Planning a Funeral Service

Planning funeral services at funeral homes in Syracuse, NY involves making a lot of decisions about how to best honor and remember loved ones who have died and what they would want as a final goodbye.

The task may seem overwhelming at first, but having an active part in these decisions can be an important part of the grieving process. These steps also ensure a meaningful, personal, and appropriate funeral service for those we love.

The first step is to decide what type of service you want. It may be that you desire a traditional or religious service. Or perhaps you prefer a more informal service as a way of remembering and celebrating your loved one’s life. Whichever you decide, the funeral director will work with you and make appropriate arrangements, whether you opt for burial or cremation.

The next step is to choose where and when you would like to have the service. There are multiple choices regarding venue, including the funeral home, a place of worship, a public gathering place, or the home. Once you have decided the venue, the funeral director can help you secure the date and time you wish.

Next, decide who you’d like to lead the service. Generally, if you are holding the service at a place of worship or within a religious tradition, the minister or rabbi would be the one to conduct the service. In a non-religious service, it is usually a friend or family member who leads.

The next step is to choose the coffin or cremation urn, which the funeral director will guide you through. This, too, can be an important part in the grief process, for it is often a personal choice that reflects the life you shared with your loved one. If you choose a coffin, you might desire to put personal items such as photographs or letters inside. If this is the case, simply let the funeral director know so that it is not left out as part of the arrangements.

Next you will want to choose music and readings that are meaningful to you and your loved one. The music can come from a wide range of choices, from a traditional hymn to a favorite contemporary song. The readings can be both formal and informal, and can include bible verses, poems, or simply letters addressed to your loved one. This is also a way to let friends and family take an active part, as you can invite them to read passages, reading, or prayers.

Finally, you can write the obituary, taking care to specify details such as date, time, and whether flowers and/or contributions to charity will be accepted. Again, the funeral director will guide you through this, as well as help you arrange remaining details such as transport, and whether you wish to hold a wake or a funeral reception.

These steps may sound daunting at first, but the funeral director is there to help you through each one. So remember you will not have to make these decisions on your own. Taken together, they will help ensure a tribute to your loved one, as well as an important stepping-stone in the grief process.

For more information about planning funeral services at funeral homes in Syracuse, NY, our compassionate and experienced team at Bagozzi Twins Funeral Home, Inc. is here to help you. You can visit our funeral home at 2601 Milton Ave., Solvay, NY 13209, or you can call us today at (315) 468-2431.