Personal Funeral And Celebration Of Life Ideas
The services people remember are the ones that sound like the person. Read something they wrote, play what they played, serve what they cooked, and give everyone a way to add a story. Nine ideas follow, all of them small.
Nine Personal Touches
1. Read Their Own Words
A few of their texts, a letter, a toast they gave at a wedding. Hearing their phrasing out loud is often the moment people remember.
2. Play Their Music
Their actual playlist, not a funeral playlist. Ask the family which songs they played in the car.
3. Serve Their Food
Their chili, their grandmother's cookies, the takeout order they always got.
4. A Dress Code From Their Life
Their team's colors, a Hawaiian shirt, their favorite color. Only if the family agrees.
5. A Memory Card For Every Guest
A card on each seat that asks for one story, collected at the door on the way out.
6. A Memory Table
Photos, their things, their handwriting. What to put on it.
7. A Slideshow With Their Voice
A voicemail or a video clip at the start or the end. Save their voicemails before a phone is reset.
8. Something To Take Home
Seed packets, a bookmark with a line they used to say, a recipe card.
9. Open Floor For Stories
Ten minutes where anyone can stand and share one story. Ask two people in advance so someone goes first.
How do I make a funeral more personal?
Use their own things: their words, their music, their food and their stories. A service built from what they actually said and did sounds like them, which is what people come for.
What is the difference between a funeral and a celebration of life?
A funeral usually follows a set order and happens within days, often with the body or ashes present. A celebration of life is usually less formal, can be held weeks later, and centers on stories. Some families hold both, or combine them.
Can I read their text messages at a funeral?
Yes, and it is often the most personal part of a service. Choose two or three that sound like them and are fine for everyone in the room, and ask the person they were sent to if it was not you. Writing a eulogy from their messages covers how to choose.
How do I find their messages quickly?
Search the conversation on your phone for words they always used, a nickname, or a date. Screenshot what you find. For the whole conversation in order, an export from your phone can be set as a book, and its PDF arrives the same day.
What can I do if the service is very soon?
Keep it simple: a few photos, their music, and one person reading their words. Everything else can wait for a celebration of life later, when there is more time.
Related Guides
- How To Write A Eulogy Using Their Text MessagesFind their phrases, read two or three aloud, and build the story around them.
- What To Put On A Memory Table At A FuneralPhotos in order, their things, their handwriting, their words, cards for guests.
- Memorial Book IdeasA guest book, a booklet, memories from friends, or their own messages.
- How To Save Voicemails From An iPhoneTap Share on the voicemail. The texts are what becomes the book.
If You Would Like Their Messages Kept
Their messages, printed in order with every name, for after the service. There is no deadline. Or start with the free receipt.