Hello, my name is Damian. Until last year, I had never planned a funeral. However, when both of my parents passed away within weeks of each other, I suddenly had to plan two. I was experiencing such grief that I didn't know where to start. Thankfully, my friend put me in touch with a fantastic funeral home who guided me through the entire process. They looked after the bodies, recommended a church and helped to arrange transport for guest. I decided to start this blog to help others who need to plan a funeral. I hope you find the information useful.
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When preplanning your own funeral or arranging a funeral for someone in the family, you may want it to be a bit personal and unique. A funeral should be a time for mourning and remembering the deceased, but it doesn't need to be just a generic eulogy and nothing more, as this may not be enough to really honour someone who is gone. Note a few simple but very personal ideas you might discuss with a funeral home director, so you can make this occasion unique to everyone attending.
Guestbook alternatives
Rather than having guests sign a book, consider some other unique ways of always remembering who visited the funeral. You might opt for flat rocks that are appropriate for writing on, and provide a permanent, weatherproof marker. Each guest can sign a rock, and these then get collected in a basket to keep or to spread around a garden or other outdoor area. A guest tree is another idea; use a small decorative tree in a vase, and set out blank cards with a ribbon looped through the top of each card. Each guest signs a card and then loops it around the tree as a nice keepsake for the family.
Picture display
Many funeral homes will display a large picture of the deceased on an easel, but you can also display more photos of that person, their family, and others; consider using an electronic album set up on a tablet or laptop that guests can scroll through. You can even create an electronic scrapbook with backgrounds for the photos. Actual scrapbook pages can also be displayed on a wall of the funeral home, if allowed. You can also display photographs on a decorative tree branch, as mentioned above, by punching a hole at the top of each photo and looping ribbon through it to wrap around a branch.
Favours and mementos
Guests may often receive a program or other type of memento from a funeral to remember the occasion, and note how to make this a bit unique. Opt for individual potted succulents that can be placed in a small bag and handed out as guests leave; succulents are likely to last for years as a reminder of the occasion. Have coins made with the deceased's name and silhouette, and place these in favour bags, along with a note or favourite poem of the deceased. You might also have a small picture of him or her developed and place it in a frame for giving away to each guests; these are very affordable and a great keepsake.
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