Designing Your Funeral

There are two facets of the design process. First, we ask you to consider how you wish to honor and celebrate the life. When those important decisions are made, we’ll turn to the issue of how you wish to care for the physical remains.

It's All about the Relationship

It's All about the Relationship

Honoring the life of your loved one means you value the relationship you shared. We look forward to helping you decide how to celebrate that bond, and honor the unique individual you've lost. We can make suggestions to enhance your tribute ideas. Together we will create a fitting and memorable event. Contact us today to discuss the possibilities.

How to Honor a Life

How to Honor a Life

It’s about bringing those you love together, at a time of loss. It’s a natural thing to do, and over time, has become a socially-expected practice. More importantly, a funeral or memorial service, whether traditional, or contemporary, is the first step in healing.

You can have your service anywhere, and any way, you want. Your choices include the place of celebration, day of the week, and time of day; the musical selection, what prayers will be said or songs you’d like sung. We can arrange to have doves, butterflies, or balloons released at the close of the service. Keepsake gifts of wildflower seeds or a tree seedling can be given. We’re here to help you create the most memorable and meaningful service to honor your loved one.

Burial or Cremation

Burial or Cremation?

Your next consideration focuses on choosing between burial and cremation. Usually, people are clear on this point. In fact, your loved one may have told you, or someone else, exactly how they wish to be cared for. But it can be a hard decision for some families, especially when the wishes of the deceased were never clearly stated. If that's the case, please know we're able to help you come to the perfect decision for your loved one, and for you.

Once you decide, the finer details come into focus. If you've chosen burial, then selection of the casket, vault, and desired cemetery follows. Naturally, we’re here to help you.

If cremation is your choice, then you'll need to make the next decision: whether the cremated remains will be placed in a mausoleum niche, or buried on the cemetery grounds.

In some communities, there's the option for a 'green burial.' If that's what your loved one would prefer, we'll help you select an environmentally-friendly choice.

Personalization Options

One of the most important things about a funeral is to represent the life lived. Every life is unique, and our goal is to create funerals and celebrations that help draw out memories and stories which are the first steps in the healing process. We have several ways to do this and you'll find some of those options listed below, however we encourage you to be creative and think of other ways we can help create a meaningful celebration that's as unique as the life lived.

Tribute Videos

Tribute Videos

Your family photographs are skillfully blended with wonderful graphic images and music, to create an elegantly emotive cinematic video. It can be an integral part of any funeral or memorial service. After the ceremony, the video is sure to become a treasured family keepsake. And, we can make copies as gifts for family and friends.

Memorial Websites

Memorial Websites

The traditional newspaper obituary is quickly being replaced by the memorial website. We’ve taken the concept further than anyone else. Our memorial sites are not just a repository of family photos and videos; they’re Web 2.0 tools for connecting with family and friends, all in honor of your loved one. We invite you to take a tour, so you can see its power to celebrate connections, honor a life, and record the love you shared.

Live Funeral Webcasting

Live Funeral Webcasting

The newest innovation in funeral service, webcasting, allows everyone you love to attend your loved one's service. A webcast is viewed live over the Internet, archived for delayed viewing, and can be downloaded to DVD for a permanent keepsake.

What's Next?

Now that we've given you the basics, it's time to reflect more on exactly what is appropriate for you and your family. If possible, gather everyone together to speak of their feelings and desires.

Still looking for inspiration? Speaking with a professional funeral planner will help to clarify your thinking. Reach us at (757) 487-3700.