The Rhody Difference
Co-Creating a Meaningful Experience
Honoured to Support the Communities of:
Allenford, Chatsworth, Chesley, Desboro, Elmwood, Hanover, Paisley, Tara
Ceremonies are most meaningful when they are personalized, be it a graduation, wedding, or funeral. As you are planning, think about the qualities that made your loved one special and what he or she meant to others. Consider passions, hobbies, pastimes, likes, dislikes. How is it that you wish to honour and celebrate your loved one’s life? Meaningful funerals are made up of different parts that, when combined, create an incredibly profound experience for you, your family, and friends.
There is no such a thing as a ‘standard’ funeral. A funeral should match the spirit, personality and beliefs of the person who has died and the family and friends that are left behind. Religious or non-religious, there are no rigid rules that have to be followed. As long as your ideas are not illegal or immoral we will do our best to help you to create a memorable ceremony.
Time
You can choose any day of the week and any time of the day for your gathering(s). Would it work better for your family and friends to gather in the evening? Discuss it with us!
Visitation / Gathering
Receiving friends through a visitation activates your support system and allows others to express their love and concern for you and your family. Do you wish to do this at home, in your church, at the funeral home, or a location dear to your loved one or you?
Ceremony
Holding the funeral ceremony in a meaningful location is one way of personalizing your experience. Think about a bowling alley or theater, baseball diamond or barn.
Celebration of Life / Informal Reception (Come & Go)
This informal time can be held instead of a formal ceremony, allowing family and friends to share memories, to laugh, cry and show support for one another without a set structure. A specific time can be set aside to publically share memories, readings, and/or reflections. Please be aware that people tend to look for these elements of saying good-bye and therefore it is suggested they be incorporated into the reception.
Did the deceased love donuts and coffee? What about pizza or chicken wings? Think about having these on hand for your guests, instead of the customary “funeral” lunch.
Picture Book, Memorial Video, Memorial Card and/or Display(s)
We think these elements are important aspects of healing, therefore we offer these services free of charge! Photos, videos, cards and exhibits help families celebrate, grieve, showcase, and preserve their most treasured memories and life story. They assist by telling a life story in a simple yet eye-catching way. Choose up to 15 photos of your loved one, on their own, doing their favourite thing, or with someone special (persons, pet) and our graphic artist will design a one of a kind tri-fold card for you and your family. If your loved one enjoyed hockey we can set up a display of different hockey sweater/jerseys, sticks, cards, pucks and trophies. With your imagination there are no boundaries!
Music and Readings
One of the purposes of music is to help us to access our feelings, both happy and sad. Did your loved one listen to Elvis Presley? The Bagpipes? What about Rascal Flatts, The Beatles or the symphony? Did he or she like to play guitar? Likewise, readings are another way to convey the unique life and philosophies of the person who died. Think about a favourite poem, short story, novel, cartoon strip or joke. We can arrange for almost anything. Talk to us about your options.
Eulogy/Remembrance
Often the eulogy is the most remembered and meaningful element of a funeral ceremony. Think about having a couple of people speak, read a letter, or an e-mail. Different people have different point of views. Explore your options.
Burial/Graveside Service
Accompanying a body, or cremated remains, to its final resting place and saying a few last words brings a necessary feeling of finality to the funeral process. Being present for the lowering of the casket may seem a difficult event to observe. However, there are numerous benefits to doing so. For as hard as it is, being witness to death’s finality continues the healing process for you and your family.
Living Funeral
A living funeral is the celebration of your life with a twist—you, the honouree, are living and present to hear the farewells, to say good-bye and thank-you, as well as to enjoy your family and friends, before imminent death.
This gathering of family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues is a ceremony, and/or reception, to celebrate a person with a life-limiting illness. This type of gathering is a means of acknowledging a loved one, and allows them to pass on in peace with an active knowledge of the feelings and thoughts of others.
The gathering could take place in a hospital room, at a home, community center, place of worship, hotel banquet hall, favourite restaurant, theater, or any other place that would honour the person.
Theming
When words are inadequate, objects are often used to help express our innermost thoughts and feelings. In a funeral or memorial ceremony items like flowers, water, candles, or different kinds of food are the most common, and help us to access our memories. However, we are not limited by just these ideas. Think about what best reflects who your loved one was. What about personalizing the casket or urn with something unique? Did he or she really, really enjoy cookies? What about using a cookie jar as their urn? Did they enjoy fishing, what about a tackle box?
Take-aways are another option. They can be small, inexpensive gifts you give your guests in memory of your loved one and they can be a unique way of saying thank-you for coming. Wildflower seeds, a tree seedling, your loved one’s much-loved recipe, cookies, candy, or even a page from his or her favourite book can be given out.
There are numerous ways we can personalize your loved one’s ceremony, making it very meaningful. What about having their pet present at the ceremony or having their band perform during a ceremony or reception? Or, what about releasing butterflies, doves or balloons at the interment or inurnment?