Writing Your Own Funeral Service for a Loved One
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Writing Your Own Funeral Service for a Loved One

Hi, my name is Crystal, and I love tradition and ritual, but I also love novel things and creating something special just for one person. When my mum died a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to write her funeral service – not just my eulogy, but the whole service. I wanted to tie in traditional elements as well as Bible verses and poems that she loved, but I also wanted something that was just for her and her alone. I learned a lot through that experience. If you have lost a loved one, I extend you my sympathy. I know how that feels, and I want to help with the funeral service. This blog has ideas and tips for writing your own service as well as a range of other things. I hope it helps.

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Writing Your Own Funeral Service for a Loved One

Five Things You Need to Know About Choosing Your Loved One's Burial Clothing

Minea Pesola

Planning a funeral can be hard but also cathartic on many levels. One of the decisions you have to make is what your loved one should wear. Here are some ideas to keep in mind as you select an outfit.

1. Any outfit is appropriate.

For generations, suits, dresses and similar outfits were standard for the deceased person to wear in a casket. However, that social requirement is long gone. You can confidently choose the outfit that your loved one would have preferred. It can be a football jersey, a pair of jeans, formalwear or whatever you select.

2. The family should work together.

Everyone who is planning the funeral should be allowed to contribute in the conversation about what the deceased person is going to wear. If one person unilaterally makes the decision alone, that can hurt the other people involved. They may left with regret or anger that they didn't get a chance to speak up and share their opinion.

This only applies if planning the funeral is a group effort. For example, it's important to keep in mind if a group of grown children are planning their mother's funeral. However, if a widow is planning her husband's funeral alone, she can decide on her own.

3. The colour of the casket lining should be taken into account.

In addition to considering what your loved one would have liked and what others planning the funeral want, you may also need to consider the colour of the casket lining. In most cases, the lining is a neutral colour that matches most outfits. However, if you choose a colourful lining, you should choose an outfit that will complement that.

4. Funeral homes apply makeup so your loved one has his or her usual skin tones.

After death, the body experiences changes, and these can change the colour of the skin. For example, as the blood stops circulating, it can make the skin look ashy. Luckily, you don't have to take this into account when choosing an outfit.

When preparing a body for a funeral, funeral directors use makeup to make the skin look just as it did in life. This means you don't have to worry about your loved one's skin tones and how a certain outfit may offset them. The same colour palette that worked on your loved one during life will work on him or her at the funeral.

5. There are alternatives to being buried in regular clothing.

People can be buried in their clothing, but there are alternatives. For example, if your loved one was an environmentalist who would have liked a natural funeral, you may want to choose special decomposable funeral wear. For example, there are robes made of natural fabrics that allow the body to decompose more evenly and easily than most clothing options.

 


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