Make a Send-off All the More Special & Memorable
There are many different ways that our funeral directors can tailor a service to fulfil the deceased’s wishes, and ensure the vision you have of an ideal send-off is realised without compromise; while you might first think of aspects like the programme, transportation, flower arrangements, musical accompaniment and similar core features of a service, there are also some less common additions that the J&S Funerals team can arrange.
Below, we’ve listed some of these additions but if you have something different in mind, we urge you to contact us. We’ll try our best to incorporate your ideas within the service, so the event provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on, mourn and celebrate the life of your dearly departed.
Funeral Additions
Balloon Release
The sight of helium balloons floating into the sky together can represent the departure of the soul from the body, or simply the start of a new chapter. Whatever meaning you attach to it, it’s a stunning spectacle to behold and can be a moment of catharsis experienced by those releasing the balloons, and all those witnessing it.
Highland Bagpiper
There is something hauntingly beautiful about the sound of bagpipes, which have been used for traditional Scots funerals and military funerals for countless years; however – they are not limited to these types of service. They are available to all and can accompany any point of the service that you’d like them to – perhaps the arrival of the cortege, or as the coffin is carried to its final resting place.
Flag Bearers
If the deceased was a member of a particular legion or military association, you may wish to have a flag bearer raise their colours and accompany the cortege during a specific leg of its route. We are able to liaise with flag bearers on your behalf, to ensure this personal touch is integrated perfectly within the wider service.
Live Musicians
Would you like live music to be performed at the service? A soloist, choir or band performing a selection of significant songs, perhaps those the departed cherished during their lifetime, can prove to be a tender and beautiful moment that really marks a special point of the day. We can help you find a performer with experience in the setting, or ensure that the required infrastructure is at hand so a performer you know, perhaps a family member or friend, can sing and play in comfort. We’ll also help ensure the performance fits within the wider formal structure of the service, especially important if it is a religious one.
Slide Show Projection
We can arrange to have a projector display a slide show within the chapel, so that attendees can see cherished memories and key images from the deceased’s life. It gives a visual vocal point that can arouse many memories from years gone by, and allow people to bond and mourn over mutual recollections.
White Dove Release
A cathartic and symbolic gesture in which stunning white doves are released; it could be a single white dove, a dozen, or any amount in between. The act can represent a lot of things: the soul’s departure, the holy trinity, or the 12 blessings. Or perhaps it can mark a number of particular significance to the departed’s life story. It’s an emotive gesture which, regardless of faith, is profoundly memorable.