When planning a funeral or memorial service for a loved one, many families look to personalize the ceremony to reflect their special life. Some ways that can be accomplished include displaying photos, using unique music, and incorporating other items that were meaningful to the deceased. Some families incorporate religious or cultural customs into the ceremony that they feel is appropriate for their family and that their deceased loved one would want. They may also include unique service elements like having family members speak about their loved one or even ask guests to share memories of them during the ceremony. Another way to personalize a service is to use unique floral arrangements.
Floral arrangements are often used to symbolize the love and care that a deceased person received in life. Whether you choose traditional flowers, brightly colored flowers or flowers in their favorite color, they can be used to bring comfort to the guests at a difficult time and serve as a beautiful tribute. Musical elements can add to the comfort of the mourners at a service by triggering fond memories of the deceased. Some families choose to have a live musician, cover band or DJ perform at the visitation, ceremony or reception. This can be a great way to make the service unique and to help ensure that everyone enjoys themselves.
Some ceremonies are held in locations that reflect the deceased’s hobbies or interests. For example, a boating service is a wonderful way to honor someone who loved being on the water and to allow others to experience this joy with them. Other options could be to have a service in their favorite park, restaurant or place of worship, or even have the service at sea. Offering food and drink is a simple way to add a personal touch to a service. Families often have a buffet at the visitation or reception where their loved one’s favorite foods are served. They can also serve snacks and drinks that were a part of their daily routine, such as popcorn for a movie-loving family or pizza at a sports game.
The choice of casket or coffin is another way that people can add a personal touch to their loved one’s funeral or memorial service. A casket can be engraved with an important message or a picture of the person and some people even choose to have their loved one’s favorite sports team logo on the lid of their casket. A growing trend is to have a balloon release at a service or reception. These beautiful and heartfelt expressions of love are a wonderful way to say goodbye and to help grievers move on from the past to their futures. The process of releasing a balloon can be a very emotional experience as each individual takes the opportunity to hold the balloon, kiss it, say a prayer or write a personal message on it before letting go. This simple act of kindness can be very touching and create a sense of community for those in attendance at the service or reception.
