When someone you love passes away, you want to honor their life and do their memory justice. This can be accomplished in many ways, depending on who the person was and what your family’s traditions are. While a traditional funeral is a meaningful and beautiful way to say goodbye, many families choose to have a memorial service for their loved one, which takes often takes place after cremation services near College Park, MD. There are many benefits to planning a memorial service, as well as lots of ways to make it more personal and unique to that person’s memory.

One of the benefits of having a memorial service (as opposed to a traditional funeral) is that there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to planning. Funerals must generally be held within a week or so of the person’s passing, which doesn’t leave much time to make arrangements. With a memorial service, you can take more time to allow the far-away families to make travel arrangements, or you can wait for a warmer season to hold an outdoor service. This can help reduce some of the stress that comes with planning a funeral, and you can take the time you need to make sure that everything will go according to plan.

While some memorial services may resemble a traditional funeral, many of them do not. You might choose to hold their memorial service outside, or in a more unusual location (somewhere other than a funeral home or a church). You can bring photos, memorabilia, food and drinks, and whatever else you wish to include. Some families choose to hold a celebration of life in honor of their loved one, where family and friends can gather and remember the person who has passed. These often have a more upbeat and celebratory feel, and can even have a party-like atmosphere in some cases. You might incorporate a fireworks display, or hire a band to play. You could encourage those in attendance to come up and share a special memory of the person who has passed. If your loved one had a special interest in gardening and the outdoors, you could have a plant or seeds for everyone to take home and plant near their home, as a tribute to that person. You may want to set up a toast for everyone to participate in, or include some cultural customs that are meaningful in your family. These are just examples, and every person and family will be different.

As you can see, there is a multitude of ways to create a meaningful and personal memorial service in honor of your loved one. Whether they were buried or underwent cremation services near College Park, MD, the freedom is yours to make any arrangements you wish. Your funeral home can be of assistance when it comes to planning and arranging a memorial service, and can even provide a venue for the event. Then, you can focus on making sure that your loved one’s wishes are carried out, and that their memory is honored in the best way possible.