Planning a memorial service is highly emotive, and you use this opportunity to celebrate the life of your loved one and bring friends and family together to remember times spent with one another.
Unlike a traditional funeral, a memorial service can take place after burial or cremation, therefore allowing flexibility in how one wishes to organize the service. We have put together a detailed checklist to help you through this difficult period.

Whether small and intimate, or even a large gathering, follow these steps to help you through the process.

1. Determine the Type of Memorial Service

The first step is to determine what sort of memorial service you want to hold. This could be decided based on the cultural or religious backdrop, or personal preference of the family and their loved one who has passed on. Some people like their service to be formal and in a religious environment, while others prefer it to be casual and in a park or someone’s home. Types include:

•Traditional Religious Service

•Celebration of Life Ceremony

•Virtual Memorial Service

•A quiet gathering at a meaningful location

Once the family decides on the form of service, then other arrangements tend to fall into place.

2. Decide on a Date and Location

Some of the major decisions you’ll need to make concern the date and location of the memorial service. Because a memorial is usually conducted after the body has been buried or cremated, a date and time can be selected that is convenient for the family and allows for the inclusion of family members and friends who may have to travel a considerable distance.

Regarding the venue, consider places which held a certain special significance in the life of the deceased. Some of the following options would include:

•Religious buildings

•Residence or estates

•Parks or outdoor spaces

•Funeral Parlors

3. Design and Distribute Invitations

Once the date and venue are decided upon, the next thing would be to inform the guests about the memorial service. Of course, invitation printing would be the best avenue. It should, of course, contain all the details necessary: the date, time, location, and any special requests for the event.
Such printed invitations serve as a keepsake and also provide an indication whether the function is formal or informal.

4. Establish the Order of Service

A good memorial service would generally follow some order so that all important aspects of the service are covered. Examples of some key components in the memorial service include:

Opening comments by an immediate family member or spiritual leader

Tributes or eulogies given by friends and family members

Musical presentation and/or readings, such as poetry, scripture, or quotes that were meaningful to the deceased

A photo presentation or video with pictures and memories

A time when attendees can share their personal story or memory

If you’re not certain about how to structure the service, a funeral director or religious leader will be able to help guide you to decide what may be appropriate.

5. Choose Speakers and Contributors

Who will speak at the service? Choose speakers who feel comfortable speaking to the group, and contributing stories and memories about the loved one. If the service involves some kind of religious element, you may also wish to invite a spiritual leader to lead the group in prayers or blessings.

Besides eulogies, one may also request the participants to read, sing, and play music. These elements personalize the atmosphere and help describe the spirit of the participant who has died.

6. Visual and Audio Elements: Make Arrangements

One of the most moving aspects of the service may be the visual tributes. The visual tributes could be a photo collage, a slideshow presentation, or a video montage of your loved one at key times in his life, to be played at any point in the service or while guests are gathering. It’s a good idea to collect photos, movie snippets, and other media with a good period in advance for editing into a presentation.

If there is to be music, then decide on the type. Guide your choice by considering what was particularly meaningful to the deceased or what reflects the mood of the service. The second alternative in this regard is live music, where a family member or professional musician will perform during the service.

7. Allow for Refreshments

Following a memorial service, a number of families serve refreshments. This can range from a light snack with beverages to a complete meal, depending on your budget and preference. It simply allows guests to come together over the sharing of food and to comfort each other at times that are appropriate.

When planning your menu, consider the venue’s policies on their rules about allowing any kind of catering or food preparation, and make sure all dietary preferences are considered.

8. Prepare a Memorial Keepsake

Many families choose to provide keepsakes for guests as a memento to remember their loved one with. Sometimes it can be as simple as a printed program, or as personal as a small token that represents the person who has passed away. Common keepsakes include:

•Personalized bookmarks with quotes or poems

•Pictures of the deceased with printed out their life story behind

•Memorial candles

•Seed packets to plant in memory of the deceased

9. Organize Transportation and Parking

If the place of memorial service has minimal parking, you need to make transportation arrangements for your guests. You may arrange a shuttle service that would take attendees to and from the venue from a large parking area, or you may provide information on how to use public transportation.

10. Prepare a Guest Book

A guestbook allows guests to leave messages, memories, or condolences, which can be a source of comfort for the family. It’s also a way to remember everyone who attended the service. You can offer a traditional guest book or something more unique, such as a memory jar to which guests write their thoughts down on slips of paper.

There are many steps to organizing a memorial service, but with considered planning and preparation, you’re able to create a meaningful service that really honors your loved one’s memory. Take this checklist below, which helps to make sure you don’t forget something. Ask for help where you need it. Friends and family will often offer to do special things at the time of loss to ease a burden so you can focus on celebrating the life of the person you’ve lost.