Outline of a memorial service and 7 easy steps to creating your own obituary

Welcome!

Last week I shared with you my ideal end of life celebration design and a few inspiring ideas for your own green home funerals.

This week I’ll be helping illustrate the different parts of a memorial celebration and how to write an obituary for yourself in 7 easy steps.

Outline of a celebration of life:

As a ceremony to honor the deceased, a celebration of life should have a structure similar to the following:

• Welcome everyone, thank them for attending
• Any housekeeping details that will be relevant for the comfort of the celebrants over the next hour should be mentioned. Telling them to feel free to get up and move around, get tissues, share hugs, and support each other is a great start.
• The Eulogy will be read in remembrance and celebration (your obituary will be used as the basis for the eulogy, your ceremonialist will speak with family to complete the Eulogy)
• If any family members would like to speak, or read a passage, or a prayer, they will go first
• Open Mic for everyone else is next
• Final thoughts for everyone from the celebrant to conclude the ceremony with love and reverence
• Optional: reception

The celebrant could oversee the microphone and help the family read their passages if they become too emotional. Another benefit of having a memorial at home, is that people can take as long as they want to say what they need to say.

This ceremony could also be recorded, sent to loved ones unable to attend, and watched whenever you like by using one of the many online video conferencing platforms.

What should be included in an obituary? How do you begin it? Read on to find out…

7 easy steps to writing your obituary:

1. In loving memory of (your full name here, any nicknames, and proper pronouns)
2. Who passed away on (date of death) at (age) years old
3. In the city/town/place of (place of death), peacefully at home (we hope, exclude if desired)
4. They are survived by: (list of immediate family members and their relationship to you)
5. During their life, they: (list a brief life summary – accomplishments, honors and awards, education, career, volunteer projects, talents, passions, etc.)
6. Include the funeral or memorial details with the address, time, and date. If these events are not for the public, do not include them. The link to the streaming platform with the date and time of the service, or an email address to request a copy of the recording, can also be included.
7. Details about the charity or memorial funds to send donations to instead of flowers, if desired.

These are the basic steps to designing a ceremony to remember your life and to write your obituary as fully as possible in advance. I would be honored to help you design a personalized green home funeral for you through individual coaching.

Please check out my free course and send me any questions you have about individual coaching and packages.

Love and Light,

Christine