Arranging a Funeral

It is important that a funeral is an appropriate tribute to your loved one. There is no such thing as a 'typical' funeral and many of the rituals or traditions that you might associate with funerals are no longer considered compulsory at modern-day services.

Mourning symbols have grown increasingly rare at modern funerals and black is no longer considered the only choice for clothing. Accompanying music is another aspect of the service in which tradition is making way for personal preference. Pieces of music or poems that were particularly relevant to the deceased have grown popular in recent years, though the final selection is usually left to family members, in consultation with funeral officials.

However you choose to commemorate the life of your loved one, the most important objective of the service is to ensure that it gives comfort to family and friends. Above all else, the service should surround grieving family and friends with a safe and secure environment in which to express their personal sense of loss. A funeral service is carried out largely for the benefit of these survivors and, because of this, is a very important aspect of the healing process. If this sense of comfort is achieved, the ceremony will have been a success.