Designing Your Ceremony
A funeral or memorial service is one way to help those who are left behind take the first step in overcoming grief—that is, facing the fact that a death has occurred. Losing a loved one is truly difficult. Whether their passing was sudden, or due to a lingering illness, there are strong emotions to be processed. Grieving takes time, and must be honored.
There are many reasons that we come together as a community. We celebrate many special occasions: birthdays, graduations, weddings, and anniversaries. Why should we not come together in our greatest time of need?
Funerals and Memorial services provide a remarkable opportunity to receive the gift of memories that others have shared with the person who has died. Many families are pleasantly surprised to hear stories about their loved one that they had never heard before. Being surrounded by family and friends and learning how their lives were touched can bring great comfort.
There are many ceremonial ways to honor your loved one. Your service can be as elaborate or as simple as you desire.
There are two important things to reflect upon. The first has to do with the ceremony itself, and the second with either burial or cremation.
O’Connor Mortuary invites you to speak with one of our funeral directors anytime at (877) 872-2736 to answer any questions or explore your funeral and memorial options, at no obligation.
How to Celebrate and Honor a Life
Your funeral service can be as distinct as your loved ones life. You may want a traditional funeral service, or a ceremony that is unique or simple.
That's where we come in - our expertise and our suggestions can help you create a memorable experience by getting to know your loved ones life story. We will help you design the service of your choice. This can include the location, order of the service, clergy or an officiant, obituaries, musicians, poems and or prayers, butterfly or dove release or a veteran honor guard. The possibilities are endless.
We're here to help you come to the decisions that will meet your needs now, and in the future. These decisions can have an impact on your family and friends for a long time; so doing the right thing now can make all the difference in your peace-of-mind through the coming years. Contact us today, we are here to serve you.
Burial or Cremation?
Now that you've considered how you will honor and celebrate your loved one's life, the next step has to do with the care of their physical remains. Many people are clear on this point; but it can be difficult for some families, especially when the wishes of your loved one were never clearly stated. Please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision.
Once the decision is made, the finer points come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket, vault, and cemetery of interment follows.
If cremation is the option of choice, then you'll want to make the decision as to whether the cremated remains will be placed in a mausoleum niche, buried in a cemetery, scattered at sea, or kept in your personal possession.
There's also the option for a 'green burial.' If that's what your loved one would prefer, we'll help you with information on an environmentally-friendly choice.
What's Next?
Now that we've presented the basics, it's time for you and anyone else involved in these decisions to discuss exactly what’s best for your loved one. If you’re looking for more inspiration, our interactive planning tool will spark your imagination. If you’re ready to speak with one of our funeral directors, you can reach us at (877) 872-2736.
You Can Never Go Back and Do it Over
We’ve seen it time and again. When a loved one dies, the first reaction for many people is to want to move through things as quickly as possible, to avoid any additional pain or discomfort. Often, they believe that not having a funeral will shelter themselves and their family from more pain. Nothing could be further from the truth. A funeral or memorial service acts as a catalyst for the grieving process, and without it, family members can feel stuck in the early stages grief.
Without a doubt, funerals provide a wonderful opportunity to receive the gift of memories that others shared with your loved one. Many families are pleasantly surprised to hear stories from friends and relations that they had never heard before. Being surrounded by family and friends and learning how their lives were touched can bring great comfort.
We want to help you honor your loved one in a way that allows you to look back, years from now, and remember how family and friends gathered honor their life. Creating a ceremony brings together the hearts and minds of all who loved them is a gift to everyone. A gift of memories, a gift of healing...a truly priceless gift of peace-of-mind.
O’Connor Mortuary invites you to speak with one of our funeral directors anytime at (877) 872-2736 to answer any questions or explore your funeral and memorial options at no obligation.
