When a loved one dies, it’s always a difficult time. Of course, the last thing you want to be thinking about is the funeral event itself, but it can help if you consider what will be included in the program and how it all comes together. This article will give you useful tips on creating a memorable funeral program.
Here are seven tips for arranging a memorable funeral:
Make a list of everyone you want to be there.
- When creating your funeral program, it’s important to make a list of everyone you want there.
- You will need to let people know they are invited and what the service will be like at the funeral.
- To make a list of who should be at the funeral, ask yourself these questions: who was close to the deceased? Who will want to be there for support, comfort and remembrance? How many people are going to come? And what is the age range of those attending? It will help you to determine how many people should be invited.
Create a schedule for the day.
- Just like any event, it’s best to create a schedule.
- Plan for the funeral service to be as short as possible so that people don’t have to wait too long.
- If there is going to be a burial, plan its timing so those who want can attend.
- Try not to schedule the reception right after the funeral or burial; give people time to get through these events before socialising and catching up with each other again.
- Allow family members enough time after either of these events (preferably both) to gather together and say goodbye in private if they wish; consider providing food or drinks at this point if you aren’t serving them at another part of your schedule.
Outline the content of the program.
- Now that you have a list of all those attending, you can create a program template.
- The first thing to do is outline the content of your program.
- You need to figure out what you want to say, how you want to say it and when. Then, you can create a program template using Microsoft Excel, Word or another word processing program.
- Use this template as a guide for creating your program.
- Finally, add an honorary pallbearer list if people want to honour or remember someone else by carrying their casket in their place.
Decide on details such as decorations, songs, and readings.
- Decorations should complement the event and be tasteful rather than distract from it.
- You can also consider lighting candles in advance to create a more solemn atmosphere.
- If you’re looking for songs that are appropriate for the occasion, you should look for hymns and songs that are traditional or religious.
- Finally, decide on readings that will honour the deceased person’s life if they want to be read out loud during the ceremony.
Consider hiring funeral professionals.
- If you need help planning your funeral, you should consider hiring a funeral professional.
- Professionals can help you with everything from creating the guest list to picking out caskets.
- You can also ask them which songs and readings are appropriate for the occasion.
- They can also help you with any other details that you might need.
Send out obituary notices.
- The obituary notice is an important step towards creating a memorial that will show who the deceased was, how they lived and how they died.
- These notices are often published in local newspapers and can be distributed to friends and family members across the country.
- Obituary notices generally include the deceased’s name, age at the time of death, and cause of death, including date and time if applicable.
- Also, add funeral home information (address, phone number) in obituary notices.
- It is a crucial step because it allows people to find the funeral home’s location and contact them if they need more information.
- Send out invitations to family members and close friends. If you want people to attend the funeral, then sending out invitations is important.
Conclusion
In the end, arranging a funeral program is not something you want to put off until the last minute. It’s an important part of honouring your loved one by helping those who knew its best share stories and memories from the lives they lived. If you follow these tips and plan, it can be done quickly and painlessly—and will help make things easier for everyone involved during this grief.
