Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Making Funeral Services Special

No two funeral services in Daytona, FL should ever be identical. It’s important that when you organize a service with a funeral home that you keep your loved one in mind at all times. You want their style and personality to glow through whatever plans you make. If you are having a traditional funeral and burial service, the plans you make are a bit more tied down since there are certain traditions that have to take place in the ceremonies. However, there are ways to make these services special. Here are a few to consider:

The Music

The music is one way to communicate during a final service and you can choose things that will make the service touching and special as well as customized. Perhaps your loved one adored certain hymns. You can use those within the service. Or, maybe they liked cello music. You can have a cellist play some classical favorites before and after the service. The music can make the service feel customized and special for your loved one.

The Readings

There are often passaged read during a funeral and they can be from many different sources. People often use the Bible, poems, or even short stories. Not only will you want to pay attention to what’s being read in order to make things feel special, but you will also want to think about who will read the passage. If there’s a certain person in your family that you know could do it and would be touching to your loved one, that makes it all that much more special.

The Attendees

Just as important as what happens within the service is who is attending the service itself. You will want to invite the people who meant the most to your loved one without leaving out any special friends they would want there. You could also open the services to the public as well if you want anyone who feels led to come to have the ability to do so. Having the most special people there to support one another can really make things feel that much nicer and honoring.

The Bulletin

Most funerals have bulletins that list the order of events and when you want to have a special event, you will make sure the bulletin is just right. Not only will you list the order of events, but perhaps you’ll have a longer bio of your loved one and a picture included or something else that people can keep as a memorial item after the services are over.

There are many ways to make funeral services in Daytona, FL special and no two should be exactly alike. The professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory understand that your loved one is completely unique and we want to treat them as such with any service you hold for them. Call us and we’ll go over basic packages for you and then, we’ll customize anything you want and change things up so you are able to make things truly special for them.

Are Your Cremation Services Tacky?

Whether you are tasked with creating cremation services in Daytona Beach, FL for a loved one, or you want to set up your own final service plans in advance, there are a lot of details to consider. Once you’ve decided upon cremation, you then might consider some kind of memorial service or ash scattering ceremony for after the cremation process. While some families are into more traditional services, others are open to unique ideas. But the last thing you want is for anyone to be offended by the services you’ve created for yourself or your loved one. You certainly don’t want to come off as tacky or disrespectful. Here are a few ways to tell if you are okay on that front.

Look In From Outside

You might think that doing something unique like shooting off fireworks with ashes inside them to celebrate a loved one is a wonderful idea. But try to take a step back from the planning and look at the details from another person’s perspective. If the person who passed away was a vet and startled at loud noises, doing fireworks for them might not be the right choice. Try to see the plans from different viewpoints so you can judge it by what everyone would think.

Ask Others

If you like a certain idea, but you know it might be borderline, talk to other people in your family or even your friend group and see what they think. Ask what they would say after attending a service of that type. Would they think it was creative and unique or would they more likely describe it as tacky? Seeing others’ viewpoints and hearing from them can help you make the final decision.

Talk To Experts

When you work with a cremation provider, you have the advantage of experts alongside your decisions. While they won’t make decisions for you, they can discuss them with you. They may know your situation and your loved one or you can let them get to know your family by talking to them and telling stories about the people in your group. They can they offer you opinions and suggestions one way or another. They’ve seen a lot of different services as well as family member’s reactions to them. If you are stepping out of line for your situation, they may be able to pull you back. However, they will support whatever decisions you ultimately make.

There are no hard and fast right or wrong ways to go about having memorial services for someone after their cremation services in Daytona Beach, FL. But everyone has a different opinion on what should or shouldn’t be done. You don’t want your family feeling you did anything to dishonor your loved one in the way you are trying to honor them. Talk to family, friends, and professionals to ensure your loved one gets what they deserve and your family will see it that way so everyone is able to move forward.

Supporting A Friend At The Funeral Home

If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know how hard it can be to grieve and get past the event. When you go to a funeral home in Lake Helen, FL, not for one of your deceased family members, but rather for a friend who has lost someone, you might feel at a loss for what you can do. Having grieved a loss in your past, you know there’s nothing you can do or say to really take away the pain. But you also know that having people who care about you on your side throughout the process made you feel less alone. Here are a few ways you can support your friend at the funeral home service for their loved one.

Show Up

This is something very simple that anyone can do—and it can mean the world. The only thing you really need to do is simply show up to the funeral service. If the service is open to the public, or if you have been invited, it’s important to go. Being there for your friend, even if you don’t get a chance to speak to them for very long, can mean a lot to them. They will know you are there for them and want to honor their loved one alongside them.

