A memorial service can be part of a funeral service. But it can be a separate event too.

Often for a funeral because of the time constraints on crematoria and other venues there is not time for friends and relatives to say all they want to. Many who wish to share stories may not have time to speak at all.

A memorial allows for the time and space for friends and family to share more stories, and to take longer telling them.

If you wish to have a small family funeral and then a later event for the wider community a memorial service can facilitate this. If there are family or friends who are unable to attend any initial service a memorial can help include the. You may simply wish to meet again some time after the funeral to celebrate a life after the initial grief has subsided a little. If you wish to mark a significant achievement or life event many years after a person has died a formal memorial event can be a focal point.

A memorial can include other elements that are not practical in a formal funeral setting. I can include what you feel best represents the deceased, it can anything be music or dance a yoga class – what ever fits.

I can help with planning and structuring a memorial, and in running the event on the day.

Every memorial begins with a phone call or conversation with no obligation.

I will then send a questionnaire to gather basic information and some prompts for a family meeting.

At the meeting I will collect more information and we can plan your event, who will contribute and how it will feel. What do you want to include? How many people will contribute and how can I support them?

We can then prepare and share scripts, there is more freedom here than at a funeral. We can cordinate who tells which stories, what the running order will be and If needed I can help with suggestions for poetry or music.

On the day I can lead the event to make sure that it runs smoothly, leaving you free to concentrate on family and friends and remememberence.