It’s such a sad time to lose someone close to us, no matter how wonderful a life they have had. So what could be better than to celebrate the life of our dearly departed, rather than dwell on our loss?
Modern funerals have embraced this change in mood, with ever expanding ideas to express the life and shared memories of those we’ve lost. Many families are opting for modern cultural reflections. These services can include poems, literary quotes and songs, departing from religious traditions of prayers and mournful hymns.
Music
The choice of music can be a reflection of how we remember the deceased. Or alternatively it can be a reference to the music they themselves loved. Music can play a role in any part of the memorial service. Consider it as a welcome for guests or as a point of reflection during the service. A performance by live musicians or gifted family member, can also be a memorable statement.
Visual Tributes
Visual tributes have become incredibly popular, from large prints, to slideshows and video memorials. Often set to music, typical video memorials feature photographs over the lifetime of the deceased. As a result, slideshow memorials provide a wonderful moment of reflection at the end of the service. Some services also play through slides at the beginning as the guests settle.
If you’re planning a video memorial, read this article on why we think you should do it yourself.
When you’re ready to build one, our tribute video platform makes it simple to turn your favorite photos into a video you can share and keep.
Readings and Poems
A good reading gives a celebration of life its voice. A favorite poem, a passage from a book they loved, or a few lines from a song can say what’s hard to put into your own words.
You don’t have to stick to traditional verse. Families often choose secular poems, song lyrics, a paragraph from a well-loved novel, or something the person wrote themselves. A short piece read by a grandchild can land as deeply as anything formal. Two or three readings, spread across the service, is usually enough.
If you plan to print a reading in the program, it’s worth knowing that wording and reprint permissions can vary by translation and publisher. For anything still in copyright, a quick look at the publisher’s guidelines saves any surprises.
Memorial Booklets Worth Keeping
Of everything handed out on the day, the booklet is the piece people keep. A printed order of service, sometimes called a funeral program, brings together the details of the day and the things that made the person who they were.
Inside, you might include the running order, a favorite reading or poem, a short life story, and a few photos. Some families add a line of thanks to guests, or the words to a song everyone will sing. Every booklet looks a little different. It’s a small book about one life.
Months later, it’s the thing that stays in a drawer or comes out on an anniversary. That’s why it’s worth taking a little care over. If you’d like to make one yourself, our funeral programs let you lay out the order of service, add your own readings alongside a built-in verses library, and print at home or order professionally printed copies.
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