I Will Remember You

This beautiful video is intended to be a gift to families who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. We know that death is difficult, stressful and confusing. We believe, however, that remembrance is good. And this touching video is a reminder of all the ways we can remember and cherish family members forever. The video is a poem and a song on film, that we hope you can watch many times—helping you begin the process of moving from grieving to remembrance.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Fairmont Memorial Park

Mausoleum crypts and niches are available for families choosing a burial or cremation with inurnment. Mausoleum entombment is considered to be the finest type of burial known to man. A mausoleum’s solid construction signifies durability, devotion and honor.

The Wings of Gold Gift Set

The Wings of Gold Gift Set includes a beautiful Italian Style Music Box, and a lovely yellow silk sympathy bouquet. When the music box is opened, a glass enclosure allows you to see the musical movement as it plays “Wind Beneath My Wings”. The inside of the music box is finished with black velvet to hold jewelry or other treasured mementos. Also included is a yellow silk sympathy bouquet, which is a lovely accent to the home, with 8 yellow silk roses surrounded by greenery.

• Music box contains Sankyo brand movements, the highest quality available, to ensure the melody is always clear and consistent.

• Verse on front of music box and attached to sympathy bouquet reads:

Your loved one isn’t missing

The Significance of Releasing Funeral White Doves at Funeral and Memorial Ceremonies

Releasing funeral doves as part of the service or celebration of the life of a loved one not only pays a poignant tribute to the person who has died, but can also prove emotionally uplifting and inspirational for the mourners attending the funeral. The sense of peace and closure is almost tangible.

Specialist Funeral Dove Release Service Providers

Dove release service providers will tailor a package according to your exact wishes and will then liaise with the funeral director to organise the presentation.

The actual release of the doves usually takes place at the end of the funeral service, civil ceremony or memorial service. A poem or piece of prose may be read or a favourite piece of music played to accompany the release. Alternatively, you may choose for the doves to be released in total silence.

The doves are released from a basket decorated in the style of your choice and the presentation is carried out by experienced dove handlers who will be appropriately attired for the occasion. On a practical note, one should bear in mind that funeral doves can only be released outdoors and in full daylight. This allows sufficient time for them to return home before it gets dark, typically at least two hours before sunset.

Symbolic Meaning & Significance

The dove is the universal symbol of peace, hope and freedom and, in this context, the release of funeral doves symbolises the release of the spirit of the departed who is finally at peace. The actual number of doves released is also significant and offers nuances of symbolic meaning and representation. For example:

• a single white dove represents the peaceful release and onward journey of the spirit of the deceased;
• a pair of doves symbolises the journey of the spirit of the person who has died accompanied by their spirit guide or guardian angel;
• the release of three doves followed immediately by the release of a single dove signifies the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost guiding the spirit of the departed on their journey to heaven;
• ten doves released simultaneously offer a symbolic celebration of the life of a loved one and say a simple, fond farewell.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3855577

Post Funeral Checklist

Real Estate Properties change all jointly held deeds.
    Solano County Assessor/Recorder    (707) 784-6290

Notify Insurance Companies and file claims
    Life Insurance
    Medical, Health, Disability, Travel, and Accident
    Retirement Benefits, Annuities, Pensions
    Home Owners
    Car Insurance

Apply for appropriate benefits when applicable.
    Social Security Survivor Benefits
         700 Main St. Ste. 220, Suisun City    (800) 772-1213
         Web Address:  www.socialsecurity.gov
    Workmen’s Compensation Benefits
    Civil Service Benefits
    Union Benefits
    Survivor Benefits from deceased’s employer

Notify accountant/tax preparer. Provide certified copies
    of death certificate, previously filed tax return forms, and current earnings and dividend statements.

Notify Stockbroker
    Transfer ownership of joint or solely owned stock, bonds and mutual funds.
    Cancel any open orders arranged by the deceased.
    IRA and Retirement Accounts.

Notify Bank
    Change all jointly held accounts and correct tax identification numbers (usually Social Security number).
    Cancel Direct Deposit Retirement Benefit Payments.
    Re-establish title of Safety Deposit Box.
    Re-establish all outstanding mortgages, notes, leases, accounts payable/receivable, etc.
    Apply for any credit life insurance which may exist on loans, credit cards and mortgages.

