Helping Families and Friends Honor Their Loved One

How to Plan a Memorial Service

Holding a memorial service is perhaps the most beautiful way of commemorating the passing away of a loved one. It gives you the opportunity to pay tribute to the person whom you loved so dearly. The experience of sharing anecdotes of the times spent together is greatly cathartic for many. It is therefore important that the memorial service is planned well so that the experience can be fulfilling for everyone present. We have listed out a few tips that would help you plan a memorial service:

  • Choose a Location for the Service: Once you know the count of individuals attending the memorial service, choose an appropriate location for the ceremony to be conducted.
  • Choose a Date and Time: Next, you need to choose a date and time for the memorial service. You will have to co-ordinate with family and friends before you could schedule the ceremony. Reserve your venue, if the need arises. You will also have to decide on whether to keep the ceremony open-ended or timed.
  • Should the Memorial Service be a Themed Event: If you wish to highlight the uniqueness of your loved one, then having a themed memorial service is a good option.
  • Select Someone to Lead the Memorial Event: It could be a friend, a family member, a member of the clergy or a celebrant. Whoever you choose to lead the event should be involved in the planning process so that they can better understand their responsibilities.
  • Discuss with Family Members about the Particulars of the Memorial Service: From the music that would be played at the event to the literature (scriptural passages, personal letters, notes etc) that would be read, you should discuss out each and every detail with your family members so that everything is in accordance to everybody’s wish.
  • Should there be a Eulogy: If you believe that a eulogy is an important part of the memorial service, then you can either choose someone to write it and deliver for you or take on the task yourself.
  • Start Preparing a Timeline for the Memorial Service Event: This involves scheduling and placing each component (readings, eulogy, shared activities) in the correct slot.
  • Assign Related Tasks: Assign tasks such as shopping for flowers, candles, food etc to friends and members of the family involved in the planning process.

Edward Ted Bull & Daughter Funeral Directors have been providing funeral arrangements, pre-planned funerals and memorial services at an affordable price to the Somerville community for the past 42 years. You can get in touch with them at [03] 5977 5684.

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