Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, Author at Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Creative Funeral Ideas

Funerals are typically very standard and funeral homes serve a very important purpose. The activities are dictated by culture and societal expectations. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get creative. You don’t have to follow a script. You can use your loved one’s personality to influence the service. And picking the right funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL is vital to executing the best end-of-life service for your loved ones.

You can plan a unique funeral for yourself or someone you care about.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Don’t be Afraid of Color

Funerals are associated with somber blacks and greys. However, if the deceased was a joyous, cheerful person who delighted in bright colors, such a dark gathering may not seem appropriate. It’s okay to introduce color to a funeral.

If your loved one had a favorite color, you can use it to decorate the service and the reception. Let people know in advance what you’re doing so they’re not surprised when they show up. You can even ask people to wear specific colors to the funeral.

Use Pictures

Cover the room with happy pictures of the deceased. It might be painful to look at the pictures, but it can also trigger some happy memories. The goal of a funeral is to honor and respect the memory of the deceased. There are many, many ways to do this.

It’s becoming more and more common to create a memory board for the deceased. Guests can add their own pictures and thoughts to the board.

Celebrate

Are funerals a sad recognition of the end of someone’s life or are they a way to rejoice and celebrate life? More and more people are inclining toward the latter view. As strange as it may seem, a funeral can be an upbeat affair. People have music, good food, and even fireworks. The guests try to feel happy and laugh and smile about the deceased.

It doesn’t take away the pain of your loss. Your heart may still be broken. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t smile through your tears.

Share Books and Paintings

If your loved had a large collection of books or paintings, you can give them away to people you care about rather than trying to sell them. Everyone who attends the funeral can receive a book. This is a sweet, simple gesture that many people would enjoy.

Personalize Your Casket

Caskets don’t have to be traditional. You can design them any way that you want. You can choose a casket in your loved one’s favorite color or you can write their favorite saying along the side. Anything to individualize it.

Use Bright Flowers

Get creative with the flower arrangements. Instead of the typical funeral flowers, choose something brighter and more unusual. A striking flower arrangement pleases your eye and can lift your mood.

Funeral homes are there for you in your time of distress. At Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, our team can help you plan a traditional funeral or a creative end-of-life service. We’re here to serve your needs. Give us a call at (386) 775-2101 or stop by at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763.

Can You Bring Pets to Funerals?

Your pets are part of your family. It makes sense why you would want to bring them to a funeral, especially if the deceased was close to the animals as well. Some families would be okay with a pet at the service while others would view it as horribly rude.

There are many reasons why you might want to bring an animal to a funeral service in Daytona Beach, FL. The animal might be a service animal who travels everywhere with you. Or the animal may have been the pet of the deceased. Lately, people have been turning to emotional support animals as well.

Before you show up with your pet in tow, however, you need to make sure that the family is okay with it. In some cultures, bringing a pet to a funeral would never be allowed. If you can’t bring your animal to the service itself, there’s a chance that you might be able to bring it to the reception.

If you get permission from the family to bring your pet, you need to take extra precautions. Think about the temperament of your pet. Don’t bring an aggressive, hyper pet around people. Make sure your animal knows how to behave itself before you trust it in such a sacred environment.

When you’re at the funeral, try to sit in the back. You don’t want to become a spectacle. Allow your pet to sit quietly by your side.

Certain pets should always be left at home. Even the most outgoing cat would likely struggle in such a crowded environment. Likewise, pet birds would be too loud and distracting. Really, the only pets that you can even begin to think about bringing with you are friendly dogs.

Funerals can be very troubling experiences. Your emotions can feel so wild that you don’t know what to do. Bringing your pet to the funeral might be enough to help calm you. It’s unfortunate that you still have to think about decorum at a moment when you feel so turbulent, but it can’t be avoided. Pre-planning your funeral services can save you time.

Check with both the funeral home and the cemetery before you show up with your pet. Some have strict rules regarding animals on the premises. Cemeteries need to keep their areas clean which is why some ban pets. Too many owners refuse to pick up after their animals.

If you can’t bring your animal to the funeral and don’t want to attend on your own, you can choose your own way to honor the deceased’s memory. You don’t have to go to the funeral to pay your respects.

At Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, we can help guide you through the difficult part of your experience. Our staff is highly experienced and can answer any questions that you may have. Visit us at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763, or give us a call at (386) 775-2101.

Food to Serve at a Funeral Reception

A funeral reception is a time for the deceased’s loved ones to gather and share memories. It’s often a very emotional gathering. That’s why it’s only right to choose the best funeral homes near Daytona Beach, FL where your family can be comfortable in times of grief. After the funeral, many people want to connect with others and reminisce.

If you’re hosting the funeral, your guests will expect you to provide food. A reception with nothing to eat or drink will end very quickly.

Some cultures demand that funeral receptions are akin to feasts. The whole family works together to cook and provide food for everyone. If you’re hosting the reception, you have a lot of responsibilities, but you usually don’t have to prepare food yourself.

In other cultures, there’s no demand for the quantity of food. The host provides everything. If you’re in this situation, you have complete control over what you serve. You can offer your guests a smorgasbord or you can go the opposite route and provide nothing beyond light refreshments.

Food is intricately related to culture. If your culture prizes food during gatherings, it might seem like a slight if you slack off on the reception preparations.