Notify Department of Motor Vehicles to transfer titles
    of all registered vehicles, mobile homes, and boats registered in the deceased’s name.
    160 Serrano Dr, Fairfield    (800) 777-0133
    621 Orange Dr, Vacaville    (800) 777-0133

Notify All Credit Card Account Companies
    Apply for all credit card life insurance coverage when applicable.
    Cancel all individual held cards of the deceased.
    Change all jointly held accounts

Department of Veteran Services
    675 Texas Street, Fairfield    (707) 784-6590
    120 W. Main Street, Woodland    (530) 406-4851

Ordering More Death Certificates
     Solano County Recorder    (707) 784-6294

5 Ways To Make A Memorial Personal

A memorial to a loved one is one of the most personal things you will ever have to choose in your life or for another. Here are 5 ways in which honoring the memory of the recently passed can keep their memory alive in a way unique to them.

Etching Designs

An image etched on to granite can be a particularly touching tribute to a loved one. Most symbols and pictures can be incorporated onto the memorial. Whether it be a religious symbol, type of flower or personal logo, whatever was important to your cherished person can be reflected in an etching design.

Traditional Kerbed Memorials

Kerbed memorials are ideal for those who appreciate traditional burials, a style that has been popular for many years. The entire area of the grave can be marked out by the granite edges. The interior of the memorial can be filled in with whatever would be most appropriate for your loved one, whether it be soil for growing flowers or a solid piece of granite for an elegant and clean appearance.

Special Memorials

Your loved one may have had time to make decisions as to their burial before passing, and if they desired a specially made memorial they can have their particular design made. Most ideas can be reproduced in stone, so perhaps the best way to honour your loved one would be to have something unique carved for them, such as a religious statue or even a granite bench.

Flower Container

A common feature of resting places is a flower vase which can be placed on the base of a headstone or in the center of a kerbed memorial. Although they appear frequently at burial places, this is simply because they are a lovely way to add a personal touch to your loved one's grave. Leaving flowers at a grave is a touching sentiment that is very personal to those who are being remembered and those who are remembering; leaving a favorite flower at a resting place is a dignified way of showing that they will always be remembered.

Photo Plaque

If a visual memory of your loved one would be perfect for them, ceramic or hand-etched photo plaques can be added to memorials. This adds the ultimate personal touch and a way in which the best moments of a cherished life can be immortalized  Whether ceramic or hand-carved, the photo plaque can easily be maintained as part of a granite or marble memorial.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7187037

Consider Subscribing To "Letting The Sunshine In"

Seven days a week we'll send you a short message of support. That's 365 days of wise words, helpful tips, and healing activities.

• Letting the Sun Shine In Daily Emails

  When someone you love dies, grieving that loss can take a long time. As in any emotional journey, there are rough spots to be weathered, and moments when you catch a glimpse of a sunnier horizon. We want to be your daily companion, helping you to let the sun shine back into your life. These daily emails provide encouragement and gentle reminders of the recovery process. Interested?

  View a Preview of Day 1.
• Your daily affirmation emails have given me hope for a better tomorrow. - Emily
• 
  
• Your messages have helped me reflect the life my grandfather lived and have helped me heal. - Dan
• 
  
• 
  
• Click HERE To Sign Up
• 
  

• Privacy Statement

  Bryan Braker Funeral Home values your privacy. We will never give, sell, rent or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization. Subscribing to our daily emails will not result in unwanted emails from us or third party vendors. Should you ever wish to unsubscribe, you can easily do so by clicking on a link at the bottom of any one of the affirmation messages.

Keys To Reducing Funeral Stress

1. Even in an emergency, you have more time than you think.

One of the greatest causes of stress around planning and arranging a funeral—especially an unexpected one, is that you have to do it in a very short time. Trying to plan a funeral in just a couple of days can be extremely stressful, and frustrating. But the reality is that you have more time than you may think.

While it is true that certain aspects have to be done quickly, the actual date and arrangements for the funeral can be done on your schedule, within reason. (The exception to this is that certain religions like Judaism require strict timelines for burial.) Find a funeral home or cemetery in your area that can give you expert advice on any specific requirements.

If this is an Emergency, go to our section on Funeral Emergency or watch The Remembrance Process℠ video below for a quick overview of what needs to be done.

