If the funeral you are arranging is for someone who was a well-known public figure, you might need to follow the advice below.
Book the funeral home's private chapel
A person popular in their community will probably have a lot of supporters and critics, particularly if they had polarising opinions about sensitive subjects like religion or politics. The former may feel bereft at the news of the deceased's death, even if they did not know him or her personally. Because of this, supporters or well-wishers might desperately want to go to the funeral service, whilst the critics could cause problems, as they may be hoping to deliberately spoil the funeral service by being verbally or physically aggressive during it. Additionally, there is a chance that some local or national news stations may send journalists to the funeral home, in the hopes of documenting the event.
If you want to ensure that none of these groups gets the chance to intrude and potentially ruin this important day, you should arrange to have the deceased's funeral service at a private funeral chapel. This should prevent the deceased's well-meaning but intrusive supporters from entering and overcrowding the chapel (and possibly causing a scene with their overt displays of grief) and should also ensure that the service is not spoiled by either the deceased's adversaries shouting disrespectful things or trying to vandalise the funeral home, or by insensitive journalists trying to record and report on the funeral as it occurs.
Provide fans or supporters of the deceased with some means of paying their respects
Whilst you may not feel it is appropriate to allow the deceased's large number of supporters to come to the funeral home, it might be nice to give them some other way in which to pay their respects.
You could, for example, organise a candlelight vigil in a public space, which would give these people the chance to express their admiration for the deceased, discuss the sadness they feel because he or she has died and perhaps find solace in the company of others who are going through the same thing they are. You may also want to invite these people to donate to the deceased's favourite charity, as a way of honouring his or her memory. Doing some or all of these things would let these individuals know that their well-wishes and love for the deceased are recognised and appreciated.
For more tips on hosting a funeral, contact a local private funeral chapel.
Share22 January 2020
Hello. If you are in the process of planning a funeral, you have come to the right place. While no one likes the idea of having to plan their own or a family member's funeral, death is something which no one can escape. By learning all you can about this subject now, you can make informed decisions about how you want your or a family member's send off from this world to be organised and paid for. We aren't pros but we are passionate about this subject. Read on to find out more about the process of planning a funeral.
