After my father passed away suddenly, my mother, siblings and I all struggled with planning his funeral. We were already in a state of shock and sorrow, and then we were overwhelmed with the options and decisions we had to make in regards to the funeral. Luckily for us, we worked with an amazing funeral home and funeral director who helped guide us through the process. I know how hard it is to plan a funeral and how many decisions need to be made. This website was created in order to give families preparing to lay a loved one to rest a guide of sorts that will help them determine what decisions will need to be made and information about those decisions. I extend my sympathies to you if you are in this position and hope my website helps to make things a little bit easier for you.
Most people hold wakes in funeral homes. The family will usually get a room for several hours. You want to make sure that the space in the funeral home is as comforting as possible. You want to attempt to imbue the room with the personality of the person who has passed away. For the few hours that you have rented the room, the space is yours. Here are some ways to personalize the room in which the wake is being held and make sure it exudes the memory of the person you are remembering.
1. Bring in Pictures
Bring in as many pictures as possible. Enlist friends and relatives to make photo boards and posters that you can display throughout the room. These pictures of the person you are remembering will allow people to focus on the good times with that person and feel more at home in the room. You can also bring in individual, framed pictures because funeral homes tend to have a great deal of small tables especially for this purpose. If you're feeling daring, you can even put pictures on helium balloons and have these tastefully arranged next to the inevitable flowers.
2. Bring Your Own Music
With portable music players, making sure that the music fits the mood of wherever you are is easier than ever. Make a playlist of songs that you and your guests will find comforting. These could be hymns, favorite songs of the person you are remembering, or even just classical music. Having the music that you chose pervading the room will help you and your guests feel more at home and be more able to focus on the task at hand.
3. Consider Changing the Dress Code
Funerals are, almost without exception, formal affairs. Be that exception. If your friend hated dressing up and would prefer that everyone was comfortable, make sure that you state in the obituary or other places you are listing the wake that it is a casual affair. Make it clear that it's okay to wear jeans or whatever is normal with your friends or family. Simply being in comfortable clothes can make the funeral home seem a little less stiff and foreign.
Talk to your funeral home director for more ideas about how you can personalize the room and the wake. Taking these steps can make the event much more meaningful and helpful for all involved. To learn more about funeral arrangements, visit Pritts Funeral Home & Chapel PA.
Share22 March 2015
