no set rules in planning a Celebration of Life service. Unless if your loved one left specific instructions, what you include in your service is completely up to you. You can choose whatever theme you see fit for the occasion. You also have the option to either hire a religious officer to preside the event or you can do it yourself. As previously mentioned, there are no set rules in planning the service, but to give you an idea, here’s what a typical Celebration of Life service includes: Speakers: This includes the host. They can talk about the deceased person’s personality and the fond memories they shared together.   Music: Live or digital music is acceptable and usually it is a genre that the deceased person enjoyed.   Refreshments: Depending on the venue of the service, guests can enjoy light snacks or catered meals. Mementos: Scrapbooks, photo albums, videos and personal items of the deceased are usually presented on memory tables and display boards. Memorial Booklet: A simple brochure or pamphlet outlining the Celebration of Life service that is given to the guests. These can easily be made by… read more Planning a Celebration of Life Service