2. Empower your family by getting information in advance.

For many families, especially in American culture, the idea of discussing death, and funeral planning is uncomfortable. Even in families where a loved one is terminally ill, the idea of discussing funeral arrangements is often seen as morbid, or an indication that the family is “giving up” on the loved one. In addition, because information about funerals, cremation, monuments, hospice, nursing homes, has not been readily available, the subject is treated with the fear that accompanies the unknown.

The Remembrance Process℠ can provide planning materials, and information about your options and rights on-line, or over the phone, or by calling a Remembrance Provider℠. Gaining this information in advance allows families to plan in a calm and peaceful way in the privacy of their home. When you can discuss options, look at choices, and consider ways of saying goodbye to your loved one, the perspective about the funeral can change dramatically. Knowledge is power, and never more so, than about this inevitable life event. Funerals will always be stressful events, but knowing what to expect in advance, can reduce that stress tremendously.

3. Plan in advance (even shortly in advance) if you can.

Giving your family a funeral plan, may be one of the best gifts you ever give them, since it allows them to stop worrying about details, allows them to come together as a family to grieve, without distractions.

Often, a significant cause of stress in planning a funeral is the disagreement between family members over what “ dad or mom would have wanted.” Arguments can occur over whether burial or cremation is desired, what kind of casket is appropriate, what kind of service, what kind of monument, when to have the service, and how much to pay for these arrangements.

Ironically, these arguments often occur in the most loving families, where different family members have strong opinions on how to honor their deceased family member.

See information on funeral planning on this site, or find a funeral home to learn about funeral planning tools that can assist you in creating a funeral plan that is as simple or detailed as you want. You can even add information about your genealogy, choices of music, or obituary that may provide extraordinary comfort to your family not only at the time of death, but in years to come. Almost 40% of all families now choose to use hospice care as the way to make end of life a more personal and natural process. Allowing the loved one to be cared for at home, surrounded by family members, is seen by many as a tremendous advantage over a death that occurs in a hospital, that almost always has to be more impersonal.4. Explore hospice care as a way of making end of life a more natural, personal process.

In addition, many families find that the care provided by hospice nurses, chaplains, and medical and social worker professionals not only helps the terminally ill patient, but helps the family as well. These professionals are experienced in helping families say goodbye to their loved ones in personal ways, and they can also help in personalizing the care the dying person receives.

By helping make death part of a natural process, rather than a sudden and separate event, the hospice experience leads to a funeral process and event that for many is more natural, more humane, and in many cases, more spiritual than what they have experienced by dealing only with the hospital. 

For more information please visit the hospice section of this site or call one of our counselors to find a hospice or funeral home near you.

5. Budget and explore financing options for the funeral in advance.

If you have time to prepare, there are many ways to reduce the financial stress of a funeral. And your Remembrance Providers℠ can help here. Also, if you have traditional insurance, your Remembrance Provider℠ can help process this for you. In addition, Remembrance Providers℠ can discuss various approaches to making sure you get the funeral you want, in a way that matches your budget, so that you can focus on moving from grieve to remembrance. They can also tell you about final expense insurance, which is inexpensive and generally available to people 50-85.

6. Connect with a clergyman or spiritual counselor to help your family through this time.

End of life is a difficult passage, and for many families, the counsel and advice provided by experienced ministers or clergy can be a significant aid. Even for families who may not be actively involved in a church, the guidance and support of a clergyman or woman can be wonderfully comforting. In addition, many families may need advice on religious traditions that their parents observed, and which they would like to honor.

What To Expect When You Arrive At The Funeral Home

One of the first things the funeral arranger will do is to provide you with our general price list. He or she will then guide you through the entire arrangement process, explaining how you can create a memorable personal celebration of your loved one's life. This is not a one-way conversation; we want to hear your ideas and desires, and use them as the foundation for the arrangement process.

This process may include:

• Preparing and filing the official death certificate
• Scheduling the location, date and time of services or events
• Selecting a casket, urn or other items
• Preparing an obituary notice
• Scheduling vehicles
• Selecting pallbearers

You may also sign necessary authorizations or make arrangements to have them signed by the appropriate family members.

We’d like you to bring any photos, a favorite song, or memorabilia so that you and your funeral arranger can better discuss how you would like your loved one to be remembered. Having these things, and knowing their favorite song or favorite gathering place – even their favorite activity – will help us create a truly fitting memorial service.

