Paying
Tribute to
Your Loved One
at a Funeral/Memorial Service
There are many things you can do to honor, pay tribute, and
celebrate your loved one's life at a funeral. As you plan
these activities, you will feel a difference in the spirit
of the funeral planning - you will find that your memories
help bring you a little comfort in this difficult time.
Photo
Video Tribute
Favorite
photographs of your loved one can be put together in video
format, then burned to DVD. They come together in a touching
tribute to the life your loved one led. You can have this
video playing at the funeral home during a visitation or after
the funeral.
Search our Funeral Planning Directory to find someone in your local area who can create this video tribute for your family.
Memory Table
Gather
together photos or memorabilia that was treasured by your
loved one and display them at the services. In addition to
showcasing these items, you can also:
Personal Tributes
The
services themselves can be a fitting tribute
to the life and loves your loved one held dear. Consider the
following areas of your loved one's life and what kinds of
things were valued:
-
Family
-
Religion
-
Personality
-
Hobbies
-
Work
-
Collections
Think
about what kinds of activities at or after the funeral service
could best honor your memory of your loved one. Here are a
few examples:
- For
the cook of the family, put together a few favorite recipies
to give to family and friends who attend the services
and have a luncheon afterwards where you serve these dishes.
- For
the family genealogist, allow a member of the family to
tell about some of the stories your loved one has collected
of ancestors who have gone before, and show how your loved
one has honored the heritage they left.
- For
the religious person, hold the services at your loved
one's place of worship and include things that were important
- songs, scriptures, teachings, etc.
Work with a Funeral Celebrant
A Funeral Celebrant is someone who is specially trained to help you create a service that will be meaningful for your family. They will meet with you to learn all about your loved one and then help you plan a funeral or memorial service that will be a fitting tribute to the life your loved one led.
Search our Funeral Planning Directory to find a Funeral Celebrant in your local area.
Other Resources
For more ideas, you can visit the following sites on the web:
Creative Memorial Service Planning
A wonderful web site that gives many ideas for creating a funeral service that will be meaningful for your family.
Life Celebration Memorial Ideas
A wonderful web site that gives many ideas for creating a funeral service that will be meaningful for your family.
Memorial Music Database
Comprehensive database of songs about grief and loss; lists all the songs on one page but categorizes them by Military, Types of Loss, and Gospel on other pages. Even includes 15 different versions of Amazing Grace and Ave Maria.
Music for Funerals and Memorial Services
Find familiar music that others have used or plan to use for their memorial services. Titles are loosely grouped by Classical, Religious/Inspirational, and Secular/Popular. Includes links to other sites with music as well.
