How to Plan a Memorial Service ?

 

Planning a memorial service

Funeral planning is likely to be done at a time when you are mourning the loss of someone special. This can feel like an over-whelming task to begin with or one that you may naturally feel you would like to get done as quickly as possible.  

However, a memorial or funeral service allows family and friends to honour the person who has passed. It is a time to offer and receive comfort from those who cared for or knew the deceased.  So it is worth, slowing down and taking the right amount of time to plan well and thoroughly with the assistance of a local funeral director near you.

Planning a memorial service program entails decision-making on your part. The decisions will be influenced by the relationship between you and the deceased, the wishes of the deceased if any, your financial situation and funeral cost, and more. There are basic steps when it comes to planning a service. They are as follows:

Method of Disposition

First comes deciding on the method by which the deceased will be interred. If the deceased had shared his/her preferred disposition method, you need to follow that. If not, then you need to make the decision yourself.

  • Cremation with Funeral Service – The process of cremation makes use of flame or extreme heat to reduce the body to ashes. This method offers certain options such as scattering the ashes, placing the remains in a columbarium, burying the urn containing the remains, or keeping the remains. 
  • Burial – Burials can be in two forms:
  1.    Traditional Burial – Entails wither burying the casket containing the deceased below the ground in a gravesite or cemetery, or entombment, which means placing the casket above ground in a mausoleum
  2. Green Burial or Natural Burial – Similar to a traditional burial, except the intention is to minimize environmental impact. For example, the deceased may be wrapped in biodegradable cloth or shroud instead of a casket and placed in an environmentally friendly coffin.
  3. Elements of a Funeral Service- The planning of a funeral or memorial service program will depend on the type of tone you would like to set. Would you prefer a celebration of the life of the deceased? Or would it be an expression of sorrow for having gone too soon?  Most experienced celebrants and funeral directors would advise a balance of both.

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Provide an order of service as a keepsake for the funeral service

Several families prefer cremation with funeral service held in a funeral home chapel or place of worship. Some prefer to have a non-religious service held in their backyard or a beautiful function venue. 

Flowers and/or Donations

Another decision that you need to make is whether you plan to accept flowers from attendees or you would prefer that they donate to a charitable organization of your choice in memory of the dearly departed. Equally you may like to supply your own flowers to the funeral service or consult with your favourite florist for a great array of funeral flowers.

Through the difficult time of planning a memorial service program when you are still grieving a loss, asking for assistance or help may be necessary. Seeking help does not mean weakness. 

So, pick up the phone and talk to your funeral director about many of the choices that may be available to you.  Make sure you are making notes so that you don’t forget anything in the ‘brain fog’ of grief and bereavement.

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