Having a loved one pass away is always a difficult time, but especially so if it was unexpected. If you are looking for a way to celebrate your loved one's life, you might want to go beyond a traditional funeral service. Today, more and more families are choosing to keep their focus on the good their loved one did during their time on Earth through a funeral memorial service. If you want your upcoming celebration of your loved one to be extra special, here are some tips that might help.
Create a Memory Table, Wall, or Board
A memorial service is a time for people to remember the good times they had with your loved one. To aid in this, consider putting together a selection of photographs or mementos from your loved one's life. You can put them on a specific table or wall, or you can create a board that you will be able to take with you after the memorial service is over. Reach out to your relatives and friends and see if anyone else has a contribution they can make to the memory of your loved one.
Consider Seed Cards or Other Mementos
Was your loved one an avid gardener? If so, a proper tribute you could consider would be to hand out seed cards to your guests. These cards typically have a quote from your loved one or perhaps a special message from the family. The card itself contains seeds that the guest is encouraged to go home and plant. A special touch would be to include your loved one's favorite kind of plant, but if they didn't have a specific one, forget-me-not flowers are always a popular choice.
If gardening isn't the direction you want to go, you could consider a different kind of keepsake for people to take home. Perhaps a small locket with a picture of your loved one or a special prayer card with your loved one's favorite prayer.
Give Away Personal Items
This can be tricky if there are certain items that will have sentimental value for the family or if there is an estate that needs to be settled from a legal standpoint. But if your loved one had a lot of possessions you know that you don't want but others might enjoy, consider creating a table where guests can take one item home with them. Examples would be if your loved one had a huge love of books, you could create a book table and let all guests take a home a copy of their choice.
For more ideas on how to make your loved one's funeral memorial service special, consult with a funeral home in your area.