Our funeral arrangers will assist you in planning a loving tribute that captures the spirit of the person whose life you wish to honor. To learn more about personalizing the service, please read the Honoring Life section of this Web site. The funeral arranger will discuss personalization with you during your arrangement conference.

The following checklist will help you remember what information about the decedent and items will be needed when meeting with a funeral arranger.

• Full legal name
• Home address
• Social Security number
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Father's name
• Mother's maiden name
• Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214)
• Recent Photograph
• Highest education
• Occupation
• Place of burial (if applicable)
• Clothing
• Clergy name and phone number
• Survivors (name and relationship)
• Insurance policies (if applicable)

Hospice And Palliative Care

In the last 30 years, hospice and palliative care organizations across the country have made an incredible difference in the lives and the last days of millions of people and their families. Simply put, palliative care is focused on the relief of a patient’s pain, rather than curing the underlying illness. It is not an attempt to prolong life or to bring about death. Palliative care can be provided along with curative procedures, or in the case of hospice, without those efforts for a person with a life-limiting condition and a prognosis of only months to live.

In this moving video below, a man provides his personal perspective on the value of hospice care and how helping his mother-in-law move from the hospital to hospice care at her home made a positive, and life-affirming difference for her and her family, even as she approached death.

 Hospice began as a way of treating terminally ill cancer patients, but soon grew to encompass palliative care for patients suffering from any life-limiting condition. Before the hospice and palliative care movement took root in this country, the dominant focus of treatment for the terminally ill was the preservation and prolongation of life at any cost. Many people who had little hope of living more than weeks or months were subjected to extraordinary and intrusive procedures in an attempt to keep them alive for even a little bit longer. An unintended consequence of this focus on treatment was a loss in the quality of life for many patients who died in pain or unconscious in hospitals, rather than in a coherent and pain-free state in the presence of their families.

Options for Care

Throughout the ages, most people have been able to die in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. In the mid to late 20th century, this changed as treatment focused on prolonging life at all costs. More and more people ended up dying, often against their own wishes, in the cold and institutional environments of hospitals. One of the most significant ways that the hospice movement has helped patients and their families, is advocating for the right of patients to choose where they spent their last days, allowing the terminally ill to once again have the option of dying at home.

Although this option remains a priority for hospice organizations, care is available in a variety of settings. In addition to in-home skilled nursing care, hospice care is available in nursing homes, hospitals, and inpatient hospice care facilities. Some organizations supplement in-home care with periods of facility-based care to provide respite for caregivers. This service allows for caregivers to recharge and enables them to continue to care for the patient at home for a longer time. Generally, the services provided to hospice patients includes nursing care, physician care, 24 hour on-call assistance, medical social services, spiritual support, trained volunteers, and bereavement services for patients in any treatment setting, as well as home care aids, and limited 24 hour continuous care for patients at home.

Who pays for hospice care?

Many see in-home care to be a far preferable experience for the patient, and it is less expensive to deliver as well. Insurance coverage for hospice care is available through Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurers. In fact, Hospice care saves these programs and taxpayers money, as compared to costs associated with traditional treatment.

Who is eligible for hospice care?

Typically, patients with a physician’s diagnosis of a terminal illness and a prognosis of living for only another six months are eligible for hospice care. Hospice care is available to the terminally ill no matter what their age. If you or your loved one fits this description, discuss your options with your physician.

When to call

Many patients and their family members remark that they wish they had contacted their hospice care provider earlier, and providers encourage people to call as soon as they are diagnosed with a life-limiting condition. Often, the quality of life experienced by the patient and the family can be meaningfully improved, and their ability to maintain care at home prolonged because of an early call to hospice.

Patients with life-limiting conditions have more options today than ever before, including the opportunity to spend their last days in a lucid, pain managed and comforted environment. The ability to spend these precious days interacting with their families and friends in a meaningful way has had a wonderful effect on their experience and that of those close to them. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, talk with your physician about all the options for your care, including hospice.

http://www.remembranceprocess.com/pre-planning/14-hospice-and-palliative-care

Bryan-Braker Adapts To The Needs Of Families

Fairfield - Bryan-Braker adapts to the needs of the families they serve. While providing funeral, cemetery and cremation services to local families for over 50 years there have been some changes.

