A funeral reception can feel a little strange. The service is over and the formal part is done. But you’re now standing in a church hall or someone’s living room and not sure what the right thing to say or do is. It’s a weird mix of grief and small and most of us find … Read more
After a funeral you might not know whether you’re supposed to go to the reception or how long you’re meant to stay. This sort of stuff isn’t ever really explained. So you won’t be alone if you’re not sure about it all. We all know, roughly at least, how a funeral service works. But the … Read more
Being asked to be a pallbearer is meant to be an honor. And most of the time it is. But sometimes you don’t feel up to it. It could be that your grief is so bad that the thought of carrying the casket feels like too much. Or the timing is wrong. And then you’re … Read more
When someone you love passes you’ll probably have started to receive flowers very quickly. And they’re lovely. It’s such a kind and thoughtful gesture. But a lot of families these days would rather see that money go somewhere meaningful. A charity the person cared about. Maybe the hospice that looked after them. Or even a … Read more
When you’re arranging a funeral you’re already dealing with a lot. There’s so many things to do. And so it’s ways to forget you have to put together the funeral program. It feels small next to everything else, but that booklet is the keepsake people fold up and tuck in their drawer for years. So … Read more
Losing someone you love is hard enough without everything you have to take care of afterwards. Once the funeral is done you will probably start thinking about all the people who helped you get through it – and those who served as pallbearers deserve a special thank you. Being a pallbearer is an honor but … Read more
Being asked to say a few words at the graveside is daunting. It’s not quite the same as a eulogy. The eulogy usually comes earlier and inside the church or at the service. It’s also generally longer. The graveside speech is shorter. It’s the final words that are spoken as your loved one is laid … Read more
Picking a reading for a funeral isn’t as easy as you might first think. You want reading that fits with the person whose funeral it is and that reflects them. If needs to be work when read out lot and doesn’t fall flat to a quiet room full of people who loved them. From the … Read more
Picking the hymns for a funeral is never easy. It doesn’t help that there are so many of them. Many of which you’ll probably only remember from a wedding or maybe school. And the rest you’ve never heard of. But it matters more than people let on. The right hymn can hold a room together. … Read more
Choosing the music for a funeral a job that may feel like it shouldn’t be difficult. But when you come to do it you’ll probably find it’s a lot harder than you first thought. You might find yourself wondering how on earth one song is supposed to hold everything a person was. It’s something I … Read more