When my grandmother passed away, I was astonished to learn that I had been named the executor of her estate. After splitting up her belongings amongst my aunts and uncles, I turned my attention to planning her funeral. I didn't know where to start. Fortunately, I was able to find an excellent funeral home that understood how to help people plan beautiful memorial services. It was amazing to go through the process of planning the music, the speakers, and even the set-up of the room. This blog is all about planning gorgeous memorial services for the people that you love so that you aren't left grappling with difficult decisions.
When a close relative dies, you might be responsible for planning their funeral. Of course, you can ask family members to help. You can have other family members help you with the planning, and you can speak with a funeral director for help. If your loved one left instructions for the funeral service, you should follow those. For example, one instruction might be for cremation. Can you have a funeral with cremation? The answer is yes, and here are some tips to help you plan the service.
Consider the timing
When a person wants a burial service, timing matters more than for a cremation service. First, a funeral home must prepare the body for the casket; you'll only have about one week to host the service. Timing is different with cremation. The funeral home cremates the body when they receive it and place the ashes in an urn or box. Thus, you can have the service anytime, including right away or months later.
As you consider the timing, think about people who live out of town. If you plan the service for a month later, it gives people more time to make travel arrangements. Therefore, you might want to consider doing this when planning a cremation service.
You can include all the same things in the service
The second thing to understand is a cremation service can be exactly like a burial service. In fact, the only difference is the body's location. In a burial service, the body will be in a casket. A cremation service has the body in an urn. Other than that, there are no differences.
Therefore, you can include the same things as you would at a burial service. For example, consider having a slide show. A slide show is a group of pictures of your loved one that displays on a large screen. In most cases, slide shows have music playing in the background. People who come to the funeral enjoy viewing these pictures.
Secondly, you might have music at the service. For example, you could ask a close friend or relative to sing a meaningful song or two. You can also have group singing, which is popular at religious funerals.
Contact a funeral home
As you begin working on the funeral plans, you'll need to consult with a funeral director. The director can explain your options and give you ideas. Then, you can choose the type of service you'd like to have.
Contact a local funeral home to learn more about cremation services.
Share30 March 2023
