When we lose someone close to us it is one of the toughest things that a human being can ever go through. Despite the pain that you feel however and as someone who was loved and respected by the recently deceased, it is absolutely vital that you cherish their memory and ensure that they are given a send off that their life deserved. The funeral is your last chance to celebrate the life of the deceased and here are some of the things which you should be thinking about doing, in order to give that person the very best goodbye that they, and their loved ones could hope for.

 Headstone 

Whilst many people rightfully place a lot of emphasis on which coffin they will use for the funeral, it is actually more important to think carefully about what headstone you will use on their grave. Remember that a headstone will be there forever whereas a coffin will only be used on the day of the funeral. The reason for contrasting these two items is that they are both expensive aspects of a funeral and if you have to place preference on one over another then to find a nice headstone should be the priority. 

Music 

Music is a great way to evoke memories and emotions and you should try to incorporate as much music which the deceased enjoyed as you possibly can. Many of us think of loved ones when we hear a particular song, so take great care when planning the music for the funeral or for the wake. It can be easy to simply select a common funeral song but to give the best send off you should try to make it as personal as possible. 

Readings 

In many cases the funeral will consist of some readings such as a passage from the Bible or another holy book, but again this could be something far more personal. As tough as it may be, getting up and sharing stories about the deceased is a great way for everyone to not only remember them, but to remember them in the best possible way. There is of course a time for sadness but the funeral should also be a time for celebration of life. 

Ashes 

If you decide to have the person cremated you should try to think about where you could scatter the ashes. Many people respect the wishes of the deceased in cremating them, but then have no idea where to scatter the ashes, so keep them in an urn in the home. Think about the places that the deceased used to love going to or the things that they enjoyed doing in order to come up with a place to scatter the ashes. Once you have decided where you will put the ashes, be sure that you check with relevant authorities to see if you have permission to scatter them, as not everyone is able to scatter them where they would like.

As much as this is a difficult time, the more personalised that you can make the send off, the better everyone will feel at the funeral as they will be celebrating life, rather than just mourning it.