Bryan-Braker realizes the value of personalization and its value to the families we serve. Celebrating a life lived through gatherings that allow more family participation and stories about how we remember our loved one are much more common today. Families are encouraged to bring in photographs of different times in their lives, doing what they loved to do for hobbies, fun, traveling, or being with family and friends. The photographs help to create a fuller picture of the person’s life. The times that made us laugh and times that made a difference in other people’s lives. From customized memorial folders to video tributes, we want to create a memorable service for everyone. This personalization will have them talking, laughing, crying and sharing memories. Helping families gather these life mementos, photos, memories, and to plan the gathering or celebration of one’s life is what we do at Bryan-Braker.

To help deliver this service we have invested in state of the art audio/visual equipment and have well trained staff that can scan a box of photo memories and turn them into a 6 to 10 minute video production that is a beautiful mosaic of the person’s life. This production would be accompanied by music and is a beautiful tribute to a life lived. Additional copies of the production can be given to family and friends. Also, we can create slideshows that can be continually shown on wall mounted LCD screens throughout the lobby areas during the visitations.

By staying up to date on technology, we have yet another tool for us to use to meet the needs of today’s families. We know that you only get to plan the service once and whether the family chooses a small or a grand send off, Bryan-Braker can help with all the details with special care of your loved one, assisting with hotel rooms for out of town guests, to the reception planning after the service.

Another trend is, more and more families are choosing cremation and we have our own crematory at our cemetery Fairmont Memorial Park and this is comforting to families knowing their loved one never leaves our care.

I often hear people say ….“There is nothing new in funeral service.” But that is only true if you’re not open to new ideas. We will always strive to be the best funeral service provider by having the best funeral directors and the necessary technology to meet the needs of the families we are privileged to serve.

Granite Monuments and Headstones

When many people think of a permanent remembrance for their loved one, their first image is often of a traditional granite monument or headstone. And there is good reason for this. Granite monuments have been a traditional choice to mark a life since colonial times. Granite is a time-defying material, it can last for hundreds of year, and it allows for remembrances in all different shapes and sizes, from two-dimensional headstones, to fully realized three-dimensional upright monuments that truly capture a life.

Because of the great many choices families have in size and shape in granite, they can most often find something that meets their needs for permanence, solace, celebration of memories, and private reflection.

And new technologies are giving families new ways to personalize their headstones or monuments. For example, even on the simplest headstone, you can place a color permanent picture or pictures of your loved one. You can write poems, or summaries of a person’s life, all of which can be captured in granite permanently. And with upright monuments you have an almost unlimited flexibility to design or choose a monument that truly reflects a unique life. A ballerina, an angel, an angler, a golfer, and much more, all can be captured with today’s new design capabilities. And for an especially elegant look, you can put a semi-precious bronze memorial on a granite base. The choices you have are often limited only by your personal vision and taste.

Because of these new creative choices, many families are finding that coming together to design or write the words for a highly personal monument becomes a fulfilling and important part of moving from grieving to remembrance.

And these more personal ways of remembering are increasingly appealing to all families, whether they choose burial or cremation. Families are realizing that having a permanent place to remember a loved one has tremendous value, not only for them and for today, but also for their children and grandchildren.

Choosing and personalizing a headstone or monument can be as simple or as involved as you wish. Your cemetery professional can help show you your choices, and can ensure that you are free to concentrate on writing the poems, stories or providing the images you want on the headstone or monument. They will also be able to give you professional guidance on any special requirements that they may have regarding the size and shape of monuments and memorials. (Please be aware that most cemeteries do have certain restrictions.  For example, some cemeteries only accept flat headstones; others have selected sections in which only certain types of monuments or headstones can be placed.)

Contacting your cemetery professional is the best way of getting the information you need to make the choice that is right for you and your family. To find An Authorized Remembrance Provider℠ near you, just click on “cemetery” in the search box on the bottom of this page.

How Families are Remembering Their Loved Ones

This video shows how families are using traditional and new methods to create personal and meaningful, permanent remembrances for their loved ones. You will see touching and inspirational approaches to creating monuments and memorials that tell the story of a life, in words, pictures, and images. New technologies allow us to be creative in ways that most of us have never imagined. These examples of monuments and memorials show how we all can leave a mark in a very special and personalized way.

Advice on Remembrance from a Minister

Advice on Remembrance from a Minister

How to Arrange a Funeral - Many People Plan While They Are Alive

It's a challenge that most of us will have to address one day. Even if we never have to arrange a funeral for someone else there's always our own send off to think about - particularly with the sensible trend for planning funerals while we are still alive.

