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Posts Tagged ‘memorial’

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DNA Artwork: A Unique Memorial Gift

Friday, June 7th, 2013

DNA Artwork Memorial GiftGiving a memorial gift is a great way to show a loved one how much you care about their loss and the difficulties they’ll undergo in the months ahead. In addition to things like funeral flowers, people often choose pretty mementos like engraved plaques, ornamental urns, memory journals, or statuettes.

While of all these make appropriate presents, there isn’t a whole lot of personalization involved. To find a truly one-of-a-kind memorial gift, you may want to get closer to the deceased. A lot closer. As close as his or her DNA.

DNA Artwork

DNA artwork bridges the scientific and artistic communities by creating large, visually appealing works of art that depend entirely on a person’s unique DNA. Offered from several different companies and in several different formats, the most popular version on the market right now are the DNA Portraits offered by a company known as dna11.

The process is fairly complex and takes a while (usually around 6 weeks). You send in a DNA sample through their kit, their lab runs it through a special gel to find the unique code, and it is turned into a digitally-enhanced canvas picture.

Of course, when you’re considering this for a deceased family member or friend, getting a DNA sample may not be that easy. Because the company prefers a cheek swab over something sloughed off (like hair in a brush or clipped fingernails), you may need to coordinate with the funeral home in order to get the sample taken.

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Celebrate Life not Death with a Living Funeral

Monday, May 27th, 2013

Celebrate Life not Death with a Living Funeral

iMortuary welcomes guest contributor, Dennis Aimes. Dennis Aimes is a writer and insurance advisor that specializes in the GIO funeral insurance product for his Australian based clientele.

The end of life can be a time of great sadness.  It should also be a time of joy, as we not only mourn the passing of a cherished loved one but celebrate the accomplishments of their life.  The celebration is one reason why the living funeral has been rising in popularity as an alternative to the traditional funeral.

Why a living funeral?

When someone is born we celebrate their entrance into our world and our lives.  We feast and celebrate when a child is born.  We celebrate each year that passes with birthday parties, marking the annual ceremony of when someone’s life began.  This is where the logic behind having a living funeral comes from.  Why should the end of life be any different, why focus on the negative aspect of a person leaving us when we should look back and celebrate all that they have accomplished?

When to have one

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Planning an Outdoor Memorial Service

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

Planning an Outdoor Memorial ServiceThe majority of funeral and memorial services are held indoors. Although many people opt to include an outdoor gravesite service in addition to a more formal indoor event, the most traditional funeral planning option is to hold a memorial service in a church, funeral home, or private home. This indoor environment means that it’s easy to control the temperature, ensure that any audio-visual equipment is protected from the elements, and know that everyone will be comfortable as they prepare to say their farewells.

Because death occurs rain or shine, getting outdoors to enjoy a memorial service under the sun might seem like a challenge. However, with the right kind of planning, you can hold a memorial service outside and enjoy a different, more natural kind of funeral.

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Anniversary Memorial Services

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Anniversary Memorial ServicesThe average American puts quite a bit of time and expense into funeral planning, usually to the tune of about one week and $10,000. And for the most part, this is considered well-spent. After all, we constantly hear about how this is the last chance to say farewell and a reason to gather the entire family together at one time—even if it is with a somber note to the event.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the commemoration of a loved one’s life has to stop the day after the funeral takes place. A growing trend in the death care community is to follow up on a funeral one, two, three, or even ten years later with an anniversary memorial service.

What is an Anniversary Memorial Service?

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Funeral Costs You Might Not Be Expecting

Monday, April 1st, 2013

Funeral Costs You Might Not Be ExpectingWhen most people go into a funeral home expecting to plan a funeral, they have a pretty good idea of what they can afford to pay and how they want to spend their money. Caskets, use of the facilities for a memorial service, funeral flowers, and embalming are all the kinds of things we’ve become accustomed to purchasing. Those who want to save money might decide on cremation or direct burial, while those with a comfortable life insurance policy might plan on going for a little more extravagance.

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Sympathy Gifts for Men

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Sympathy Gifts for MenMost funeral gifts and sympathy offerings are geared toward a female population. Whether due to the natural progression of funeral trends or the fact that many types of comforting gift ideas are feminine in nature, the reality is that funeral gifts geared specifically for men tend to be more difficult to come by.

Grief and Gender

Men and women grieve differently—and there’s no time that this becomes more apparent than following the death of a loved one. As a general rule, women are more likely to reach out to family and friends for support, and to make a physical show of their bereavement. Men, on the other hand, might withdraw or isolate themselves (and their grief), trying to be strong for others.

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Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?

Friday, March 8th, 2013

Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?When it comes to unique funeral traditions, no one does it quite like ancient Vikings. We’ve all seen depictions of Viking funerals in movies…the longboats with the deceased laid reverently across the prow as a fiery arrow is shot to the deck, the rafts with huge pyres that burst into flames at sea. It’s romantic and dramatic and a proper sendoff for a warrior culture that so many people these days glorify.

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Green Funeral Options: Funeral Plants

Tuesday, February 26th, 2013

Green Funeral Options: Funeral PlantsFuneral flowers are one of those things that almost everyone associates with the traditional funeral setting. From huge commemorative wreaths to the casket flowers that add a touch of color and brightness to a memorial service, many people find that sending sympathy flowers is a great way to show your love and help support the bereaving family.

However, with green funerals on the rise, it might not feel right to spend money on a display that will only last for a few days. While some families preserve funeral flowers or turn the blooms into potpourri, others end up throwing the decaying flowers out. That’s why alternative funeral flower options like funeral plants exist.

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Sympathy Gift Ideas: Funeral Quilt

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

Sympathy Gift Ideas: Funeral QuiltIt’s becoming increasingly more common for families to take comfort during the funeral planning process with unique gifts and tributes. While many people still hold fast to funeral traditions, there is something to be said for receiving a unique, personalized sympathy gift that honors the deceased. Providing comfort during what is unarguably one of the most difficult times, funeral quilts and blankets are a great new option on the funeral gift market and for use as a memorial service display.

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What to Expect the Day of a Funeral

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

What to Expect the Day of a FuneralWith all the preparation and hard work that goes in to planning a funeral, many people find that they are emotionally drained and exhausted by the time the day of the actual memorial service takes place. By knowing what’s expected of you and how you can equip yourself to get through it, you can take more time to grieve and take part in the proceedings.

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