Celebrating the life of a loved one can be made more memorable by personalising the funeral service. No two lives are exactly the same and no two funeral services should be the same either. A funeral service that is both meaningful and memorable should be as unique as the individual being celebrated. It should be a ceremony that enables family and friends to mourn the loss of their loved one. It should also reflect personal values, cultural traditions, interests and experiences – all of the things that form the rich tapestry of a life worth celebrating.

There are many ways to celebrate the life of your loved one and we will guide you through the options available.

Here are some examples which you might like to consider:

  • Providing an officiating minister or civil celebrant with details about the life of your loved one so that fond memories can be shared throughout the service (for example; interests, achievements, family background, country of origin, etc.)
  • Involvement in the service by friends and family whether by being pall-bearers, eulogists or musicians (family and friends often think that it is an honour to be asked to recall memories at the service).  For more information on preparing a eulogy, you might like to read our suggestions
  • Utilising our website to provide the funeral details online. On our website we can also include a personal obituary as well as the lodging of tribute messages. The page includes an interactive map to the funeral service location.
  • A life celebration DVD to be played at the service. Hills Family Funerals can produce this for you and welcomes your input into choosing the photographs and accompanying music.
  • We can record the service at our Hills Family Funerals Chapel or a crematorium chapel and with your permission, make it available to friends and relatives unable to attend.
  • A choice from our music library of over 2,000 recordings and if we do not have a particular recording we will endeavour to source it for you.
  • Emphasise the interests of the deceased. You may, for example:
  1. Display items used for their hobby eg. sports equipment, gardening tools, or collections
  2. Arranging special made-to-order coffins eg. with a musical theme, the emblem of a favourite football team, Harley Davidson, or surfing image, or one that can be written or painted on
  3. Displaying a picture board at the service of them involved in their interests
  • Should you choose to have flowers at the service you could choose loved one’s favourites
  • Directing donations to your loved one’s favourite charity. We can do this by linking the charity to the funeral notice on our website. We can also provide a donation box at the service
  • Individually printed materials eg. order of service, bookmarks, memorial cards, or thank you cards (perhaps incorporating a photo montage of the deceased)
  • Honouring servicemen and women with appropriate music and representation from the armed services or by draping the Australian flag over the coffin
  • Notifying clubs and associations of the service and having them participate
  • Organising garden services and catering at your home or a garden