Adding a few personal touches to your loved one’s funeral service makes for a truly unique and poignant occasion. It can also help you to feel more connected to them, and is a wonderful way of honouring their life. At Iles & Vincent, we can help to create a bespoke funeral service to capture the memory and wishes of the departed. In this blog, we share 4 tips to make a funeral more personal.
1. Choose Meaningful Music
Contrary to popular belief, the music at a funeral service doesn’t have to be sad, slow, or sombre. In fact, choosing songs or hymns which were special to the person you have lost is a beautiful way to remember them, even if they are more upbeat. So, consider filling the service with their favourite pieces of music. You may also find that leaving the funeral to a more uplifting tune has a positive impact on you and your guests.
2. Consider The Dress Code
Asking guests to wear a certain outfit that has distinct meaning for your departed loved one is a wonderful way to add personal touches to a funeral service. You may, for instance, request that attendees wear an article of clothing or an accessory in the deceased’s favourite colour. Alternatively, if they were avid sports fans, you may also suggest that everyone dresses in the team colours or wears t-shirts from their favourite team. Have a think over their hobbies, interests and personality to help you decide if a personalised dress code feels appropriate.
3. Bring A Memory Book To The Funeral Service
A memory book presents a unique way for your guests to share stories and thoughts about the departed. This can make the funeral feel more personal to your loved one, and you can even look back over it whenever you’d like to feel closer to them. It’s also a beautiful way to see how they impacted the lives of others, and you may even find out a thing or two you didn’t know about them.
4. Create A Photo Slideshow
A very moving way to personalise a funeral service is by creating a memorial video or slideshow. Sharing a wealth of cherished photos in this way is a wonderful way to look back over their life. What’s more, as selecting just a few images for the order of service can be difficult, a slideshow creates an opportunity to look back on many. For an even more unique touch, you can even set it to play along to your loved one’s favourite song. After the service, you can save the video to your devices to watch whenever you like.