A memorial service is often held after or—in some cases—in place of a funeral. Sometimes, these services are also held to mark the anniversary of a person’s passing.
While the main aim of a memorial service is to pay respect to the deceased and celebrate their life and deeds, it also helps the family members manage their grief and gain closure.
But, that doesn’t change the fact that planning a memorial service is a challenging undertaking.
At a time like this, the support of a funeral home can make it easier to plan all the necessities required for the memorial, while simultaneously allowing you the space to grieve.
The right funeral home in Pittsburgh, however, can help shoulder the responsibility of planning a memorial service that fits your needs.
They help you choose the most appropriate type of service
One of the first steps when planning a memorial service is determining the type of service you’re planning to have.
Once you’ve referred to the will, and taken the wishes of the family into consideration, you can think about the most appropriate type of service that would honor the deceased.
Today, there are two main types of services.
Traditional memorial services
A traditional memorial service is often held right after the funeral to pay respect to the deceased. This type of service can be held either for a public audience or specifically for members who couldn’t attend the funeral.
Life commemorations
Life celebrations are a newer form of memorial service where the emphasis is less on grief and, as the name suggests, more on celebrating the life of the deceased. These events tend to be quite lively, with joyful remembrances, and toasts to the deceased.
Each of these services has a unique agenda of its own. A funeral home can direct you to choose an agenda that suits your needs the best and help you create the feel and the ambiance you expect.
Help you plan the program accordingly
Coping with grief is challenging, and the extra responsibility of planning a memorial service can make it more so. While you or any other member of your family may take over the planning process, having the help of a professional who has experience with planning funerals and memorials can make it easier.
A funeral home in Pittsburgh will not only help you plan the memorial agenda but also:
- Compile a list of guests
- Arrange guest speakers
- Make customized plans for decorations and music
- Find suitable venues in Pittsburgh to hold the service
- Set a date and a time convenient for family members
- Help your memorial plans comply with state rules and regulations (like COVID-19 health guidelines, crowd limitations)
They help you delegate tasks around the planning
When it comes to memorial planning, it’s important that no one person is saddled with the weight of so much responsibility as it’ll put them under the stress of planning an event single-handedly and prevent them from having any time to mourn properly.
A funeral home in Pittsburgh can easily take this responsibility off your shoulders. Not only will they handle most of the effort-consuming tasks, but they’ll also help you coordinate the function with the rest of the family members.
Things such as finalizing the venue, selecting the speakers, preparing the speeches, or even choosing the best funeral flower arrangements don’t have to be your responsibility.
A funeral home in Pittsburgh can help you plan a memorial that’s both meaningful and seamless
Apart from the sentimental aspects of a memorial, when it comes to planning a memorial for a loved one, we want to pull it off seamlessly.
With the help of a funeral home in Pittsburgh, you can ensure that all of these goals are met and that you pay your respects to your loved ones in the best way possible.
