Creating Meaningful Ceremonies

Memories

Recognizing that each individual is a gift, possessing a unique personality and character, we feel it is imperative that the funeral or memorial ceremonies surrounding the death of an individual reflect the uniqueness of that person. At Quattlebaum Funeral & Cremation Services we strive to provide the family and friends of the deceased a variety of ways in which to personalize any ceremony and create a memorial that is a celebration of a life lived as a proper means of saying goodbye. The following pages include some ideas and suggestions that other families have found useful in creating a meaningful ceremony. But by no means is this a complete list. We encourage all of the families we serve to offer any ideas or suggestions that would help them memorialize their loved one and allow them to say goodbye in their own special way.

Memories are the most precious legacy we have after someone we love dies. Through memories, those we have lost live on in us. "Remembering the person I have loved allows me to slowly heal. Healing does not mean I will forget. Actually, it means I will remember".

Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Loss & Life Transition

Some creative ways of sharing memories during the funeral are:

  • Photographs: This is by far the most widely used means of sharing memories that families use today. Individually framed photos, photo albums or a photo collage are all appropriate ways of displaying memories. If you are interested in making a photo collage, we have beautifully framed picture boards available for your use.

  • Special Music: Very often a special relationship or a particular memory is defined by a style of music or a certain song. A favorite album may be played during the gathering at the funeral home or a special song may be incorporated into the funeral ceremony. Whatever your needs, we are both CD and cassette capable, as well as offering keyboards and sound systems for individual performances.

  • Memory Tables: Many people define their life through the work they do, the hobbies they enjoy or the family life they share. Having a table present with personal items, collectibles or mementos of the deceased help in remembering the individual as the unique person that he or she was.

  • Memory Cards: Different family members and friends have different memories of the deceased and knew that person in their own unique way. By sharing a story or a memory on a card, the family is able to keep these stories in a memento chest and enjoy them over and over again throughout the months and years ahead. Memory Cards may also be used at the funeral or memorial service as part of a eulogy.

  • Video: With today's technology, many families have their memories of a loved one in a digital format that is easily organized into a video presentation. Bring us your presentation on a DVD and we'll provide the monitor, sound system and DVD player.

  • Eulogy: A eulogy is the traditional way of sharing personal thoughts and experiences at the funeral or memorial service. A eulogy can be written by a member of the family or a friend and read by the efficient or a family member or friend may speak as part of the service. In any case a well done eulogy is a comfort to family and friends and an appropriate way to say our goodbyes.

Memorialization

"Funerals are meaningful when they are personalized tributes to the unique life and relationships of the person who died"

Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Noted grief educator

It's been said that "death ends a life, not a relationship." We at Quattlebaum Funeral & Cremation Services recognize the value of relationships and strive to maintain and strengthen them through personalized funeral products and permanent memorials. The following are some ways that we can help families create a tribute to a loved one that is both personal and meaningful.

  • Casket Inscription

  • Commemorative Casket Interiors: Most casket interiors can be personalized by adding Commemorative Casket Interiors. These Commemorative Interiors can include standard designs and themes from the manufacturer, such as a religious theme or a relationship theme like 'Mother'. Even custom embroidering is available for names, quotes, or special designs.

  • Symbolic Casket Ornamentation: Some caskets have interchangeable corner ornamentation. This allows families to create a casket that reflects the lifestyle of the deceased by adding symbolic corners such as a Cross, an American Eagle, an Angel, a Masonic Emblem, and so on. Additionally, Symbolic Corners are also available for keepsake memorials.

  • Urn Inscription: In addition to caskets, most urns can also be laser etched. In fact, any engravable urn that we offer includes a name and dates at no additional charge. Other designs that may be added would be quotes, lifestyle artwork, religious artwork, military decals, and even personal photos can be reproduced.

  • Keepsake Memorials: A keepsake memorial is basically any container that can hold or store a personal memento of the deceased such as a lock of hair, a personal item, a portion of cremated remains, etc. Types and styles of keepsake memorials varies according to individual needs, but an example of some are: Jewelry, bronze figurines, small memento boxes, miniature urns, garden memorials, and many more.

  • Memento Chests: Memento Chests are similar in size and shape to a jewelry chest but are usually inscribed with the individual's name and dates. Further personalization could be added to include any design or emblem or even a photo can be reproduced. The purpose of the memento chest is to store those special memories. In it you can place memory cards, personal mementos, photos, keepsakes from the funeral, even a private letter to the deceased. The memento chest is a place you can go to for healing, remembering, and comfort.

  • Garden Memorials: Garden Memorials can include a variety of plaques, or garden ornamentation. Again, they are usually inscribed with the name and dates, but can be further personalized with designs, emblems and sometimes even photos. Some ideas for garden memorials include, a fountain, a sundial, a bird bath, wind chimes, a bronze plaque or granite marker.

  • Internet Memorials: With the fantastic growth of internet services, Internet memorials are fast becoming a very common way of memorializing your loved one. In alliance with LifeFiles.com, we can offer families and friends from across the country or around the world, the opportunity to sign a register book, leave a short message or share a memory. We can even offer family and friends the ability to create a web page honoring the life and accomplishments of the deceased. Through the Internet we can involve people from long distances in the ceremonies and the sharing that takes place at the time of a death. These people may not have been able to travel to the place of the ceremony, but are now able to participate, thanks to modern technology.