Memorial Service Ideas
When planning a memorial or funeral service there are so many details to take into account it can often be overwhelming. The first thing to decide is whether will be having a funeral service or a memorial service. For help on choosing which please read Difference between a Funeral and Memorial Service.
If you’ve decided on a memorial service, it offers more time and flexibility in creating an experience more personalized. Memorial services paying tribute on the past times, activities and interests of the deceased are ever growing in popularity. A memorial service is usually held in a less formal location. They also have several unique activities to pay tribute and remember your loved one.
Think about the following when planning a memorial service.
The Location
When setting the mood and atmosphere for a memorial service, the location is key. Memorial services are most often held in a church setting but this is not necessary. Not everyone is religious and therefor a church setting may not be appropriate, in this case think about a lodge, park, riverside or marina. If your loved one had very particular interest you could choose venues such as a golf course, a beach, a ski resort or even at an art gallery. You would need to contact the location to make sure they would allow this for you. Consider how your loved one liked to spend their time, and how they would like to be remembered. Finding a suitable location can vary depending on certain things such as if you will be serving food and how many guests will be attending. Try to make the chosen location adapt in order that it suits your needs.
Choosing a Time and Date
It is important to choose the date and time of your memorial service carefully. It can affect how many people will attend. A memorial service is often planned weeks or even months after one has passed. Some people would like to wait until their loved ones anniversary or birthday. It is best to make sure that your guests will have plenty of time to make the appropriate travel arrangements. The best times of the day to hold a memorial service are in the early morning, mid afternoon or late evening.
Choosing a Purpose or Theme
Choosing the appropriate theme or purpose of the memorial service enables guests to focus more on the deceased and allows them to remember specific memories and details about him or her. After choosing a theme it makes it easier choosing what types of songs to sing, what readings to use, what items to bring as well as what food to serve. Choosing a theme makes everything else afterwards easier.
How you should select a theme.
Hobbies: Think about displaying sporting equipment, craft work and art, trophies, fishing equipment, cooking utensils, stamps and coin collections etc.. Items such as these if the deceased was passionate about their interests. We have many funeral program templates in a variety of such themes.
Career: Did the deceased focus on and take great pride in their career? Displaying items commonly used in their profession is a nice way to arrange a memorial service theme. Professions such as police officers, teachers, firefighters, doctors, nurses and military figures are very career-centered and quite appropriate. We have specialized funeral program templates for all of these and much more.
Culture and Ancestry: Traditions and different ways of celebrating life vary between cultures. If your culture is different, then you may choose to learn of some of the unique rituals in their culture and honor their history in cultural fashion. We have several Religious funeral program template packages for you to choose from.
Personal Relationship: Maybe the deceased was a great mother, or father, grandmother or grandfather. You can choose to make the theme about this type of relationship and there are many funeral poems for mom or dad, songs and funeral scripture that can facilitate things for you.
There are numerous ways to personalize a service. We hope to have given you some good ideas to think about. Printed and customized memorial service programs are a great keepsake for guests, as well as bookmarks, prayer cards, thank you cards and even postcards for the initial invitations.