If you’re too overwhelmed to plan the party yourself, you can try hiring a caterer or asking your friends and family to help you cook.

Here are some food ideas that are simple and affordable:

Pasta. Almost everyone loves pasta dishes. Pasta is filling and easily adapted to different dietary needs.
Cheese platter
Veggie/fruit platter
Bread
Pastries
Hot dogs and hamburgers
Sandwich bar

If you’re going to serve a lot of people, think about hosting a buffet rather than a sit-down dinner. It’s much easier to manage. Remember to also serve kid-friendly food.

Desserts at funerals are surprisingly controversial. Some people believe that sweets are inappropriate in somber settings while others believe that they’re the best part of the reception. Use your own feelings as a guide on this subject.

Remember, if cooking and organizing the food becomes too much for you to handle, you can outsource the work. Your goal isn’t to impress anyone or end up on the cover of Food Magazine. Unless of course you express yourself through food. In that case, it may give you comfort to provide an amazing meal for your family.

Just don’t feel obligated to do so.

People aren’t going to remember what they ate at the reception. They’re going to think about their emotions and what words were said. Food is like air. It’s necessary for survival but it’s often not at the forefront of your mind.

If you want to save money and time on catering and you think your family won’t be offended, you can turn the reception into a potluck affair.

At Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory, we can help you plan your loved one’s funeral. You shouldn’t have to worry about small details, leave that to us. Our caring staff will always be here to serve you. Give us a call at (386) 775-2101 or stop by at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763.

Which Cremation Service Is Right For Your Family?

It can be very hard to make decisions for someone else after they have passed on. Perhaps you know your loved one wanted cremation services in Deland, FL, but there are a variety of options surrounding the actual cremation itself. Which should you choose? Here are some options to consider and what might be right for your family.

Your Family Is Spread Apart

IF your family is located all over the country, it might be best to go with direct cremation. There are no services before the cremation takes place, but you can have whatever type of service after that you’d like. When you go with direct cremation, you buy yourself time. There’s no longer a timeline for any service. After the cremation is complete, you can take your time in gathering people together and planning something really special.

Your Family Is Very Traditional

If your family finds comfort in the traditions of a regular funeral, they might like a visitation to say a final goodbye and a funeral for closure. In that case, you can have those services before the cremation takes place. After the funeral services are done, the cremation can happen and you can have an ash scattering or another service after that if you’d like.

Your Family Is Nature-Oriented

If you can’t remember the last time your family gathered at an inside event, having some kind of memorial outside is always an option. Gather in a park to remember your loved one where you can plant a tree, scatter ashes, dedicate a park bench, or even share memories. Having something outside keeps the feeling more casual and laid back and can be something more of your family is comfortable with.

Your Family Doesn’t Get Along

It’s sad when families have rifts in them, but it happens more often than you’d think. If you really want everyone in your family to have a chance to honor your loved one, but you don’t really want to gather them all in the same location for fear of someone having words with someone else, consider having a few different memorial services in different locations. Incite certain family members to a memorial service in the funeral home and others to an ash scattering in the park, or something of that nature.

When you are planning cremation services in Deland, FL for a loved one, it can be hard to decide what direction to take the services around their cremation. Think about what they would have wanted, what your family would appreciate, and what you can feasibly do with your budget and timeline. There are no right or wrong answers and you have to do what you think is best with what you have to work with. Give Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory a call at (386) 775-2101 and we’ll give you suggestions until you reach the right answers. You can visit our funeral director to look over packages and options at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763.

Surprising Funeral Home Aids

Is there anyone who likes to think about their own death or the death of those closest to them? Not really! But death is a part of life and it’s something that touches every person on earth. When you have to call one of the funeral homes in Deland, FL, it’s often because you have lost a loved one and are now in charge of final services. You know the funeral home is there to help you with the process, but just how much can they do? Here are some of the things you might not think about that they can help with behind the scenes to make things as smooth as possible.

Flower And Gift Receiving

When you hold a funeral or cremation service at the funeral home, they can receive flowers and other gifts that are sent to your family at their facilities. They can then arrange those flowers and other items for the service you are holding. They can make nice decorations and you can go around and read the cards that are sent with them and remember how many people are supporting you and thinking of your loved one. The funeral home can also help you transport the flowers once the services are complete. You could take some to the cemetery, donate some to local nursing homes, or take them home with you.

Obituary Help

How can you sum up someone’s life in a few short paragraphs? The funeral home knows just what’s commonly included and just how to make the most of the small space you have to offer. They can help you write the obituary or give you the information list they need and then write it for you if you want. You get the final say on what goes into the paper and on the website, of course.

Compassionate Support

You know the funeral home is there to help you in any way it can, but it will also give you the kind of compassionate support you need during this time. It’s hard to plan while you are grieving and the funeral home representatives are there to relieve you of as many burdens as possible. They know just how to talk to people in mourning and you’ll feel better knowing you and your family members are all in good hands with them.

When you have to reach out to funeral homes in Deland, FL, make Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory your first call at (386) 775-2101. We’re here to support you through thick and thin and we take pride in treating your family like our own. Give us a call and we’ll set up a time for you to talk to our funeral director in person. We want to get to know your loved one through you so we can offer the most personalized suggestions for your plans so you can honor that person in the manner which they deserve. Visit us at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763, and let’s get started on putting things together.