Memorial Service Information

What is a Memorial Service?

A memorial service is a ceremony that takes place to honor the life of someone who has died. This type of event can take on many different formats, depending on what you want it to be and how the person who passed away would have wanted it. It's important for those left behind to do their best in honoring this person's memories and desires as much as possible by delivering an appropriate and memorable service.

Unlike a traditional funeral, a memorial service is a gathering where a casket is not present (although the urn with the cremated remains may be on display). A memorial service can be held weeks or even months after the death.

A memorial service can be held in a church, the funeral home or a community hall, or somewhere of importance to the deceased and family. There is usually music, selected readings, and a eulogy. Memorial services can be further personalized as a celebration-of-life.

What You Need to Know About Memorial Services

Well, it all starts with the funeral. This is something that needs to be arranged well in advance of any memorial service, as there's plenty of paperwork and formalities that need to be taken care of. From here you'll also want to decide what kind of memorial service will take place after the funeral itself. Will it be a formal affair where only those closest to the deceased are invited? Or will it be an open setting so friends and family alike can pay their respects at a given location or venue? Of course other possibilities exist for this, but these two options cover most other possibilities.

Things you should keep in mind:

Along with deciding what kind of memorial services will take place, scheduling is also something that needs to be taken care of before the memorial service takes place. While you're taking care of all this paperwork and scheduling, there are a few other things you need to keep in mind as well as the memorial service approaches.

Make sure those who will be involved with the memorial service know about it so they can plan accordingly. You'll want to have their contact information readily available if anything arises from here on out too, just in case more questions arise for you or them.

A memorial service might not seem like an event that would require a lot of planning beforehand, but it's still best that you approach everything ahead of time. This helps ensure everything runs smoothly leading up until the memorial service itself . 

You'll also want to contact those involved in this memorial service personally so they know about  memorial service planning and so they can speak about their loved one in the memorial service. You'll probably want to invite them to take part in memorial service planning, too, which you can do by simply talking with them about memorial service planning when you see them or calling them up - there's no special steps involved in memorial service planning that involves contacting relatives of the person who passed away.

Why a Memorial Service?

Rather than opting to do things "the same old way", many families today want to celebrate the life of a loved one. Many funeral service professionals see this change as one of the many contributions to social change made by  "Baby Boomers". The National Funeral Directors Association notes, "As baby boomers age and find themselves having to plan funerals for loved ones and themselves, they are making funeral choices based on values that are different from previous generations. Baby boomers see funerals as a valuable part of the grieving process and are seeking ways to make them meaningful." If you too desire to make the funeral for a loved one more engaging and personally meaningful, a celebration-of-life may be the perfect concept to build on.

Memorial Service Ideas

A memorial service is a ceremonial event that typically takes place one to three months after the death of an individual. A funeral director will often be present during this time to help provide guidance, but ultimately it's up to you how you want your loved ones' life celebrated. Here are some ideas for ways to commemorate their life at a memorial service.

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 favorite pastime, a memorial service can become more personal and meaningful.

If a personalized memorial service suits the needs of your family, we suggest you consider the following questions:

  • What did your loved one like to do?
  • What was he or she like as an individual?
  • What was their profession and how did that shape their life?
  • Was your loved one spiritual?
  • Was he or she proud of their cultural or ethnic heritage?


It's not always easy to think of Memorial Service Ideas; however, there are many different things you can do during your ceremony that will help honor the life of someone who has passed. This article provides a list of ideas for all types of memorial services and includes pictures and videos to give you some inspiration.

If you're looking for some Memorial Service Ideas, consider starting with items on this list. Many of the ideas have video examples to help give you some inspiration! You can either select an idea that connects with your loved one's life or use multiple ideas together, depending on your budget and preferences.

Other memorial service ideas to consider:

-Play a video montage of your loved one. You can make a video yourself or find one online for free, such as on memorial videos.


-Have everyone stand up and give their favorite memory of the person being remembered. Record what they say so you can play it back at the service.


-During the reception, place cards by each place setting that contain messages from family and friends written on them.


-Give people who attend the memorial service mementos to remember your loved one. These could be:


  • Fabric swatches from your loved one's favorite blanket or clothing with notes attached to share memories.
  • Pieces of paper with messages on them labeled as "Open When”
  • Pictures of your loved one that are tucked into frames containing messages written by attendees; or
  • Personalized note cards that attendees can take and send to others after the memorial service is over.


-Play videos and music that your loved one enjoyed during the memorial service. This way, your audience will think fondly about their memories with them as they listen and watch what they enjoyed so much.


-For larger memorial services, playa timeline video before everyone takes their seats, showing photos from the person's life, starting from birth until present day. Include milestones such as graduations, marriages, retirements etc., which family members and friends can contribute suggestions for. Add photos of happy times to keep the mood lighthearted.


-In some cases, a memorial service might not take place for weeks or months after a person has passed. Why not plan ahead and have the video ready to go, waiting on a USB that's easily accessible?


-Don't be afraid to get creative with your layout! A monotonous approach will only serve as a reminder of how traditional and stale most memorial services can be. Be unique - use color! Use different fonts! Add clipart if you'd like! The more interesting, the better.

How Does a Celebration of Life Differ from a Traditional Funeral?

As mentioned in the page Traditional Funeral Services, there are four basic components which make up the conventional approach to funerals:


  1. A Visitation
  2. The Funeral Service
  3. A Committal Service
  4. The Funeral Reception


A traditional funeral then is a series of events; it's a ritualized process where the deceased, and the attendees, pass from one social status to another; a process where the torn fabric of a family and community is repaired. According to the online article "Six Characteristics of Helpful Ceremonies", by William Hoy, Director of Grief Connect, this is done by including:


  • Symbols of shared significance intended to communicate beyond words
  • Ritual actions shared by a group of individuals
  • Gathered people providing comfort to one another
  • Connection to heritage through recognized readings
  • Increased physical contact between attendees provide comfort
  • Witnessing the transition of the body through burial or cremation


In knowing these characteristics, you can design a Celebration of Life as unique as the life of your loved. Learn how to create a Celebration of Life.

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