John Wilkinson

Sometimes, no matter how well a funeral ceremony is planned and carried out, it is not enough to do justice to the subject, not enough to satisfy the family’s wish to truly celebrate and recognise the life of the person they have lost.

 This may be for a variety of reasons – friends and relatives may be too widely spread to meet at the short notice of a conventional funeral; there may be many who are unable to attend due to other personal or work commitments; the life may be too big, the achievements and life story too complex, to be encompassed within the framework and strict time limitations of the conventional ceremony held at a crematorium. Sometimes friends and relatives are simply not able to travel the distance to the crematorium.

 In these situations, a memorial ceremony, held separately from the funeral, may be more appropriate. This can be held closer to home, in the village hall, the local pub, the family’s own home or garden, or a more specialist venue such as a hotel.

 By separating the sadness associated with the death and the funeral from the positive celebration of the life, with tributes and happy memories, family and friends may find that a memorial ceremony is a far more satisfying and rewarding occasion than a funeral. It gives a truer reflection of the person they have lost, but not forgotten.

 I would be happy to help a family to plan such an event, and to act as speaker and ‘master of ceremonies’ to ensure that such a memorial ceremony is properly planned and carried through.

 I could suggest ideas for format, music, poetry and personal tributes, to help create a truly worthy celebration of the life that has passed.