Meaningful Memorial Service Activity Ideas

Are you looking to hold a memorial service for your loved one?

This article will discuss what a memorial service is, and some meaningful activities that you can take inspiration from to commemorate your loved one.

What is a memorial service?

A memorial service is a dedicated service that is held to commemorate and honor a person that has passed away.

Usually, a memorial service is held without the body of the deceased being present at the venue. Sometimes, people hold a funeral service together with a memorial service following after. 

A funeral service is different from a memorial service and is not the same.

Why Have a Memorial Service?

Often times people hold a memorial service because they feel like they need to have extra time and activities to remember their loved ones. 

Some people want to have a more intimate service, with closer friends and families so that they can remember the loved one more meaningfully.

What Is the Difference Between a Memorial Service and a Funeral Service?

Though it is similar in many ways, a memorial service is not the same as a funeral service.

Most notably, a memorial service is usually held when the body of the deceased has been taken care of.

A funeral service is held before the body is disposed of either through burial or cremation.

Funeral service is also usually held soon after the death of our loved ones (3-5 days after the death). You don’t necessarily need to hold a memorial service immediately after death.

Another difference is that  A funeral service is often more formal and traditional. A funeral service is commonly led by a member of the clergy and a funeral director, whereas a memorial service can be led by a celebrant like a member of the family. 

What Is the Difference Between a Memorial Service and a Celebration of Life?

The difference between a Memorial Service and a Celebration of Life is primarily on the mood of the event.

With a celebration of life service, the mood and theme are celebrating and honoring the loved one in a positive, cheerful way. 

A memorial service is like the hybrid of the traditional funeral service, and a celebration of life. 

The mood though also celebratory, there’s a little somberness in it. 

When to hold a memorial service?

Depending on the host, and the invited guest. Memorial service is more flexible. You could hold it a week after the burial, a month, or several months when everyone is ready.

Meaningful Memorial Service Activity Ideas

Here are some of the activity ideas for a meaningful memorial service you can take inspiration from

Display Photo Collection

Put up a slideshow of pictures of your loved ones. Pictures capture memories perfectly.

Looking at the photos of your loved one together with families and close friends can spark a meaningful conversation that will remember your loved one.

You can prepare a presentation deck with photos of your loved one, added with some texts or descriptions about the photo. 

Or you can also create a short movie that the family can watch together. 

Play Their Favorite Music

Did your loved one have a favorite music artist? If possible try inviting them to the memorial service. 

If it’s not visible to invite the original music artist, you can invite other singers who are good to cover the songs from the artist.

A person’s favorite music often reflects their taste and personality by a lot. Playing a loved one favorite music in a memorial service will surely bring memories and connections to your loved ones.

If hiring a musician or singer is not preferred, a simple audio album or music played through a streaming platform will also suffice.

Potluck Dinner

Hold a memorial service followed by a potluck dinner where all the attendees, attempted to bring the deceased favorite food.

Similar to music, a person’s food taste reflects their personality. Eating their favorite food will definitely ignite conversation about your loved one. 

Create an Online Memorial Website

Life is precious, and when it is lost, sometimes we feel the need to memorialize it so that it won’t be forgotten.

When told well life stories can inspire. For future generations to see their grandparent’s hard work and legacy, can inspire them to do the same as well. 

You can create a memorial website to remember your loved one’s life story in a meaningful way. It has a similar function to obituaries, only that memorial websites have a way greater capacity to capture your loved one’s life meaningfully.

Most memorial websites have a “memories” feature where people can post pictures and tributes as comments on the deceased website page. 

On your loved one’s memorial service day, you could share the website’s link with the guests, and even distant families not attending the event. Invite them to share their thoughts and memories of your loved ones on the page. 

If you’re interested to create a memorial website, take a look at our online memorial website creator! Create a beautiful memorial website on it. Many praised ours to be the most meaningful memorial compared to other platforms.

Thanks for lending an ear. Let’s get back to reading,

Memorial Lantern

Purchase a memorial lantern and install it with pictures of your loved one!  There’s something calming and magical to release a memorial associated with our loved ones.

It symbolizes and portray the feeling of acceptance and letting go of our loved one to the eternal. 

You could purchase one from Amazon or Etsy. Another alternative to memorial lanterns is with a balloon. Remember, with balloons, you gotta watch out for not releasing it in a place that has risks of collisions (electricity wires, etc)

Sharing Sessions

A memorial service will feel extra meaningful with a dedicated sharing session incorporated into the service. 

Talking and listening to other people’s thoughts and memories about our loved ones is heartwarming. 

You could do a sitting sharing session over dinner, or one with a stage where people take turns to speak on it and share their memories of the deceased. 

If it is appropriate try turning it into a bit of a game! Create a list of your loved one’s favorite activities, places, hobbies, food, music, and other interest. Ask the group and see who can guess all the deceased’s interests the most. 

Perhaps the winner can get your loved one’s favorite belonging or item. It will be a meaningful and memorable remembrance of your loved one.

End of Article

Thank you for reading through. We hope this article helps you to have a meaningful memorial service. 

A memorial service gives an extra moment of remembrance and intimate connection to honor our loved ones. 

What did you do at your loved one’s memorial service? Share your idea with us in the comment!