Are funeral arrangements in place?

Assuming you're faced with the challenge of arranging a funeral for someone else, one of the first tasks is discovering whether they've left any funeral plans. The deceased's will is a good starting point. Other possible sources of information include the following:

• A letter of wishes (perhaps stored with the will)
• An online funeral planning resource such as The Well Planned Funeral
• Recalled conversations with the deceased

If the deceased has stored funeral wishes online, you may even be notified of their wishes by the website. The information might be as simple as a choice between burial or cremation. On the other hand, you could find yourself managing an unusual funeral arrangement request such as a burial at sea.

Understand the deceased's wishes

As the person responsible for organising a funeral, you and other loved ones are responsible for fulfilling their wishes as closely as possible. Obviously, financial means and logistical practicalities must be considered when planning a funeral - not everyone will be able to have their ashes made into fireworks and blasted into the sky as writer Hunter S. Thompson's were. At this stage, you might also discover that the deceased had already made their own arrangements by subscribing to a prepaid funeral plan.

How to arrange a funeral - contact an undertaker

Once you understand the deceased's funeral wishes, you'll usually contact an undertaker. A reputable undertaker is an experienced funeral planner who'll guide you through the required procedures. Whether it's a sophisticated funeral or a simple cremation, the undertaker and their team are powerful allies at an emotionally challenging time. They've been through the process many times so draw on their expertise to help with the administrative and practical burdens that you're facing. And of course, friends and family are another valuable source of funeral help.

Practical funeral actions

A major part of the funeral will be the ceremony itself. How to arrange a funeral will depend on the deceased's beliefs; these may dictate an elaborate religious ceremony or a simple alternative funeral. Whatever its form the funeral ceremony represents the culmination of mourning and the opportunity for everyone to say goodbye to the deceased. Start making a funeral checklist as soon as you can; it's a sensible way to make sure everything is remembered. Important parts of the funeral service usually include the following:

• Decoration of the venue with flowers and/or other meaningful items
• Funeral music
• Poems or readings
• Religious rituals (if appropriate)
• Tributes and appreciations
• Committal of the deceased for burial or cremation

When the funeral's over, the mourners will typically move to a cemetery or a crematorium for the committal of the body. After this, it's usual for mourners to join the friends and family for refreshments - a wonderful opportunity to reminisce and celebrate the life of the deceased in more informally.

How to arrange a funeral - many people plan while they're alive

Increasingly, enlightened people take responsibility for their final send-off while they're still alive. From burial instructions to details of funeral flowers arrangements or a poem to be read at a funeral, it's a great way to make sure your wishes are fulfilled. Whether you do this by leaving instructions in your will, investing in a prepaid funeral plan or learn how to arrange a funeral through an online funeral planning resource will depend on your personal preferences.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5068854

Caskets and Remembrance- Ways Families Are Saying Goodbye

More info at http://www.remembranceprocess.com

Caskets and Remembrance- Ways Families Are Sayin

Sending Funeral Flowers and Sympathy Flowers

Sending Funeral and Sympathy Flowers is a widely practiced tradition across many cultures to express condolences and respect following a death. When someone has lost a loved one, it can bring great comfort to receive a flower arrangement with an expression of sympathy. It provides a simple, uplifting and touching way to show the bereaved that you are thinking about them in their time of loss.

What is the difference between Sympathy Flowers and Funeral Flowers?

Sympathy Flowers are typically a personal expression to offer condolences sent direct to the home, or place of work, of the bereaved family. Sympathy arrangements are usually of the design that they will fit onto a table-top, and give a heart-warming distraction to the grief-stricken during the time of recent loss. Conventionally Sympathy Flowers are white, although other colours are quite acceptable. If you chose to send Sympathy Flowers, a number of options are available, selecting designs from simple floral bouquets to a houseplant or an exotic orchid. The important consideration in sending sympathy flowers is that the natural beauty and scent of flowers can have a special effect on the human senses in evoking compassion. Prices for sending Sympathy Flowers do vary, but you can expect to be able to send a simple arrangement from $30.00. Using an online flower retailer is becoming common practice these days, and indeed significant savings can be made this way. Cheap Sympathy Flowers can be ordered online, or by telephone, from US Funerals Online.

