Every funeral should be personal to the individual whose life it commemorates. It is always possible to incorporate special details and personal touches into the funeral arrangements which might reflect your loved one’s hobbies and interests, reflect their life-story in some way or simply to make it ‘different’. 

Here are a few ideas  to consider:

• Dressing of your loved one in their favourite clothes (subject to crematorium regulations).
• Family  placing single flowers on top of the coffin as part of the ceremony.
• Family members to carry the coffin.
• Conveyance of your loved one to the funeral venue in an alternative hearse. For example: Horse drawn,
• Motorcycle, Flatbed Lorry.
• Creating a celebration of life funeral by having an unattended cremation with the main service and celebration taking place in an alternative venue.
• Designing a bespoke picture coffin.
• Displaying any awards, trophies or family photographs at the funeral venue.
• Light scented candles.
• Release balloons or doves.
• A toast made by the Funeral Director with your loved one’s favourite tipple.
• If a small group of mourners are attending, and the crematorium allows,  place chairs around the coffin rather than sit in the pews.
• Present mourners at the end of the service with flower seeds to be planted in the memory of your loved one.
• Have a personalised photo presentation.
• Write your own poem or tribute.
• Choose personalised music or have a musician or piper play.
• Create a personalised Order of Service.
• Invite mourners to share memories in a book of remembrance.
• Specify a particular dress code to mourners or ask funeral staff to wear coloured ties.

Incorporating personal touches, such as those above, means the funeral will be remembered long after the service has ended. At Porteous Family Funeral Directors, we believe you should always have the final say on every aspect of the funeral service, using our expertise to guide and support you through the process.