Unlike a
traditional funeral, a
memorial service is a gathering where a casket is not present (although the urn with the cremated remains may be on display). A memorial service can be held weeks or even months after the death.
A memorial service can be held in a church, the funeral home or a community hall, or somewhere of importance to the deceased and family. There is usually music, selected readings, and a eulogy. Memorial services can be further personalized as a
celebration of life.
Our experience has shown us that many families today desire more than a conventional funeral for their loved ones. One way to achieve this is by incorporating the personality and lifestyle of the deceased into the arrangements. This can be done by displaying photographs or staging the event around a favorite pastime, making the memorial service more personalized and meaningful.
If you feel that a personalized memorial service would be fitting for your family, we recommend that you consider the following questions:
- What did your loved one like to do?
- What was he or she like as an individual?
- What was their profession and how did that shape their life?
- Was your loved one spiritual?
- Was he or she proud of their cultural or ethnic heritage?
