Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies (e-book)

Description

• ISBN 978 0975733851
  (Downloadable PDF file)

‘Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies’ is a practical guide to creating heartfelt and personal funeral and memorial ceremonies.

Would you like to have a personal and meaningful funeral? Do you know what is possible?

‘Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies’

• is for anyone who is considering what options there are for funeral ceremonies and for heart-warming rituals to conduct before and after death. It is for every day people, for lay people in the industry and for professional celebrants. It is for carer’s and support teams who are working with the dying and bereaved and for people who love to plan ahead of time whether they are healthy or have a terminal illness. There are over 30 inspiring examples of actual ceremonies including:

Pre-death ceremonies
Funeral and celebration-of-life ceremonies
Memorial services
Committal and graveside services

• Written and edited by Wendy Haynes with contributions from celebrants:

Faridah Cameron, Catherine Campbell, Janice Crawford and Robyn Mills.

Included in ‘Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies’:

• • 1. Expert guidance bringing a depth of caring and richness to saying farewell that offers comfort and inspires those who are left behind.
    2. Help to create a heartfelt funeral or memorial service based on uniquely personal circumstances. This book will bring clarity and inspiration with beautiful stories and easy guidance, and covers many practical aspects in detail:
       1. The structure and writing of the ceremony including the eulogy (different styles, opening lines, themes and points to cover, celebrating close relationships and managing estranged ones, writing about the joys and the challenges);
       2. Elements of the ceremony including reflections on life and death, naming the emotions present and the cause of death;
       3. The inclusion of music, silence, readings, poems and blessings in a ceremony;
       4. How to choose, include and support speakers;
       5. How to support children at a funeral ceremony;
       6. The order of service or memorial folders;
       7. Special presentations and rituals including memory books, mementoes, tree or flower planting, community collages, letters, altars or memory tables;
       8. Practical checklists for every stage of the ceremony;
       9. The viewing of the body;
       10. Important facts to know when choosing a funeral director or celebrant;
       11. Funeral venues and special touches that make the ceremony personal and meaningful.
    3. There is also a comprehensive list of words for use in writing the ceremony to ensure fresh content.
    4. Plus a chapter of important information for celebrants and ministers to assist them in the many aspects of this important work. Including: the first call and meeting; writing the ceremony, liaison with other service providers, order of service, practical points for the bereaved, at the ceremony, fees, dealing with the emotions and managing the challenges.
    5. There are readings, blessings and quotes throughout the book. This is an heart opening approach to creating beautiful, sincere and dignified ceremonies.

What People Say About ‘Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Services’:

Hi Wendy, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your newsletters, how much I appreciate your thoughts & the information you willingly share. I am relatively new celebrant. I have purchased a few things from you, all of which have been of great help to me as I have entered this interesting & at times challenging role. My previous career as a police officer seems to have stood me in good stead as a celebrant at funerals. I personally feel tremendously rewarded if I have conducted a funeral that meets the deceased’s and the families wishes, as you know it can be a balancing act. Funerals can provide such a sense of love, laughter and warmth, while acknowleging the undeniable feelings of loss & grief. Your book, Inspiring Funeral & Memorial Services, has been a tremendous help to me & I wanted to thank you for such guidance.  – Julie Elliott, Sunshine Coast, Qld

So often, when people are contemplating how to create a meaningful funeralor memorial service, their minds go blank and they are unsure of how to proceed. Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies provides a wealth of practical and personal stories and allows people to put together a ceremony that will really resonate for the family and loved ones. Wendy’s book is easy to navigate and find exactly the right words and rituals to capture the moment and the memories in a meaningful way. A funeral or memorial service can provide a powerful environment for significant healing. The wisdom, readings and rituals detailed in such a personal way ensure that the reader will find an appropriate and loving way to honour the life and impact of their loved one. This book, Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies, is fabulous. I will use it as a regular resource and recommend it wherever I can.  – Petrea King, Founding Director and CEO, Quest for Life Foundation & Author, ‘Sometimes Hearts Have to Break’

