Funeral Guides

A while back a neighbor of mine passed away. I didn’t know her that well. More just the sort of neighbor you’d chat to casually when you ran into one another. I wouldn’t have called us close friends. When the funeral came around I was made aware of the details by a friend but didn’t … Read more

This is a simple list of Christian hymns, gospel songs and contemporary worship songs that families use consistently for funerals. For each one you’ll find a little background, the mood it sets and where it tends to work best in a service. I’ve also added some notes on how many songs you generally need, who … Read more

Like many people I’m not good at public speaking. In fact it terrifies me. I’ve pushed through on the odd occasion but generally I will do everything I can to avoid making any sort of speech or presentation. So when I’ve been asked to speak at a memorial or funeral I’ve instinctively wanted to say … Read more

When my grandmother died I was the one who had to make the calls. Not the call to tell people she was gone (my aunt did that, bless her) but where you call someone up and ask them to talk about her at the memorial. I had no idea what to say when it came … Read more

When a friend of mine lost their mom they sat with the parish music director and asked if they could play “Wind Beneath My Wings” as the casket was carried out. It was an important song for her and while the music director was so kind about it the answer was still no. She suggested … Read more

Sending out the funeral details after a loss can seem like the easy part. Bit it isn’t. A funeral announcement isn’t quite the same as telling people someone has died, and it isn’t the same as a formal invitation either. It’s the message that tells people where to be, when to be there and what … Read more

When my friend lost her mom she got stuck on the music. She said something that feels very patient – “every song I pick feels like it’s either too sad or not sad enough”. She chose “You Are My Sunshine” in the end because her mom used to sing it while doing housework as well … Read more

When a friend of mines dad died she told me the hardest decision when planning the funeral wasn’t the casket or the flowers. It was the music. She went through her dad old phone looking at playlists he’d made for road trips trying to pick the one song that would sum up seventy eight years … Read more

When my dog passed away I didn’t know what I supposed to do next. The vet had talked through the options but there’s a lot more to consider. Where do you put her/him. Who do you tell. Are you allowed to just bury him/her in the yard by the tree she loved to sleep under. … Read more