Funeral Flowers are traditionally considered the flower arrangement that is sent to the funeral service. A Funeral Flower arrangement is typically a standing arrangement, most are one-sided and fan-shaped, and they are carefully designed for the purpose of creating a very visible floral tribute at a funeral service. This is why most funeral flower arrangements are designed for display purposes on an easel, or to be laid on or around a casket. As with Sympathy Flowers, Funeral Flowers are sent as an explicit expression of condolences, and are often sent to a funeral service when one is unable to personally attend. Funeral Floral displays are an important aspect of adding colour and grace to a funeral service, helping to create a compassionate ambiance to a somber event. Florists will offer a selection of standing funeral flower arrangements, and prices generally start from around $65.00 with large standing sprays or casket sprays ranging to $300.00.

If you are intending on sending funeral flowers to a church or funeral home for a funeral service, then you may need to consider a few things. Firstly, you may need to establish what the wishes of the family are...do they want floral displays, and would they prefer them to be sent to the funeral home, the cemetery or the church? What time is the service being conducted? The funeral director can normally advise on the families' wishes if you cannot speak directly to the family. However, do be wary of the funeral home offering to arrange flowers for you, as they can often cost more than ordering direct yourself. Florists are extremely understanding of ensuring funeral flowers are delivered in a timely fashion for a funeral service, and many will even offer to call you to confirm their delivery. To view a selection of cheap funeral flowers offered with a 50% discount on full retail price, visit US Funerals Online and view our Funeral Flowers.

What else to consider?

Whether you are selecting sympathy funeral or funeral flowers, you can choose either traditional arrangements, or select flowers and colors that represent special meaning to the bereaved. For example: you may choose colors that help to signify a story about the life of the deceased. It is often considered common for a veteran to be honoured with a red, white and blue floral tribute

What message to send with Funeral Flowers?

Not sure how to convey your condolences? A simple card and message lets the bereaved family know that your thoughts are with them. The common messages used to express condolences are "With deepest sympathy", "Thinking of you in these difficult times", and "My thoughts and prayers are with you".

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4117829

5 Ways To Make A Memorial Personal

A memorial to a loved one is one of the most personal things you will ever have to choose in your life or for another. Here are 5 ways in which honoring the memory of the recently passed can keep their memory alive in a way unique to them.

Etching Designs

An image etched on to granite can be a particularly touching tribute to a loved one. Most symbols and pictures can be incorporated onto the memorial. Whether it be a religious symbol, type of flower or personal logo, whatever was important to your cherished person can be reflected in an etching design.

Traditional Kerbed Memorials

Kerbed memorials are ideal for those who appreciate traditional burials, a style that has been popular for many years. The entire area of the grave can be marked out by the granite edges. The interior of the memorial can be filled in with whatever would be most appropriate for your loved one, whether it be soil for growing flowers or a solid piece of granite for an elegant and clean appearance.

Special Memorials

Your loved one may have had time to make decisions as to their burial before passing, and if they desired a specially made memorial they can have their particular design made. Most ideas can be reproduced in stone, so perhaps the best way to honour your loved one would be to have something unique carved for them, such as a religious statue or even a granite bench.

Flower Container

A common feature of resting places is a flower vase which can be placed on the base of a headstone or in the center of a kerbed memorial. Although they appear frequently at burial places, this is simply because they are a lovely way to add a personal touch to your loved one's grave. Leaving flowers at a grave is a touching sentiment that is very personal to those who are being remembered and those who are remembering; leaving a favorite flower at a resting place is a dignified way of showing that they will always be remembered.

Photo Plaque

If a visual memory of your loved one would be perfect for them, ceramic or hand-etched photo plaques can be added to memorials. This adds the ultimate personal touch and a way in which the best moments of a cherished life can be immortalized  Whether ceramic or hand-carved, the photo plaque can easily be maintained as part of a granite or marble memorial.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7187037

Cremation and Permanent Remembrance

Years ago, cremation was seen as "just cremation." Families would hear a family member say, "just cremate me." What many families didn't realize then was that such an approach could limit the ability of the family and friends to fully say goodbye to a loved one, and to successfully move through the grieving process. At the loss of a loved one, there is no such thing as "just." The emotional needs of the family and friends at the loss is exactly the same for families whether they choose cremation or burial. Learning about your choices with cremation ensures that you and your family can benefit from the time-tested approaches that help families move from grieving to remembrance.

