End of Life
End of Life
Memorial Ceremonies
A memorial ceremony differs to that of a funeral in that there is no body present.
It can often be the case that the funeral service for a loved one is not appropriate for a large crowd or there are too many people wishing to attend and the family do not feel comfortable having. This can be difficult for the family as they will want everyone to have their chance to say goodbye and to celebrate the life that has passed.
Funerals are emotional and stressful events for family and so a memorial ceremony is an additional way of honouring a loved one. Often held weeks after the funeral or in some instances not until a significant anniversary of their loved one, a birthday or the first anniversary of their death.
A memorial ceremony can assist in making a funeral more private if a family wishes it to be but still allows others to have a dignified opportunity to say final farewells and pay their respects.
Celebrant information here.
Decisions around content and delivery of a memorial ceremony are totally yours. You may wish to dedicate the ceremony to more of the day to day activities that your loved one had and the people they connected with and have some of those connections do readings, share their stories, maybe even sing.
Memorial ceremonies can be held anywhere you desire, perhaps your loved one had a favourite park, woodland or restaurant that would be a significant place to hold their memorial ceremony.