You may think you're limited in terms of celebrating and memorializing your loved one's life after the cremation, but in reality, that is the opposite of the truth. We have put together an informational guide to explain that there are many options and even included some tips and ideas when planning one. Please keep in mind this is for informational purposes only and is not in any way a service provided by Direct Cremation Services Inc.
The biggest difference of a traditional funeral and a memorial service is that the body is not present in a casket at a memorial service. However, an urn with the loved one’s ashes may be present at a memorial service. Both traditional funeral services and memorial services have structure, and both bring the community together in support and remembrance. However, a traditional funeral service is much more structured and formal. A traditional funeral service is often associated with religion so it is often led by a member of clergy, whereas a memorial service is led by a celebrant or master of ceremonies. Memorial services often allow for each guest to participate to some level, where guests of a traditional funeral are really just there to observe and reflect.
A celebration of life is an event that truly celebrates the loved one’s passions, intellectual pursuits, personality, and personal accomplishments. A celebration of life can really have no structure at all and can be really anything you want.
A memorial service could be best described as a gentle mix of a traditional funeral and celebration of life. A memorial service has some structure, but it still allows you the flexibility to make the ceremony unique and personalized to fit the individual being honored. Also the mood generally lies somewhere in the middle of completely somber and celebratory.
Our experience has shown us that many of today's families want more than a traditional funeral. This can be done by bringing more of the personality and lifestyle of the deceased into the arrangements. By displaying photographs or staging the event around a favourite pastime, a memorial service can become more personal and meaningful.
There are many ways in which a loved one can be memorialized, whether it be through something like a balloon or bird release or by doing an activity that was enjoyed by your loved one, there are many ways to pay tribute to a loved one. Review some ideas that we've provided below.