Choices for the Memorial Service

Choices for the Memorial Service

Whether you're thinking about your own passing and the subsequent funeral service or working to put together a funeral for a loved one, you may feel like there are many big decisions to make.

Of course, it's true that there are many choices. And while that may seem a little daunting and disorienting, it is ultimately a comfort: Today's funeral and memorial services are highly customizable based on an individual's preferences, beliefs, and needs. Whatever kind of service you wish to have, it can all be arranged through the help of a skilled funeral director.

The venue, for example, can be highly variable. Though funeral homes still host the majority of memorials, there are also many people who choose to have funeral and memorial services in homes, churches or other places of worship, or even outdoors.

Music and multimedia are variables. Speaking with your funeral director, you can make arrangements for a local pianist, singing group, string quartet, or even a live band to provide an accompaniment that s either meditative or lively to the service; or, you can arrange for a full multimedia remembrance-video, pictures, slideshows, and beyond.

Many of today's funeral services are essentially all-day affairs- gatherings where family and friends arrive not just to mourn but then to linger and to spend time in fellowship together long after the service itself is over. This of course, attends a need for catering and perhaps also for music, both of which a funeral director can help arrange.

Different families express grief uniquely, and every person has varying wishes for their own remembrances. Thankfully, there are funeral arrangements to suit just about anyone and it is entirely possible to record any future wishes through a pre-arrangment conference. 

Every funeral/memorial service should be a memorable, warm reflection of the person who has died.