Unusual, individual and expressive funeral ideas are becoming more prevalent when it comes to farewelling our loved ones. If you are in Sydney, funeral directors in Sydney like Southern Cross Funeral Directors are very familiar and supportive of creating memories that are designed for individual and personalised farewells.
If you don’t have a prepaid funeral pack then it’s a great idea to get one. You can organise your own funeral and request the way you like to be farewelled. Otherwise talk to your family and tell them how you liked to be farewelled when it comes to making your funeral arrangements. If you aren’t able to do either, it’s a lovely idea to do something that celebrates the individuality of your loved one.
Here are some unusual and thoughtful, celebration of life ideas that may get you thinking about your loved one’s personality and how to make funeral arrangements that celebrate their individuality at their funeral or your own.
Flower or tree seeds handed out at a funeral are a great option, especially if your loved one was an avid gardener. Seed cards are popular for commemorative flower beds and trees.
Re-arranging flowers into posies means your family and friends can take a bouquet home with them. Another idea is to purchase some polymer clay, knead the clay until it’s soft, blend in some flower petals and knead again until the petals are immersed in the clay. You then shape the clay into beads and the create some holes to feed some string through. After checking the specifications of the clay you purchased, bake the clay in the oven and then allow the clay to cool. You will end up with a beautiful commemorative bracelet or necklace.
If your loved one was a bookworm, distribute their book collection. Book lovers have a deep affection for their books. To receive one as a momento is a meaningful gesture for family and friends.
Ebonised or highly polished caskets have always been traditional at funerals but increasingly, colourful or patterned caskets in any number of designs, themes, motifs and messages are becoming popular.
Another use of a casket is to have family and friends decorate it with messages of love; meaningful prose; and images and drawings.
Other artistic gestures include glass pendants blended with small pieces of ash. Small stones and permanent markers, for guests to write their names and a personal note on a rock to honor the loved one. The rocks can go in the family home or garden or they can be scattered somewhere that is meaningful and memorable to their loved one.
Memory boards with a collage of photographs is also a beautiful touch. So is a reel of photographs generated on screens which is more popular at modern venues than at religious services.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s no longer viewed as being disrespectful if you show a bit of colour. Hand out your loved one’s favourite flowers; dress in their favourite colour and think about some of these suggestions to make a personal and heartfelt tribute to somebody you love.
