Tips for Personalising a Funeral Service

When a loved one passes away, we hold a funeral service to commemorate them. This serves a variety of purposes. They give the bereaved the chance to say goodbye to someone they love and offer an opportunity for friends and family to gather together to support one another as they grieve, share memories and heal. One of the main reasons we go through the time, effort and expense of holding a funeral memorial is that we want to honour the life of a special individual who has passed away.

Funeral services traditionally use religious traditions as a framework for how to carry out a memorial. While religion is still an important consideration for many of us, many others are looking at ways we can personalise funeral memorials to best reflect that person’s unique life. This includes incorporating hobbies, interests and passions into the funeral service.

Displaying Personal Belongings

One of the simplest ways of personalising your loved one’s funeral memorial is by displaying personal belongings. Choosing the type of belongings to display comes down to that particular individual’s hobbies and passions. For example, did they have a favourite sports team, film or book? Did they play a musical instrument? Were they in the military? Did they love the beach? Displaying personal items that reflect your loved one’s interests helps to create a funeral service that feels like it represents your loved one and what they valued in life.

Incorporate a Special Activity

Another great way to personalise a funeral service while creating a unique and memorable moment is to incorporate a special activity into the service. This usually relates to one of your loved one’s hobbies, passions or job. Some common examples include:

• Paddle out on the ocean to commemorate a surfer
• Memorial nature hike for a lover of nature, conservation or hiking
• Motorbike funeral procession for a biking enthusiast
• Memorial service on a boat, dock or at the beach for a lover of boating or fishing

There are many creative ways to incorporate your loved one’s hobbies when a procession or activity may not be practical to do as part of the service. For example, if your loved one was passionate about gardening, you could hand out bags of seeds for guests to take home and plant in their memory.

Photo Collages

Many of us find it cathartic to look for old photos of loved ones who have passed away. Many funeral services today include visual elements to tell the story of the person’s life with images. You can do this by collecting old photos and displaying them, either physically or by creating a digital slideshow. Funeral directors are often happy to assist you with deciding how to display photos of your loved ones at their funeral.

Tribute Video

Another great option for incorporating a visual element to a funeral is to share your loved one’s life story with a tribute video. This is a popular option to commemorate people who often filmed themselves undertaking sports or other hobbies or activities. Ask family members and friends to send pictures and videos to include in the tribute. Videos are entertaining as well as help spark conversations, memories and stories amongst attendees. Tribute videos can also serve as a nice keepsake for loved ones after the service.

Funeral Directors in Maitland

Arranging a funeral can be a daunting task, but the professional team at Fry Bros Funerals are here to help you every step of the way. We can help you plan a meaningful funeral in Maitland, Newcastle, Port Stephens, the Hunter Valley and all surrounding areas. Call us on 02 4933 6155 or contact us online.