When we lose a loved one, we can often feel overwhelmed by the grief. As we work through our sadness, we also want to honor their memory and legacy. This is why a funeral or life celebration service is important, as it is an opportunity to share memories, remember their accomplishments and achievements, and say goodbye. However, not all funerals are created equal. Some may be too focused on just the basics of burial and eulogies, while others take an approach that skips an essential step of celebrating the person’s life. At Clark Legacy Center, we believe that the right memorial service can be an essential part of healing after a loss.
That is why we help families design a funeral, life celebration or memorial service that reflects the personality of their loved one. We understand that the pain of losing a loved one will never go away completely, but we do our best to ensure your family is supported in every way we can. This includes helping you decide what kind of life celebration or funeral is appropriate, where your loved one would like to be laid to rest, and how they can be permanently memorialized in the community. Life celebrations are an increasingly popular alternative to traditional funeral services. They allow you to celebrate the uniqueness of your loved one and provide friends and family a chance to come together in remembrance and support each other.
Unlike traditional funerals, which are often structured around a visitation, a funeral, and a committal service (typically performed at the graveside), a life celebration is typically much more informal and focuses on a variety of themes, such as hobbies, favorite foods, or even their favorite quotes. During a life celebration, guests can share their stories and photos of your loved one. This can be an incredibly healing experience for everyone in attendance. To prepare them, you might include a list of questions in your invitation that they can answer before the event to get a sense of what people would like to share. Music is a great tool for healing, so it’s a good idea to create a playlist of your loved one’s favorite songs that can be played at the ceremony. You might even choose to create a shared playlist that friends and family can add to during the time after the ceremony.
A eulogy can be a difficult task to undertake, as it can be challenging to distill a lifetime of experiences into 15 minutes or less. We suggest using a eulogy template to give yourself a framework and structure to follow. This will help you avoid the risk of forgetting or leaving out important details about your loved one’s life and leave attendees feeling like they understood their loved one better after hearing their story.
