A friend of mine lost her father this past week unexpectedly. After the service was over, she was talking to me about how she wished she had done things differently but she had no funeral ideas at the time. They had gone through so much shock and disbelief that when it came time to planning the funeral they weren’t really in the right mindset to be creative or come up with ideas to make things more memorable.
So, I’ve decided to showcase some funeral ideas for creating everlasting memories for a funeral. If you can do things that carry memories of your loved one on your grief journey, it can really help with your healing.
- Memorable Memory Boards. Make the memory boards last and have them made into posters you can hang on your wall later. In the photo above, the family had a theme for each board and chose a quote for each one. They framed them so they could be saved and hung up later. Boards were made for the deceased with his wife, each of his four children, his parents and siblings. Boards were also creatively made to show him enjoying his hobbies, work, and just goofing around. The smiles of everyone in the pictures are such beautiful memories to have preserved. Each family member can then have a memory board for his or her home.
- Gather Memories. Have guests write down their favorite memories about your loved one and make a memory tree that you can keep in your home. Rereading the memories will help you on your grief journey. At the funeral, simply leave slips of paper and pens near the receiving line in a basket. Have the paper pre-printed to say, “tell us your favorite memory about _____” or make a simple sign giving the guests instructions. The funeral director can arrange this if you share the idea with him or her. When you are at home, family members can continue to add memories to the tree.
- Memory Stones. Send guests home with a special memory stone that they can keep with them and have something tangible to remind them of your loved one. Have a child or teenager who wants to participate in planning the funeral, write the person’s name on each of the stones with a Sharpie marker. This will allow the kids to participant and give them a way to start accepting the loss. Be creative with funeral ideas. Perhaps there are other small items you can give away that can symbolize your loved one.
- Bake Something Your Loved One Loved. Did your loved one have a favorite recipe? A touching funeral idea is to bake the item for the service and hand it out with a recipe card and special saying so guests can later make the item and be reminded of your loved one and carry on something they loved.
- Remembrance Seeds. Another funeral idea is to hand out remembrance seeds at the service that guests can go home and plant in your loved one’s honor. Write the name of your loved one on the packets. This is a great activity for both kids and adults to begin the grief healing process. Seeds symbolize rebirth, and planting the seeds is an act of mourning that can help the grief healing process. Many funeral homes have seed packets available.
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