Your Funeral Ceremony: Make it personal.

Your memorial service should reflect how you lived your life and how you want to be remembered. One great way to do that is to provide guests with small gifts to remind them of you. Here are a slew of ideas: 

  • If you love to cook, provide guests with a stack of your favorite recipes

  • If you’re a photographer, provide guests with some of your favorite snapshots

  • If you love to garden, provide guests with a packet of flower seeds so they can plant them in your memory

  • If you’re an avid wildlife person, ask your guests to release wildlife in your memory (pheasants, butterflies, birds etc.)

  • If you absolutely love ice-cream (or any other type of food), throw an ice-cream social after the ceremony (or for the ceremony, if you prefer)

  • If you’re all about being Green, invite guests to plant several trees in your honor

  • If you do a lot of volunteer work, provide guests with the information of the places you volunteer at and ask them to continue doing your volunteer work

  • If you were a firefighter or other type of serviceman, have your funeral procession led by the respective vehicle

  • Animal lover? Invite your guests to bring their pets to an outdoor ceremony

  • If you plan on having a very small, intimate funeral ceremony, consider writing all of your guests a personal note

  • If you’re a music writer or song composer, provide your guests with a pre-recorded version of one of your songs

  • If you’re a writer, write your own obituary and funeral message. That way it’s you speaking to your guests, not someone else speaking about you

  • If you’re an artist, create a self portrait of yourself which could be photocopied and given to your guests

  • Compile your favorite photographs and create a slideshow that could be shown during the ceremony or reception. That way, you’re the one in charge of sharing the memories you want to with your guests.

  • If you participate in an activity or sporting event (softball, basketball, triathlon, broomball etc) ask individuals to create a team in your memory and play or participate for a season

  • Provide postcards that are addressed (to family, for example) and stamped, then, ask guests to take a few home with them and when they think of a special memory, they can write it down on the postcard and mail it. That way, special memories and stories can always be shared with the family

  • Instead of having your casket covered in expensive flowers, encourage family members and friends to bring in memorabilia to lie on the casket instead (IE: old jerseys, hand made blankets, pictures etc). This allows all funeral guests to share in special memories.


ideaspeter hajinianreception, ideas, inspiration, songs