Thoughtful Ideas for Sending Off Your Loved One

When it comes to saying goodbye to your loved one, floods of memories often come to mind – This is a time to celebrate the good times and memories that you’ve been able to share with this person.

We found some really amazing, very special ideas that people have done and made in celebration of the lives of the amazing people they’re saying goodbye to.

Here are just a few of the best ideas we’ve come across. We hope that these give you some inspiration for ways to commemorate together, with friends and family, the life of your loved one.

Memory Table and Photo Display

This table or table can be filled with little trinkets and goodies from the person’s life – Little pieces of memories, which can be placed either altogether in a beautiful menagerie of memories or in different chapters in their life.

The same can be done with photos, which can either be set up on the table together with the goodies or hung up in creative ways or on a memory board. The possibilities are endless here and can really be a beautiful representation of a beautiful life. This can also be combined with quotes, jokes or sayings that signify the person and can be written out by people attending the funeral and placed amongst the other items on this table or on the memory board.

Lighting Candles

This is a very special tradition symbolizing the soul moving on from this life, but not in friends and family members’ memories. A lovely idea for taking this further – If there were any particular fragrance memories that can be associated with that particular person (for example, granny loved lavender) fragranced oils can be added to the burning candles in memory of her.

Memorial Stones or Tree

One can set aside a jar with smooth light grey stones and permanent markers for people to write special messages or memories honouring the deceased. These can then be collected by the family and either kept in the jar somewhere special, put in the garden or scattered somewhere meaningful to the deceased. This is a great way for everyone to feel like they’re saying their final farewells to the person they’re gathered to say goodbye to. 

 A similar idea can be done by creating a memory tree. Pieces of card and different pens can be displayed next to a simply decorated branch, set up in a base as a tree. Friends and family can write their memories, farewells, messages etc. on these pieces of card and attached to the ‘tree’ with different coloured ribbons and twine, depending on the look you’re going for. This can then be taken home by the family as a happy memory “tree” of their loved one.

Favourite song

If the deceased person had a favourite song, it’s very special to play this special song sometime during the proceedings. So many memories are caught up in music and the good times can be celebrated in reliving these happy memories.

Kids at the funeral? 

Kids have incredible imaginations and instead of keeping them busy, involve them in celebrating the loved ones’ life.  A good way of doing this is setting up a colouring table where the kids can draw their best memories spent with the deceased person. This is a great way for kids to express their feelings, but these are also wonderful keepsakes for the family after the funeral. Some adults may join them!

Celebrate Their Life With Their Favourite Foods

And last but not least, if your loved one had a particular favourite food or beverage, offer the favourite food e.g. pizzas and Stella Artois beers or champagne and cupcakes, instead of the usual tea and sandwiches. I know one family that had a barbecue in celebration of their dad’s life.

The more engaged the family and friends are in the funeral service, the more easily they can begin their healing journey from a positive perspective.

We’re here to help you through this difficult time, from logistics, to referring you to recommended grief counselors – the motto we serve by is ‘Our family taking care of yours’.   

For help with all arrangements for your loved one’s send off, take a look at https://www.thomasbrothers.co.uk and feel free to contact us should you have any additional questions.