Many families favor a graveside funeral service as an intimate way to say goodbye to their recently deceased loved one. This event can exclusively involve family members and may take place in addition to a larger service held at a funeral home that is open to members of the public, or it may simply be the only funeral service that is held. If you've decided to move forward with a graveside service, it's important to understand that the service can follow any outline you create; there's no "right" way to have this event. Generally, though, you'll want to include a handful of elements, including these.
Eulogy Or Sharing Of Memories
Given that it's just the family in attendance, you may wish to have one person deliver a eulogy, or you may invite everyone to share some memories if they wish. This is one benefit to an intimate graveside service; at a traditional service, it's not necessarily practical to open the floor to anyone who wishes to speak, given the number of people at the event. It's nice to have each person at the graveside share a happy memory of the deceased or a lesson that he or she learned from the person.
Sharing Of Scripture Or Song
You can also think about a piece of scripture that may reflect the situation, and ask one of the family members in attendance to read it. An alternative is to select a hymn or other song that suits the occasion and sing it as a group, if the majority of you are musically inclined. If singing isn't something that people will wish to do, you may decide to load a hymn or song onto an MP3 player and play it on a wireless dock/speaker. Select a song that the person truly loved, as this will make everyone in attendance reflect on the person's life.
Involvement Of Everyone
The smaller size of the group in attendance at the graveside funeral service means that everyone can have a role, which offers a pleasant way to honor the memory of the deceased family member. If you're burying the person in a casket, each person can place a flower atop the casket, for example. If you're putting a cremation urn in the ground, people can also place flowers on the urn. Some families favor the opportunity for people to toss some dirt onto the casket or urn; this is something that everyone can have a turn doing.
For more information about planning a funeral, contact a company like Shepherd Funeral Home.
Share9 March 2017
My beloved paternal grandmother passed away almost 4 years ago. Before her death, this special woman suffered many months due to a fatal lung disease. After her passing, her large extended family wanted to celebrate her unique life with an elaborate funeral service. They chose to work with the funeral home staff to decorate the funeral venue with things she loved. Because she enjoyed fishing, a large floral arrangement in the shape of a fish was purchased. Also, the family bought a floral cross to illustrate her devotion to her faith. On this blog, you will discover how to work with a funeral home staff on decorations at the funeral service venue.
