Can a funeral home help plan a service if my loved one was not religious?

Absolutely, you can still have a meaningful and respectful funeral service for a loved one who wasn’t religious.

Instead of focusing on religious rituals like prayers, hymns and a sermon, a non-religious funeral service focuses on celebrating the life, achievements and memories of your loved one. This allows you to personalize the funeral service in a variety of ways.

• Eulogies and Personal Tributes: Friends and family members can share anecdotes, memories, and stories about the deceased, highlighting their personality, achievements, and impact on others.
• Music and Readings: Choose music that was meaningful to the deceased or that reflects their personality. Poems, readings, or excerpts from literature can also be included to convey feelings of love, loss, and remembrance.
• Community gatherings: Talk to your funeral home about arranging the space in a way that allows time for guests to visit with one another. This also allows you time to receive personal condolences and support.
• Symbolic Gestures: Consider incorporating symbolic gestures such as lighting candles, releasing doves, planting a tree, or creating a memory table with photos and mementos.
• Hand out a Keepsake Item: Consider sending guests off with a small keepsake item that will help them remember your loved one. For example, if your loved one was a teacher you could give guests personalized pencils. If your loved one liked to bake cookies you could give guests a cookie keychain.

No matter what your ideas are for your loved one’s service, talk to your funeral director. They can use their connections and expertise to help you plan a meaningful service that honors your loved one. Your funeral director is experienced and well-equipped to help plan any type of service you want.