People are unique. Everyone has different life experiences, and when life comes to a close, there will be special ways that you want to celebrate your loved ones adventure. While personal preferences of the deceased, both religious and their personal convictions, will be part of the funeral experience, it is up to those who are planning the funeral or celebration of life to create a day that memorializes their loved one. Every funeral is different, and there is no cookie-cutter set of rules for how to celebrate someones life and mourn their passing. There are some ways to make the day extra special, though.
Seed Cards
There are always little things that will bring back thoughts to the person who passed away. Whether it is their favorite song or movie, a trinket or token that they gifted to you, seeing it will remind you of the good times. At your loved ones funeral service you can hand out something called seed cards to those in attendance. Once home, seed cards can be planted and when they grow, there will be a beautiful reminder of a loved one. Forget-me-nots are an excellent option for seed cards. They are small, light blue flowers that grow easily and can be maintained with very little work.
Colour
Many people think that you need to stick to white flowers and colours for a funeral. This is far from true. Bring colour into their celebration of life. If your loved ones favourite colour was yellow, then bring bright and cheerful yellow flowers and accents to the arrangements. Bright and beautiful colours do not need to be shied away from. You know your loved one best, so whether they would prefer the traditional dignity of white bouquets or something brighter bring that with you.
For the Bookworm
Some people are bookworms, and when they pass, they leave a library behind. It can be a wonderful gesture, in this case, to hand out books from their collection during their funeral. It is a personal memento that attendees can cherish forever, a piece of their loved one that they have a connection to forever. You can place a bookplate or a sticker in the front of each book reminding the new book owner who gave them that gift.
Memory Board
Having memory boards at funerals and services are an excellent way to go down memory lane and take a stroll through the deceased life. Something that you can do in addition to memory
boards of photos that you collect on your own is to have a blank memory board. Ask people attending to bring photos or copies of photos that they have of or with the deceased and create a memory board together. There will often be treasures on this collaborative memory board that may have been otherwise missed.
Service Booklets
Most service books are quite simple: little brochures with a single picture on the front and folded in two or maybe threes. If you want to do something different and something that guests can take with them, then make the service booklets a bit grander. Include collages of pictures, lyrics from their favourite songs, notes, and nicknames, and anything else you can think of adding. The possibilities are endless.
The team at Amherst Funeral and Cremation Services knows how difficult it is when a loved one passes away. We are here for you and your family throughout this process and want to help you
remember them the way that you want. Make their memorial a reflection of them, and a day you will cherish forever.