Keohane Funeral Home

Why Rituals Are Important, Pt. 3.

The Case for a Ceremony, Part 3.

What do you think of when you think of a memorial service? A lot of people think of a traditional funeral: with a wake, some kind of religious service, and then a commitment ceremony at the cemetery. This was the way it was for a long time. But it is not the way it is now.

One of the biggest misunderstandings families have about working with a funeral home comes down to services—which we discussed the value of in a previous post. Some people may opt for cremation, and never consider what happens afterward. Some might not be religious, and assume that memorial services are only for believers. But the fact is, there has never been a time in which families had more options for services than they do right now. And Keohane’s is here to help you create a perfect service to memorialize your loved one, and help your family cope with your loss.

It’s funny to think of it this way, but many funeral services today are more like weddings than they are like traditional funeral services. Today they are more customized, more a reflection of the person they are honoring. These services can happen in funeral homes, or backyards, function halls, pretty much anywhere. They can feature whatever music or readings the family finds meaningful. They can take pretty much any form the family wants. For some, this might be an explicitly religious ritual. For others, it’s still ritual, just designed for secular people.

Of course, planning such a ceremony is a lot of work, especially at a time when families are already struggling with the emotional, and legal, and logistical difficulties that come in the wake of the loss of a loved one. In fact, one person told us, in the midst of planning a service, “You know what? This is, this is just like my daughter’s wedding.”

The good news is Keohane’s can plan it for you—handling everything from introducing families to a celebrant, helping to find the right venue, hiring musicians, recommending poems or prayers to read or songs to sing, renting audio-visual equipment for speeches or video presentations, creating printed materials, and even organizing balloon releases or dove releases. In short: anything families need to create a beautiful, memorable service at which to gather with friends and family to honor the memory of a loved one.