Remember that everyone grieves differently, and be gentle with each other! If your loved one was affiliated with a church, temple, lodge, or whatever, talk to them to see if they have a bereavement committee who can assist you.
Pictures can be wonderful, either a slide show or posters showing important times in the person's life; be selective! You don't want to include every photo from day one (unless it is for a small child) and bore people.
Music - recorded is fine, live is fine - whichever (or both) works for you and the space. Favorite songs of the deceased, or songs that make "you" feel better.
The most important thing I would suggest is to remember that the memorial service is supposed to help those who are left behind to put a framework around their grief, give it some substance, and allow others to support the family and loved ones in this hard time.
It is also quite permissible to have memorial services in several locations if the deceased person lived in different areas. Speak to the funeral home to see if they have an affiliate in the other area to assist with logistics there.
Source: A flood of funerals and memorial services of family and friends over the past few months, and lots of reading.
By Eileen M. from Elk Grove, CA
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Thank you. And my condolences for your losses.
I'm also a widow, and I did a slide shows with music that represent each category of the slide show we were showing at the time. We did this to mark the life he lived.
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