Q&A for How to Plan a Memorial Service

Talk to a professional funeral director for help in understanding what needs to be done. This can help you better design how to delegate tasks, as well. If you'll be playing music or sharing photos and video, make sure there is a sound system and video capabilities.

A memorial service is a service without the body present. That can be helpful if your loved one was buried somewhere else, but you'd still like to gather friends and family together to remember their life. Right now, during COVID, a lot of people are having to plan simple burials, then they're planning memorial services later on when it's safe to get together again.

If for some reason the memorial must be cancelled, contact the newspaper agency and ask them to remove your ads and replace them with cancellation information. Then contact the attendees and inform them of the cancellation. To help you save time and reach more people, ask others to inform their own family members and friend circles on your behalf. In the case of not reaching someone, it could be useful to leave a sign at the place of the memorial stating that the service has been cancelled, and when it has been rescheduled for (if relevant).

If you are a child, the same guidance as provided in this article applies. You can help honour the deceased's memory in whatever way you wish to and you can also make a speech. You will need to speak to the adults doing the planning though, to let them know what you'd like to do or have included.

If someone suddenly passes away at the memorial service, contact the emergency number of the country you are in and alert them of the passing. They will come, investigate the death and remove the body. After this, the memorial service will continue like nothing happened and the officiant may step in to reassure everyone.

Try to find out what food the deceased liked and serve that at the service, it is a great way to honor their memory, keeping with the event's theme. Other than that, standard fare includes finger food, small sandwiches, some sweet baked items and simple fare.

Black, grey, navy blue and dark red are the usually funeral colors. However, the deceased may have requested a different color be worn. If so, be respectful and follow their wishes.

A small, private gathering, not in a funeral home, is appropriate with loved ones. However, you shouldn't hold any kind of service if the deceased didn't want one.

It depends on your age and your relationship with the person who recently passed away. I think the best thing to do is to try and make things easier for her. Maybe do the dishes or the laundry, the small things that take everyday stress off her back, because she has a lot more stress now helping plan a memorial service.

It would be hoped that they would have the good manners to immediately apologize for the sake of the deceased. If they curse repeatedly with no remorse, then they should be removed from the service out of respect for the deceased. There may be exceptions, such as a person with Tourette's Syndrome, in which case friends and family would be well aware of the issue and simply ignore it.

Yes, if it is dark in color. A bright pink fluffy handbag might not be the best choice for a memorial.

Memorial services don't have to last a specific length of time. It depends on the family and who wants to speak.

I wouldn't recommend putting them out for an outside memorial because they could blow away. Instead, you could have a basket somewhere for donations.

Pictures and flowers are not necessary. Some people send them to the deceased's family just to show that they feel their grief and as a small form of comfort, but it's by no means obligatory.

That is perfectly fine. You could have a memorial service on their birthday, if you wish. Or, if you want, just make it a family and close friends' gathering to remember them.

You can if you want to, or if the person had specifically requested that music be played at their memorial service.