Ideas for Funeral Arrangements
Saying goodbye to a loved one is as important as remembering how they lived. Some people leave funeral arrangements and wishes in place before they leave us. However, many do not. So it falls to those close to the departed to arrange their burial and services. Arrangements are often shaped by religious beliefs. Arrangements include how and where they are buried, the memorial service and how they are represented after burial.
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Burial
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Where and how someone is buried is the one thing most likely to have been mentioned by the deceased, either in person or in their will. If the deceased and his family are religious and attend church, the choices will be natural and automatic. However, for many others who do not attend church regularly a public cemetery will have to be found if a church does not agree to burial. Cremations have become more popular in the last 20 years and this means either burying the ashes in a crematorium, putting them in a casket to be placed somewhere or scattered in a location special to them. Also remember the memorial service and the burial do not have to take place at the same location. Why not arrange for the service to be held somewhere special, be it a sports ground, park, their house, pub or somewhere else special to them.
Flowers and displays
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Traditional flower arrangements for funerals use colors that are not too bright and are usually white. This means flowers such as white carnations and lilies. However, if your loved one loved roses or another kind of flower, why not use that one? A funeral is about remembrance as much as sadness for someone's passing. Celebrate their life by displaying some of their favorite flowers. If they liked Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) why not ask people to bring their own flower arrangements? Of course, if they did not like flowers but had another hobby then consider decorating the service with more appropriate items including stamp arrangements, knitting patterns and replica trains. The most important idea is to keep it personal to conjure good memories.
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Speeches
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The eulogy is perhaps the most personal moment of the funeral service. When thinking of ideas for the eulogy, think of how the person was, what they enjoyed, what they did and so on. The eulogy should capture not just them, but your relationship with them. Write a poem, sing a song, paint a picture, make a video or tell a story. Address the speech to the deceased and/or to their loved ones. Most importantly, write your eulogy from the heart.
Music and Video
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If speeches are about people's opinions then music and video are the way to show someone as they were. Many people have a favorite song, one they would wish to be buried to or remembered by. Why not play the song while showing a montage of photographs and videos? Or choose music from their favorite movie, recite lines from their favorite play or perhaps, remember them by works they made themselves. Montage videos can be put together easily at home or consider using companies such as Memory Walk and Cremation Online.
Memorials
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The deceased does not have to be represented by a tombstone. There are many other means of doing so. Within the churchyard or cemetery you could mark their burial spot with a plaque or a wooden cross or a symbol more representative of them. Some churches may allow for plaques and memorial flagstones within the building itself. Another way to remember them is to plant a tree or rose bush on the spot. Memorials do not only have to be at the place of burial. Consider remembering them with a memorial bench in a local park or by sponsoring an event, charity, building or something else in their name.
Memorial Website
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New ideas and options have come with the technological and online revolution of the last 15 to 20 years. Consider creating an online memorial website in the deceased's honor. Maybe include their biography, any funny quotes, lots of pictures and information on their hobbies, plus a guest book for those who knew them to sign. Memorial profiles can also be created on a number of social networking sites.
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References
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