From songs that epitomise your loved one’s life, to eulogies that reflect their personality, we can help guide you through the steps involved with making these elements of their funeral something to remember. We know how important it is to create a meaningful service, and, using our years of experience, we’ve crafted this guide to help you select the right song, and write the perfect eulogy, to commemorate their life.
While it can be hard, and often painful, to find the right words to describe your loved one, writing and giving a eulogy is a meaningful way to say your final goodbyes. Helping to reminisce on the good times and celebrate their life as a whole, many friends and relatives welcome the opportunity to speak fondly about their loved one during the service.
We recognise that deciding on the best things to say when standing in front of your loved ones at such an occasion can be difficult. That’s why we have provided a number of eulogy prompts to help guide your writing process. It’s also important to remember that, if you’re not sure you can read your speech on the day, you also have the option to nominate a friend or ask the celebrant to read your eulogy aloud if you would prefer.
It’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong way to write a eulogy, and each and every one will be different. However, when writing your eulogy, you could consider including:
As well as the points above, there are also several practical considerations you may want to consider. This includes checking if anyone else is planning on presenting a eulogy or simply a few words during the service, and, if they are, ensuring the same stories or memories aren’t repeated. Other things to think about include getting someone else that was close to the deceased to double check the facts of your speech and potentially read through this prior to the service to ensure that it makes sense and presents the deceased in the best possible light.
Though traditional funeral music tends to revolve around classical or calming music, we’ve noticed that an increasing number of people are choosing music that they feel better reflects the unique personality of their loved one. This could be anything from light-hearted music to even more humorous music if this fits their character. Some may even choose to have live music at their funeral. For those looking for more personalised music, we recommend that choices are shared with the person who is leading the funeral beforehand to avoid any disappointment.
Whichever music you choose to play, you will generally need to choose three pieces of music to be played at the funeral. Generally, one would be played at the beginning while walking in, one listened to during the service and one at the end. However, it’s important to keep in mind that in some instances, although many churches and crematoriums do allow contemporary music, there is the chance that some may not allow this, instead only permitting organ music. However, our Heart of England funeral home staff can provide further advice and guidance to help you make the right choice.
If you need some further advice on writing a eulogy or deciding on the right funeral music, reach out to your local funeral home team and we’ll be happy to help.
