Unlike a traditional funeral, a memorial service is a gathering where a casket is not present (although the urn with the cremated remains may be on display). A memorial service can be held weeks or even months after the death.
A memorial service can be held at the Tribute Center, church, the funeral home or a community hall, or somewhere of importance to the deceased and family. There is usually music, selected readings, and a eulogy. Memorial services can be further personalized as a celebration-of-life.
Our experience has shown us that many of today's families want more than a traditional funeral. This can be done by bringing more of the personality and lifestyle of the deceased into the arrangements. By displaying photographs or staging the event around a favorite pastime, a memorial service can become more personal and meaningful.
A personalized video tribute is another way to bring photos and favorite songs together in a lasting keepsake. We can create a unique video tribute for you which can be played at the service and kept forever.
More and more families are also choosing to share a meal or dessert after the service. We take care of arranging for homemade food (of your choosing,) we provide everything for the meal and do the dishes when it's all over. It can be a very enjoyable time for family and friends to fellowship and share stories after the service.
Truly, the options for how you choose to remember a life and honor a loved one are limitless. We are here to take the burden off of you and provide the services you desire to make the memorial service special and stress-free.
If a personalized memorial service suits the needs of your family, we suggest you consider the following questions:
Using the above five questions as our guide, we will spend the time to help create a fitting memorial service for your loved one. Please call us at 503.623.2325 to learn the details of our memorial service planning process.