Planning a funeral is always a somber endeavor. Between your own personal mourning and all the preparations you must make, it’s easy to become overwhelmed or feel lost during the process. To help keep you on track, we’ve prepared a few things to consider when planning a funeral that will help make your service successful at helping you, your friends, and your family find closure.
Rituals and Eulogies
There’s no “right” way to hold a funeral because there aren’t specific details you must do for it. Still, you can look to traditions to decide on how to structure the funeral. Take into consideration your family’s long-established rituals. Personalizing the funeral this way adds an element of familiarity and comfort and provides a structure for the funeral. A eulogy is also a common event that you should allot time for, as many people will want to express their parting thoughts and words to the departed. This will help attendees find closure since they won’t feel like they have any “loose ends” left that went unsaid.
Hiring a Photographer
If you decide you want to have commemorative photos of the ceremony, then one thing to consider when planning a funeral is who to hire to provide those photography services. A common mistake is assuming that any professional photographer will do when you should really be looking for certain qualities in photographers that prove they can handle funerals. Funerals are emotional, and a person unfamiliar with capturing such an event runs a high risk of being intrusive or upsetting to those attending.
Planning the Reception
It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the funeral events that you may forget to plan for the reception afterward. Receptions are an equally important aspect of the funeral because it gives everyone in attendance a chance to rendezvous and celebrate the life of the departed. This social aspect helps everyone support each other as they process their grief and prevents feelings of isolation from taking hold and exacerbating that sorrow. The reception needn’t be lavish or big; it just needs to be a place where everyone can come together.