Losing someone close to you is difficult. It can be hard to come to terms with the fact that they are gone and may have a long period of grieving ahead of you. The last thing you want to think about is arranging a funeral, but you also want to give them the send-off they deserve, to celebrate their life and how they lived. There are many decisions to make when planning a funeral.
You can ask your funeral directors to sort most of the details so you don’t have to worry. They will give you a wonderful funeral service, but you may want to be more involved to ensure it is as personal as possible. Funeral arrangements can be time-consuming but if you want to create a truly personal funeral service, there are many ways you can do this.
Here is how you can honour your loved one with a personalised funeral service.
Personalised memorials
Memorials are a great way to remember your loved one, and there are many to choose from. Jewellery, memorial gardens and urns are just a few. Your loved one’s ashes can be scattered in many places as a way to lay them to rest in a place that is both special to you and your loved one. This could be in a memorial garden or even at sea.
Wherever you choose, this will be a place that you can visit to feel close to that person – at any time. You may also choose to keep them close to you by creating a piece of jewellery with a few of their ashes in or an urn in your home or garden. Whatever you choose, your funeral directors will help you with every step of the process and ensure it goes off without a hitch.
Music of significance
The next thing you can do to personalise the funeral arrangements is to choose special music that they loved. Music is a great way to feel connected to people and can dig deep into your emotions. That’s why it’s so important to play some music that is special to your loved one.
Of course, not everyone will find it easy to pick out some music for their loved one, but if some songs come to mind, it’s a great idea to play it for everyone to enjoy together during the funeral service. It will instantly bond everyone in the room together and give you some time to pause and reflect while thinking about them while the music is playing.
Clothing and colour themes
Traditionally, most people choose to wear black to funerals. However, if you don’t feel that this fits with your loved one and how they lived life, you don’t have to have this dress code. There are no right or wrongs when it comes to funeral dress codes, just pick what is right for you and your family and friends. Some people choose to make a colourful dress code, as after all, many funerals are to celebrate their life and feel happy that you got to know and love such a special person.
Perhaps they loved country-western dancing so people could wear their favourite cowboy boots or hats. Maybe they enjoyed basketball and their teammates would like to honour them by wearing their team kit. Whatever you feel suits is appropriate, just make sure to make it clear what the dress code is as you don’t want one person to turn up wearing black when everyone else is wearing white.
Personalised coffins and urns
The urn or coffin you pick can also be personalised. It doesn’t have to be a traditional wooden coffin. There are so many different types to choose from including green coffins, traditional coffins or picture coffins. If you want to personalise a coffin, you can do so in so many different ways. If they tried to live a more eco-conscious life, a green coffin is the way to go.
But there are also a lot of other options that may suit them. A green coffin, or an eco coffin, is made of biodegradable material or will have a smaller impact on the earth when it is cremated or buried. These coffins are usually made from cardboard, willow or bamboo, but still look just as nice as a traditional coffin. Traditional coffins can be made in a variety of wood finishes that you can choose from.
Picture coffins can be personalised by choosing from hundreds of different styles. This could be anything from classic cars or space to florals or sailing. Whatever your loved one’s passion was, there will likely be a picture coffin that represents this which they would love the thought of.
You can also choose a personalised urn for your loved one. This is a popular option for cremated remains and allows you to have a beautiful piece of them with you in your home or garden. You can get your urn engraved with a special message or a personalised pendant. Scattering containers can also be personalised and they are created just for scattering a person’s ashes rather than just scattering from a bag or box.
Floral tributes and alternatives
Flowers are used in many funerals, particularly if the person loved plants and flowers. You can get a variety of different floral tributes to celebrate your loved one’s life. Coffin sprays or wreaths are the traditional floral tributes for funerals.
You can also choose to have circular floral arrangements such as posies, or more informal arrangements such as tied bouquets which can be taken to the reception, family home or nursing home after the funeral. Your funeral directors will be able to help you design the perfect floral tribute and organise this with the florist they use for their funeral services.
Some people prefer not to use floral tributes as they don’t last long and can be expensive. However, there are alternatives that may be preferred. This includes planting a tree, a memorial stone or donating to a charity. You can ask guests of the funeral not to bring flowers for you and instead donate to a charity or plant a tree or shrub.
Hearses and transport to funerals
If you would like to make the funeral transport more memorable it doesn’t have to be a hearse. There are many ways to honour your loved one when transporting the coffin to the funeral venue. Here are a few ideas that would be nice for you:
A campervan if they loved camping, the outdoors or travelling in their van.
Fire engines for those who worked in the fire service or for someone who loved fire engines.
Buses such as a vintage double-decker London bus are a fun way to transport all the loved ones together in one vehicle.
Motorbike hearses are the perfect final send-off for a biker or someone who loved motorbikes. It should be noted that motorbike hearses usually need to be custom-made.
Horse-drawn hearses are a timeless classic. Traditionally pulled by black horses with nodding plumes of ostrich feathers, the carriages are usually ornate black vehicles that fit with both traditional and modern funerals.
Stockman & Loram – Personalised Funeral Arrangements
We are funeral directors with a passion for creating funerals that are memorable and personal to each person. We want to make funeral tributes and funeral arrangements that will be a reflection of the type of person your loved one was. We do this through personalised coffins, urns, floral tributes and transportation.
By making the process easier for you, we hope you can better appreciate your loved one’s funeral and celebrate their life together. For quality funeral services, get in touch with our team today. Our friendly faces will guide you each step of the way.
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