Funeral Ideas » Blog
website release
Detailed information on: cremation, green burial, grief, celebration of life, funeral rites, cryonics. Included: do-it-yourself plans and ideas on how to set up alternative memorial services, memory tables, register books, floral arrangements; as well as various options for methods of disposal. Also featured is a shrine forum for everyone to share their ideas on death and the dead, as well as memorialize their loved ones.
Search Amazon.com for biodegradable urn
Alternative Funeral Planning
I planned my funeral when I was 12 years old, I wanted my family and friends to memorialize me in a way that was a reflection of my favorite pastime. It was to be held at my favorite ice cream parlor, decorated with balloons and giant picture of me and everyone was served bubble gum ice cream. My parents thought it was childhood imagination, my friends thought my funeral planning was “cool”. As I look back, it was far from the traditional service held at a funeral home with a casket surrounded by flowers; day long wakes and church services with register books and prayer cards.
During my career as a Funeral Director in San Francisco , I was involved in planning an array of alternative funerals and memorial services and I realized my childhood fantasy was actually a possibility. There are many ways to memorialize loved ones. Families that I have worked with have taught me the variety of this religious ritual. Loved ones can be buried or cremated . Services can be inside or outside. Families can plan their own services or they can follow traditional guidelines . Eulogies can be humorous or serious. It can be big or small. It can be formal or informal. Because our society supports freedom of religion, we do not need to conform to someone’s expectation of the “perfect” funeral service. There is no perfect celebration of life. Each and every person has a unique service. It is an important day in our lives, and in our grief. The process of funeral planning can be stressful and daunting, even I, a death care professional, had a difficult time when it came to saying goodbye . I invite families and funeral directors to use this website to freely design a service that reflects the life lived, you will find an array of ideas for alternative funerals. Funeral planning aids are available for free download, they will make your time more efficient.
Perhaps you have already planned a service and would like ideas on how to better cope with your grief . If you need an idea on how to hold onto your memories be sure to visit our links page for ideas from trusted funeral entrepreneurs. If you are just stopping by for some interesting reading be sure to check out the blog with creative funeral ideas from The Undertaker.
Kellie Gillespie is available in Seattle, Washington for consultations on funeral planning as well as online chat consultations.
About Me
- The Undertaker
- Kellie Gillespie is a licensed Funeral Director in the State of California. She graduated Dean’s list from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science in 1998. She served her apprenticeship at the McAvoy O’Hara Evergreen mortuary in San Francisco. Following that experience she transferred to the Arthur J. Sullivan & Co. Funeral home to become the Assistant Manager. It was there that she saw the need to educate and inspire people to be creative with their funerals. In 2000, she developed www.Funeralideas.com to offer suggestions and present alternatives to traditional funeral rites. She has 10 years of Funeral Directing and Embalming experience to share with you. She has presented workshops for the Deaf Senior Citizens of Walnut Creek, the Deaf Widows Circle, San Jose Deaf Senior Citizens, Rainbow Association of Deaf conference in Seattle, St. Benedict’s Church in San Francisco The San Francisco Deaf Gay Lesbian Bisexual Trans Center/DCARA and the Deaf Senior Citizen’s conference in San Francisco. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington practicing her lessons learned, Living in the now.