Holding a Funeral by Invitation Only

July 6th, 2015
How to Have an Invitation Only Funeral

How to Have an Invitation Only Funeral

It’s not uncommon for a family to wish to take their grief out of the public eye and hold a private mourning ceremony just for close friends and relatives. Whether the deceased was a public figure, died a newsworthy death, or simply wished for the funeral to be kept small, you can hold a funeral or memorial service by invitation only. Most of the funeral plans will stay the same, with one or two notable exceptions. Obituary: You’ll need to strategize the obituary to make it clear that the funeral is open by invite only. One option is to skip the obituary and death notice altogether. By not publicly announcing the death, you won’t need to worry about those who aren’t invited stopping by. You can also put in an obituary but word it carefully. You can mention that it will be a “closed funeral” and ask for prayers instead of flowers or visits. (more…)

How to Create a Memory Table

July 3rd, 2015
How to Create a Memory Table

How to Create a Memory Table

As you plan a funeral and prepare for the memorial service, you may want to gather items for display on a memory table. Many funeral homes ask you to provide mementos and pictures of the deceased as a way to create a visual representation of a life well-lived. In addition to the slideshows or enlarged photos for display you already have planned, these items can be nicely arranged near the guestbook or entrance. Memory tables have the advantage of being personalized to each unique individual. Because you choose items that were precious to the deceased or that signify an important moment in his or her life, no two memory tables are ever the same. You also have the flexibility to set it up any way you want. (more…)

How to Prevent Grave Robbing

July 1st, 2015
How to Prevent Grave Robbers

How to Prevent Grave Robbers

Once upon a time, grave robbing was a real concern for families, cemeteries, and those who worked in the death industry. If a loved one was buried with any jewelry at all, the family ran the risk of the body being unearthed and the valuables stolen. Before the time of modern medicine, there was even a chance of the body itself being taken, as the number of donated cadavers was incredibly low, and anatomists would go to great lengths to acquire specimens. (more…)

Seasonal Funeral Flowers

June 29th, 2015
Seasonal Funeral Flowers

Seasonal Funeral Flowers

Although florists make it easy to order funeral bouquets no matter what the time of year, it can be nice to take a seasonal approach to sympathy flowers. Not only is better for the environment to order in-season flowers (those exotic blooms you can order year-round are usually shipped all the way from places like Brazil), but they’re also a more fitting symbol of death. Like the circle of life, nature comes and goes, and being reminded of the turn of the seasons can be nice for the grieving family. Spring Funeral Flowers Spring flowers tend to be light, cheerful, and fairly low-cost overall. Many of the spring bouquets embrace a “wildflower” approach—especially in areas where these blooms can be found growing naturally. Choose among flowers like: (more…)

Selling a Burial Plot Online

June 26th, 2015
Selling a Burial Plot Online

Selling a Burial Plot Online

If you pre-purchase a burial plot at a cemetery, you aren’t necessarily tied to that space for the rest of your life (and afterlife). Most cemetery plot contracts allow for you to sell the plot either back to the cemetery or to a third-party buyer in the event that you move away, get divorced from a spouse or partner who is also part of the plot, decide to be cremated, or undergo any other change of heart. Of course, like any real estate transaction (and no matter how irreverent it may seem, a cemetery plot is a piece of real estate with a deed and everything), finding a buyer can be difficult. Because you may want to cast a wide net in order to get the most money, here are a few online place where you can post a plot for sale. (more…)

Top Ten Funeral Songs

June 24th, 2015
top 10 funeral songs

Top 10 funeral songs

In times of heartbreak, music has a way of saying what words cannot. Although planning a funeral doesn’t have to include a musical component, many families opt to have songs played during the memorial service, as guests arrive and depart, or when the casket is lowered. From popular ballads to hymns, music allows guests to tap into their emotions and connect with the deceased. While many families choose songs that meant something specific to the deceased, others turn to familiar comforts that all guests can identify with. Here are ten of the more popular funeral songs.
  1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Although there are dozens of good versions of this song, one of the most popular is that by Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwoʻole. (more…)

Travel Tips for the Newly Bereaved

June 22nd, 2015
travel tips for newly bereavedTraveling for the sole purpose of attending a funeral is never fun. In addition to the overwhelming feelings of sadness you may be dealing with, there are last-minute flights to arrange, rental cars to organize, hotels to book, and the actual flight to undergo. Although nothing can take away the pain of your loss, you can at least find ways to ease the burden of travel with these helpful tips.
  1. Contact Individual Airlines. Not every airline offers bereavement rates, but many of them do have built-in specials if you recently lost an immediate member of your family (spouse, parent, child, sibling). You may have to show proof of death (a death certificate) in order to qualify, but you can also get squeezed onto a last-minute flight this way with up to 20% off the price of your ticket. (more…)

Funeral Keepsakes

May 29th, 2015
funeral keepsakes

Funeral keepsakes often involve jewelry.

It can often be difficult to come to terms with the death of a loved one, especially if the deceased was particularly young or their death was unexpected. Although things like viewing the body or having an open casket can help with the process of saying goodbye, it can sometimes take more than that one final goodbye in order to truly let go. Funeral keepsakes—ones that provide a physical reminder of the deceased—offer a way to link the past and the present, and to start moving through grief. This type of memento may not be for everyone, but if you’d like to have a more tangible memory, talk with your funeral director to learn more about the following options.
  • Thumbprints, Handprints, Footprints: For infants and very small children, a keepsake handprint or footprint can be turned into artwork for the home. Because it’s a fairly (more…)

Cemetery Etiquette and You

May 16th, 2015
Cemetery Etiquette

Peaceful cemeteries help loved ones heal.

Most people know how to behave at a funeral or a memorial service, when respect and reverence are called for in equal proportions, but cemeteries provide a trickier funeral etiquette question. After all, cemeteries are public places open to the entire community—not only as a place to mourn, but to visit relatives, research local history, enjoy the ambiance, and even go for a jog. Most cemeteries have their formal rules posted near the gates, and you should always take a moment to read them for specific information about where you can go and when. It’s also a good idea to follow these general cemetery guidelines. (more…)

Top Movies about Funerals

May 7th, 2015
Top Movies About Funerals

Top Movies about Funerals

If you look at the proportion of movies about weddings compared to the proportion of movies about funerals, you’ll find that people are much more interested in watching the celebration of love rather than the celebration of death. While this isn’t really surprising (traditionally, the sad movies we love to watch focus more on the character’s journey than the aftermath of loss), it is interesting to note that funeral-oriented movies are on the rise. Whether you’re in the mood for a funeral-related movie with humor to pick you up, or if you need something to remind you that everyone goes (more…)

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »