Planning a Year-End Memorial Service - The How-to Guide for Funeral Directors

     A life is a legacy... So is your year-end holiday memorial service!  Learn how to make your funeral home's year-end memorial service a memorable event that honors the lives that have passed during the year, and reinforces the relationship your funeral home has with your community. 

Find a Venue for your Funeral Home's Year-End Memorial Service

      Choose a place most people would be comfortable visiting for a year-end service to remember and honor their loved ones who have passed during the year.  If your funeral home has space to host such an event, that is fine, but also consider an auditorium in the community, a church, or even a park if you're located in a warm enough climate 

Choose a Speaker to Present a Message of Remembrance

      Find a speaker who represents all faiths of your clientele - the families your funeral home serves.  A positive message is most important for the families to hear from the speaker, as the holidays are quite an emotional time when someone you love has recently passed.  If your funeral home represents a specific faith, it is probably most important that the speaker shares that faith to relate best to the audience.  For most funeral homes that represent all faiths, a non-denominational message of remembrance is probably most appropriate to avoid alienating audience members of various religious or non-religious backgrounds.

Select Music to be Played Before or During the Service

Choose a blend of soothing, positive music to put guests at ease before the service begins.  You may also elect to have music performed live by select vocalists and/or musicians during the service.  Music heals the heart and soothes the mind, so this is probably one of the most important elements of a remembrance service.  Choose carefully.

Send Invitations to Families

Your invitation list should include all families your funeral home has served during the year, but it can also be a universal service of remembrance for the community at large.  Inviting many people to participate in the honors of loved ones who have passed will generate much good will, and establish new relationships between your funeral service and members of the community who may be considering pre-planning needs.  Invitations should be posted in churches and community centers, as well as on your funeral home's website and social media venues.  Personal invitations should be sent by mail to each family you have served during the year several weeks in advance.  A follow-up phone call or mailed invitation would be wise to remind families of the remembrance service and request their attendance if no response is received from the initial mailed invitation.

Design and Print Programs for the Service of Remembrance

Programs help put remembrance service guests at ease, because they list the order of activities in advance.  A simple bi-fold or tri-fold format should allow enough space to feature an attractive cover image, such as a beautiful garden, or a piece of art that looks peaceful.  A verse that can help comfort the audience can be featured below the cover art, and the order of events can be listed on another panel of the program.  If music is part of the program, list the title of each song to help audience members appreciate the beauty of the music.

Presenting Memorial Gifts to Families in Attendance

There are a variety of memorial gifts that can be personalized in honor of loved ones who have passed, and given to their surviving family members at the memorial service.  Engraved memorial ornaments are very effective gifts, as are memorial plaques, photo boxes, and other personalized items.  The gifts can be presented by reading the names of the deceased one at a time, and having the attending family approach the podium to receive the gift in honor of their loved one.  If memorial ornaments are being given during the service, a Christmas tree near the podium can be decorated with the personalized memorial ornaments for each family to retrieve to help honor their loved one. 

Hosting a Reception After the Service

Reinforce your funeral home's relationship with each family in attendance by offering a light reception of food and beverages.  Everyone should be able to relax, mingle, and enjoy foods provided by your funeral home.  One of the most effective ways to allow people to mingle while enjoying the food and beverages is to arrange the reception around a central table that can be approached from all sides.  This keeps traffic flow around the table, where most people will congregate while making conversation with new friends and other family members in attendance.  This is a great time to have recorded music playing softly in the background also.


      What does your funeral service do for a year-end remembrance service?  Celebrating the lives of those we love who have passed on reinforces our positive memories of the deceased, and helps us put closure on the lives they led.  It also helps us reflect on our purpose while we are living.  For you as a funeral director, it helps your funeral home keep in touch with the community, expands your referral business, and establishes your company as a premier funeral service provider.   

To learn more about promoting your funeral service, or providing memorial gifts, visit these links:

Promotional Products for Funeral Homes

Aftercare Programs and Memorial Gifts

Funeral Home Sympathy Cards

Flag Cases for Veterans' Memorials

Memorial Service Invitations

Memorial Plaques