Help As Needed

There might be ways you can pitch in at the funeral home. After the event takes place, stick around and perhaps you can be of aid in delivering flowers to certain family member’s homes or to a local nursing home for a donation. You could serve at the reception or clean up that venue after the food has been eaten and the family is mingling. It can feel odd to be a part of a funeral when you don’t know the person who passed as well, but lending a helping hand is supportive and can help you fit in better.

Hugs And Shoulders

Your friend is going to need support, both at the funeral and after. When you see them at the funeral, give them a tight hug and remind them that you are there for them and that you are sorry for their loss. Lend them your shoulder to cry on at that time, but after in the weeks to follow. Make sure you call them and if they want to talk, be there for them. You can be an important part of their recovery as they move forward.

Going to the funeral home in Lake Helen, FL to support a friend is very special. IF you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know you were touched by the people who showed up to their services on your behalf, even if they didn’t know your family member very well. The professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help you support your friend in as many ways as possible. Call us for more ideas and tips and we’ll help you in any way we can for as long as you need.

Obituary Writing Mistakes

While there are a lot of differences between cremation services in Deland, FL, and traditional services, one thing that they have in common is that you will probably want to write an obituary for either service style. The obituary is an announcement to the public that your loved one has passed on. It doesn’t have to be long or involved, but it is something you want to do right. Here are a few mistakes to avoid:

Mistake 1: Not Reading Other Obituaries

One of the ways you can plan out what you want to say is to read what others have included. You will see there is a certain tone, length, and items included and you can follow suit to make the obituary for your loved one fit in well. You can also ask your cremation service provider for a list of things that are usually included, but nothing beats reading examples to help get you in the right frame of mind.

Mistake 2: Writing At Length

IT’s hard to sum up someone’s life in a few short paragraphs. But obituaries are not meant to be lengthy. You don’t have to have a long biography of your loved one in that announcement. It might confuse readers if you include too many details. Focus on a few milestones and if you want to write something longer, you can hand it out at the cremation service.

Mistake 3: No Proof Readers

After you have the basic obituary in hand, have several people read through it for any mistakes you might have made. You’ll want someone to read for grammar and punctuation, but also for the names of survivors, dates, and other facts. You don’t want to leave anyone out of invert numbers to make the whole thing incorrect.

Mistake 4: Forgetting The Service Details

If you are having a service that is open to the public, you will want to include those details in the obituary as well. Include the time, date, and cremation service provider address among other details that the public will need to know. If the service is not open to the public, you might want to include that a service is being held for family and list the funeral home name. That way, people know where to send flowers, cards, and other gifts for your family.

When you are trying to write an obituary, it can be very trying. You want to make sure you get everything in, and you are also likely planning cremation services in Deland, FL at the same time, which can also be very stressful. Talk to the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory about the process and we will make sure that the obituary comes together nicely. We want you to be able to honor your loved one through the announcement. Give us a call whenever you are ready to plan services and when you are ready to start writing, we can help with any questions at the same time. We’re here for your needs.

Questions For The Funeral Home

Arranging services for a loved one can be stressful, but you will need help from funeral homes in Deland, FL to get through the process. Not only do they have the services you need, but they will support you with compassion through the proceedings, which never hurts in that kind of situation. If you haven’t decided what funeral home to choose yet, narrow down the options and then, call around and ask some important questions. Here are a few you might want to include:

Do You Have Such And Such Services?

If you know what services you want from a funeral home, it’s important to ask if they have the services you need. If you aren’t sure what you want yet, ask what range of services they offer and then find what you’d like among them. Having a funeral home with a wide array of services is best if you are undecided.

How Much Experience Do You Have?

While there may not be anything wrong with a new provider, it’s important to find someone who has experience so you can trust that they know what they are doing. You want your loved one to have the best and experts are there to help within the industry. You can read about their history on their website, but you can also ask them about it. The company may have been around for a long time, but how long as the funeral director you are speaking with been working there?

Do You Offer Standard Rates?

It’s not fair to pay way more than you should for funeral services. You need rates that are standard and within the average ranges. If the company has rates that are way lower, their services might not be the quality you want, or they might try and stick you with fees later. IF the costs are way too high, they might be trying to take advantage of your grief and that’s not okay, either.

Can I Visit Your Facilities?

It should be perfectly fine for you to visit the funeral home, take a tour, and see what things look like. You might want to see where they implement plans and you might want to look over the rooms they have available for services. Seeing the operation in person can make a big difference in who you end up choosing. You can tell a lot about the facilities and the people who work there when you meet them in person as well.

There may be other questions you would like to ask and that’s perfectly fine. Make a list and ask all of the funeral homes in Deland, FL that you call the same questions so you can compare the answers and decide which company is best for your needs. The professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help and we are happy to answer as many questions as you have at any time. We can give you a free consultation or a tour whenever is convenient for you.