Making it Personal
Personalize the Funeral
It is becoming more and more common today to personalize the funeral of a loved one to better tell their story and remember the life they lived. There are several ways you can incorporate personalization into your funeral, or that of a family member or friend. Below are just some ideas that you can incorporate into a funeral service, memorial service or celebration of life, but if you have ideas of your own to help remember a loved one, please do not hesitate to speak to one of our staff members.
Create a memory table
Flowers
While flowers are standard at most funerals, there are many ways you can personalize flowers to reflect your loved one. Be sure to incorporate their favourite types of flowers, or favourite colours. If your loved one was a golfer, think about having the flower arrangement made in their golf bag. If they loved music, perhaps have a flower arrangement made in the shape of a guitar.
Favourite Sports Team
If you or your loved one was devoted to a specific sport or team, incorporating that into the funeral is a great way to add personalization. Ask people coming to the funeral to wear sports jerseys. Have the flowers and colours in the room for the visitation and service be in team colours, or have team logos or photos displayed near the casket.
Memorial Station
Provide a table with notecards and pens, and have a sign directing guests to write messages of support or their favourite memory of the deceased. The family can then take the notes home to read when they feel like they need a happy memory. A variation on this is creating a ‘memory tree’, where the note cards are hung on a small tree that the family can take home with them.
Seeds of Love
Send guests home with packets of your loved one’s favourite seeds to plant in their garden, so they have a lovely reminder of them whenever they’re outside in the summer. Or join everyone together for a joint planting of a memorial tree or garden in the back yard of the deceased’s family.
Book Giveaway
If the deceased was someone who loved to read, they may have left behind several books. Think about having the books on a table at the funeral that guests can take with them at the end of the service, so they always have a reminder of your loved one.
Photo Display
You don’t have to have the usual picture boards or dvd slide shows in order to show off photos of your loved ones. Think about making a photo wreath, or a collage using clothespins and wire. Have the photos tied to the end balloons placed around the room.
Food & Drink
If you or loved one has a favourite food or drink, make sure it’s served at the funeral. The same goes if your loved one had a favourite candy. This is easy to hand out to guests and have available during the visitation and service. If you want to take it step it further, if your loved one was famous for a certain dish they made, print the recipe on cards for guests to take home with them so they can carry on the recipes with their own families and friends.
Colouring Station
If the deceased came from a family with lots of kids, create an area with paper, markers and crayons, so that the children can draw pictures to honour the deceased. This will allow the children a chance to express their feelings and will also keep them occupied during the visitation or service.