“The insight, experiences, spirituality and beauty that Wendy has delivered and dedicated to this book are exceptional and beyond measure.”
– Cath Hogan, Celebrant, Sawtell, NSW

This latest book of Wendy’s is an extremely informative and intuitive guide to creating a funeral, but it is much, much more than that.  In its pages are the wisdom of many years, it is a testament to Wendy’s exceptional ability and to those who trusted her with their lives and the loss of their loved ones. This book offers the reader an opportunity to understand and explore the possibility of creating a meaningful, appropriate and beneficial celebration of a life. It is presented in a way that takes your hand and heart, and leads you expertly through the process step by step, and gently lets it all unfold, so that you feel it is possible and you can do it.  This book encourages you to trust that you will be able to do it as best you can, and that that best will be enough. It is an offering of love, may it bring comfort and inspiration.
– Zenith Virago Co Author of ‘The Intimacy of Death and Dying’

This is another wonderful contribution you have made to the life of us all. Thank you. Your beautifully created book offers thought provoking insight and refreshing inspiration. It reminds us that we are all different. This book is for those who wish to be ‘prepared’ for their own death, for the grieving family and friends who are preparing to say farewell and for anyone who is honoured to be part of creating a meaningful funeral ceremony. Your book reminds us that each person has the right, and now the opportunity, to the best possible style of farewell ceremony, it offers us all gentle loving guidance. Thank you.
– Catie Wood, Celebrant, South Perth, Western Australia

I have just finished reading Wendy’s latest book, Inspiring Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies, and found it offers wonderful, individual ways to celebrate and remember important times in people’s lives. There is a growing desire to celebrate life in a more personal and meaningful way, and Wendy guides us along, with a book that provides practical advice to enable us to perform our own unique ceremony. A keepsake that many celebrants will treasure. Thank you Wendy for being such an inspiration!
– Gail Hughes, Celebrant, Burleigh Heads, Queensland

In true Wendy Haynes style, she has once again created an authentic and meaningful book that can be used by both professionals and amateurs wanting to create simply beautiful personalised ceremonies that help to capture the essence of the occasion. Wendy is such a wonderful role model, mentor and inspiration to everyone in the celebrant industry who has the pleasure of meeting her, both in person and through her books. Her warm heart, talent and ability to share are inspirational. Well done Wendy on another superb publication that I know will be a success!
– Josie Arnold, Celebrant, Duncraig, Western Australia

It is quite acceptable to discuss death in polite conversation. One of the most difficult things with death is that we feel we cannot always deal with the hurt and sadness. Wendy has written a book that will engage everyone. It is important to have a sacred “end of life” celebration and to make it a good one! Wendy helps with this. She is able to give comfort and clear instructions at what can be a confronting time, she manages to temper this with inspiring stories. Wendy has the skill to recognize the uniqueness of relationships and with her creative writing skills she helps guide us through a most difficult time in all our lives. I would commend this very special book to everyone. – – Captain Terry Russell, FAIM, Celebrant, Palmcove, Queensland

Wendy’s book is a valuable reference and guide for anyone during the difficult time of the loss of a loved one – easy to read, practical and straight forward, offering comfort and many ideas that unveil the mystery of the process of dealing with the feelings and the practicalities of planning a funeral. As a celebrant it offers an abundance of ideas and inspiration and could be well used as a teaching reference.
– Linda Scholes, Celebrant, Noosa, Queensland

I was impressed! In her new book, ‘Funerals and Memorial Ceremonies’, Wendy has shared her experiences, skills and creativity so generously and sincerely and has produced a ‘treasure trove’ of valuable experience, inspiration, advice and encouragement that is sure to assist all who read it. This book is written in an uncluttered yet structured way that is easy to read and understand. Wendy has comprehensively covered so many aspects of preparing a funeral ceremony which truly celebrates an individual’s life and allows the family and friends to grieve well. The inclusion of actual ceremonies throughout the text will inspire the reader to see the possibilities.
– Jill Harper, Celebrant, Blackman’s Bay, Tasmania