Local Memorial Planning Resources
When a loved one passes, planning a memorial service can be a daunting task during your time of grief. The thought of memorial service planning by yourself may feel overwhelming. You need to select caterers, florists, and event venues.
Coordinating a personalized service that memorializes your loved one can take time and be emotionally draining. You’ll have to select music and other elements that honor your loved one’s memory. Tasks like creating programs, scrapbooks, videos, or photo slideshows require you to be creative at a time when you may be feeling low.
You do not have to go through this process alone. Let the experienced and compassionate memorial service planning experts at The Gardens of Boca Raton guide you through this difficult time.
At The Gardens, we are honored to have helped many grieving families with memorial planning. It has been our pleasure to help people create services that tell meaningful stories about their lost loved ones. We find that these services allow people hold on to their loved one’s memory and process the loss.
As the premier luxury memorial service provider in Boca Raton, we take the time to help you plan a personalized service while offering you the guidance and comfort you need.
What Is a Memorial Service?
A memorial service is a type of service that is different from a traditional funeral service. The primary difference is that the body of the deceased is not present at a memorial service. Typically, people opt to hold a memorial service when the deceased has been cremated.
Because cremations are starting to outpace burials in the U.S., memorial services are becoming more popular. Funerals usually take place within a week of the deceased’s passing, but a memorial service can be held at any time and in any location. A memorial service is sometimes called a “celebration of life.”
Regardless of what you call it, this end-of-life service is the perfect way to honor and remember your loved one with dignity and tact. What these services share is that they help everyone in attendance make some sense out of a profound loss and hold close the memory of the deceased.
Steps for Planning a Memorial Service
It’s easier to tackle a big project when you break it down into smaller tasks. We’ve listed all the most significant functions that you will need to complete for memorial planning.
Pick a Date
There’s no set timeline for holding a memorial service, so you have more freedom to decide on a date. However, there may be some benefit to keeping it sooner rather than later. A memorial service offers a sense of completion that may help you and others process the loss and grieve. You may need to contact out-of-town guests you plan to invite and find out which dates work best.
Pick a Location
You can hold a memorial service anywhere. No venue is wrong, from your home to a favorite restaurant, as long as it can help you create a meaningful service. Some locations may be easier than others in terms of logistics. Religious centers like synagogues, churches, mosques, or funeral homes like The Gardens are well equipped to handle these special services. You will not have the stress of worrying about parking, seating, or A/V equipment.
Order Food
You do not have to cater your memorial service, but it is customary to serve at least some light refreshments and drinks. The catering offers another way to make the memorial a moving experience for guests. If the deceased was a gourmand or had a favorite cuisine, you can honor that by serving some of the foods that they enjoyed.
Enlist Others to Help with Memorial Planning
Planning a memorial service is a lot of work. Many tasks need to be completed, including:
- Renting a venue
- Planning the program
- Sending invitations
- Arranging catering
It can be too much for just one person, especially if you are overwhelmed with grief.
If you have anyone in your social circle who is good at taking charge, now is the time to enlist their help and make them the point person for the event. They can complete the tasks on your to-do list or delegate them to others. Your funeral director is also someone you can lean on for memorial planning.
Incorporating Your Faith or Spiritual Beliefs
If the deceased was religious or held spiritual beliefs, you can reach out to their faith leader for guidance about including elements of faith in the service. They are usually willing to help.
Personalize the Service
There’s no set program you have to follow for the service. Memorial services are most engaging when they reflect the person they honor, so be sure to include lots of personal touches.
Your lost loved one lived a vibrant and meaningful life that had an impact, and the service should try to capture that. You can gather mementos, including photos, letters, awards, or other items that will help tell the story of their life, which can be displayed on a memory table at the service. You can also put out a guest book for people to sign and leave messages.
Create a Remembrance Item
You can give guests an item to take home that will help them remember the deceased. Perhaps you want to provide them with a recipe card for a dish your loved one was famous for, or maybe you want to print cards with their favorite poem. It can be as simple as a stone that you give everyone, which guests can place in their garden or keep on a bookshelf. Your guests can look at the item in the future as they continue to grieve and hold your loved one close to their hearts.
Local Memorial Planning at the Gardens
We believe that memorial planning should be simple and straightforward, and we take care not to place additional burdens on you during this challenging period in your life. We are happy to help you plan a beautiful and fitting memorial service whether you plan to take advantage of our beautiful, newly renovated facilities at The Gardens or another location. Contact us today to start planning a memorial service.