Planning a memorial service for someone that you love is a very hard thing to have to do. The most important thing that you have to think about it is how you want to represent to the guest, the life of the person that you are honoring and what they meant to the world. At this time you will be of course overcome with grief for the loss of your loved one, and at the same time you need to make sure that you do the best job that you can for the service. Let's take a few minutes and offer some tips on how to decide a theme for a memorial service.
Before you do anything you need to make sure that you have dealt with your own emotions appropriately. You cannot make good decisions and take care of these arrangements if you are fighting though your own grief. Once you have gotten through your own sorrow you will be better prepared to deal with the task at hand. The first thing that you need to do is to figure out what kinds of person the honoree was in one word. This is a great start to your theme.
Secondly, you will want to pick a tone that is in line with the way that your friend lived their life. If they were an energetic, outgoing an vibrant person who loved every minute of life and all that it had to offer then you might want to celebrate their life with a party. If, however, they lived a very conservative, traditional and somber life then you might want to have a more classic service such as a wake or remembrance circle.
The next decision that will need to be made is the setting of your memorial service. This is often a place or setting that is relevant to the kind of person they were in life. If they were artist then a quiet canyon location might be good, a person who loved nature and the outdoors might be best honored in a state forest, and a sailor at heart should be honored on the cliffs overlooking the sea.
The last very important thing that you will need to think about when panning the theme for the service is the way that guests will be handled. Should your service be private and by invitation, or should the service be welcoming and open to everyone who wishes to attend? Will you serve refreshments and food, or perhaps simple hors d'oeuvres and have a bar, perhaps a potluck where people all bring the foods that the departed loved so much and all share in them as a form of tribute. This is again the place that you should let the life that your friend lived be your guide. Did they keep a private circle of friends or were they friends with the world? Were they comforted by food or booze? Did they like a nice cocktail party or were they the sit and contemplate type? These are the questions that will lead you to the best choice for this particular aspect of the service.
It is hoped that you will be able to use these tips on how to decide a theme for a memorial service to not only plan a get together that is in the best memory of your friend but also will help you to get through the pain of their loss easier. Losing a friend is tough, but remember that life does go one and they will forever live on in the hearts and minds of those whom they loved and the life they left behind will be a tribute to their existence. The service is a chance to celebrate them. Good luck.
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