How to Plan a Funeral or Memorial Service

As our culture changes, the ways we handle the passing of loved ones also evolves. Today, people choose to celebrate the lives of those they love in a variety of ways. With the introduction of new traditions and burial practices, many professional mortuary directors use the terms “funeral” and “memorial” interchangeably. However, key differences are worth noting for planning a funeral or memorial service.

Funeral vs Memorial

What’s the difference? The most commonly misunderstood terms in our industry are Funeral Service and Memorial Service. A Funeral Service is held to memorialize a deceased person with their body present. On the other hand, a Memorial Service memorializes a deceased person without the presence of their body. Other than terminology and the presence or absence of a casket or urn, funeral and memorial services are very similar.

Most include:

• Music
• Opening Remarks or Passage
• Candle Lighting or other Ritual
• Background information
• Readings
• Personal reflections by one or more family members or friends
• Readings
• Summation by service leader
• Closing Remarks
• Music

5 Easy Steps for Planning a Memorial Service

Make sure the service that you plan acknowledges the uniqueness of the deceased. It should celebrate the individuality of their personality and the uniqueness of their life path. This is important not just for them, but for you. It affirms the relationship and promotes healing after loss. Honoring their life is truly an act of love – for the both of you.

1. Decide on the type of memorial service. Did the deceased have a known preference for a funeral or memorial service? Consider highlighting the deceased’s hobbies, devotion to family, dedication to charity or personality traits. You may want to select a theme for the service, which can help spark ideas about program contents and décor. There are two facets of the design process. First, we ask you to consider how you wish to honor and celebrate the life. Next, we’ll turn to the issue of how you wish to care for the physical remains.
   

   What types of hobbies did your loved one enjoy?

2. Set the date and location of your memorial service. Clients of Foothill Funeral & Cremation Service can provide locations or ask us for suggestions. Since we have been in the San Gabriel Valley since 1996, we have contacts across Southern California. We work with venues including churches, outdoor areas, reception halls and more.
3. Invite guests to the memorial service. As you assemble a list, include relatives, friends, colleagues, customers, and neighbors of anyone who loved the one you have lost.

   

4. Identify the facilitators for the memorial service. Clients of Foothill Funeral & Cremation Service benefit from our 22 plus years of experience as professional funeral planners. We are available to facilitate the service behind the scenes or even to speak at the service. Some of the other services we offer include video tributes, personalized printing and memorial websites.
5. Write everything down about the memorial service. Grief can mess with short-term memory. Make sure you record everything in writing. This will help eliminate unwelcome surprises on the day of the event. We provide written instructions for our clients, to help them through the process. For more about this, contact us at (626) 335-0615.

Centrally located at 402 West Baseline in Glendora, Foothill Funeral & Cremation proudly serves the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire. With years of experience in the mortuary industry, we have worked hard to build a reputation of quality, sincerity and trust. We would be honored to help you at your time of need or in the future. Call today (626) 335-0615 or drop by our showroom.