How to Personalize a Funeral Service

Cultures around the world have been holding some type of funeral service for over thousands of years. Funerals play a big role in helping the community come together to mourn the deceased as well as help the people left behind to make peace with the transition from life in this world to the next. While funerals today tend to follow a typical outline and flow, many families still want to make this service personalized to their loved ones. Directors of funeral homes in Springfield, OR have these tips on how to do just that.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Slow down and think about your deceased loved one.
Personalize the décor with the funeral flowers or accents.
Customize the guest attire by asking guests to wear the deceased’s favorite color.
Funeral elements provide opportunities for personalization, such as with music selection or readings.

Slow Down

The first thing to do is to slow down and think about your loved one. With everything that happens when a loved one passes away, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and perhaps make decisions in haste. Know that it is okay to slow down and truly give this some thought.

Personalize the Décor

One way to personalize the funeral is with the choice of décor. An example of this is the funeral flowers. Flowers play a big role in funerals and while there are types of flowers most commonly used, you certainly do not have to stay with only those choices. If your loved one had a favorite flower such as a sunflower, for example, feel free to use that any and everywhere you wish. Don’t hold back because it may not be a “typical” funeral flower. You could even utilize flowers they grew themselves in their garden.

Another way to personalize the décor is with the accents you use. These could be on a table beside the sign-in book or on the memorial tribute table. For example, if your loved one was an avid baseball fan you could use baseball-themed frames for photos or baseball candle holders for tea lights.

Customize the Guest Attire

While black and darker colors are the standard for clothing for a funeral, if your loved one had a favorite color they always wore consider asking guests to incorporate it in their outfit. Men could add color to their ties or handkerchief. Women could add it as a scarf, purse, hat, or another accessory. You could even ask the guests to only wear that color (or a color combination).

Funeral Elements

Funerals provide several opportunities for personalization in the format itself. A typical funeral program will include things like music selection, prayers or other readings, and more. All of this can be a perfect time to make very personalized choices. For example, with the music selection, you could choose one of your loved one’s favorite songs or a song from their favorite band or era. For reading, you could choose a passage from their favorite book or a poem they always loved.

Final Thoughts

While funerals tend to follow a specific format on what is included, there are still ample opportunities to personalize the service for your loved one. Just remember to slow down and think about your loved one and what you want others to know or remember about them.

If you would like more information about how to personalize a funeral service in Springfield, OR, our staff can help you at this difficult time when decisions can be overwhelming.