Why Pre-Plan Final Arrangements?

YOU EASE THE BURDEN ON YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AND YOU TAKE CONTROL OF HOW YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED.

But the one decision that most of us put off talking about is the one that has to do with the inevitable day when we’re not here to make those decisions together. The discussion of dying and the decisions that have to be made by the surviving partner and children are difficult ones, but they will have to be made. And most families that have gone through that process will tell everyone that it is far better to make those decisions far in advance of death when the mind is clearer and the emotions aren’t so overwhelming. That is what pre-planning final arrangements is about. It is for you to carry out your wishes and for your family not to be burdened of deciding what you wanted. Pre-planning is about love.

In the past, pre-planning final arrangements wasn’t as important as it is today. Final arrangements used to be nearly the same for every person in a family or community, from the schedule of events, to the funeral home, to the hymns, to the cemetery. For better or worse, things are a lot more complicated today.

In this short video Mr. William Russo talks about the importance of pre-planning and the misconceptions people have about it.

Learn More: http://www.remembranceprocess.com/remembrance-process/step-one/pre-planning

A How-To Guide For Funeral Arrangements

Here you can learn what to do if a friend or loved one has just died or if death is expected sometime soon. The following guides will take you through the steps of arranging a funeral from making the first call when someone dies to the various matters to be handled following the funeral.

1. First Call

   The deceased is still at the place of death and a “first call” needs to be made to arrange for transportation of the deceased to a funeral home or other funeral service facility. 

2. Deceased Transportation

   The First Call results in an initial transfer of the deceased from the place of death to a funeral home or other facility. In some cases, a second transfer may be required either — locally to another funeral home — or to another city for ceremonies and burial. 

3. Funeral Services

   Planning a funeral involves making many decisions concerning funeral ceremonies, funeral products and final disposition of the body. For assistance in arranging funerals people usually turn to funeral directors. .

4. Cemetery Arrangements

   If cemetery property has not already been purchased, it will be necessary to meet with a cemetery representative to purchase a burial or entombment space. In some cases, the funeral director can make these arrangements on behalf of a family. 

5. Funeral and Memorial Products

   There are various options for purchasing caskets, grave markers, and other funeral merchandise. These products are available through a funeral home, cemetery, monument company, or other retailer. 

6. Estate, Financial and Administrative Matters

   Following the funeral, the affairs of the deceased must be put in order. These matters range from sending death notices to filing death benefit claims to changing title of the deceased’s assets. 

A Consistent Place of Healing- Wall of Memories

A Consistent Place of Healing- Wall of Memories

This memorial wall is open to anyone who wishes to place a permanent, bronze plaque.  The plaque is custom made for your loved one and can include name, dates, personal history, poem, emblems, artwork, even cast bronze portraits. The Wall of Memories is located on the center pathway on the south side of the Elm Dormitory.

Also, many families are choosing to scatter the cremated remains of their loved one in a favorite place; the ocean, or even in the skies above. While that may seem fitting at the time, it means that you do not have a consistent place to connect with the memories of the person you loved so dearly.

Having such permanent place - in a cemetery, mausoleum, or cremation garden - that can be visited regularly by family and friends is an essential part of the time following a death. It becomes a focal point of memorialization, and gives everyone a special place to go to remember your loved one, or to commemorate important occasions. It can help to make a birthday or anniversary less painful.

A permanent place to reflect on your loved one becomes a way of connecting to a family's past. Visiting the resting place of grandparents or great-grandparents may provide children with an anchor to their personal history. It is a connection to the past, to love shared. It truly honors the relationship you still have – and will always have – with that person.

Fairmont Memorial Park

Mausoleum crypts and niches are available for families choosing a burial or cremation with inturnment. Mausoleum entombment is considered to be the finest type of burial known to man. A mausoleum’s solid construction signifies durability, devotion and honor.

I'll Remember You

This beautiful video is intended to be a gift to families who are dealing with the loss of a loved one. We know that death is difficult, stressful and confusing. We believe, however, that remembrance is good. And this touching video is a reminder of all the ways we can remember and cherish family members forever. The video is a poem and a song on film, that we hope you can watch many times—helping you begin the process of moving from grieving to remembrance.

The Stages Of Grief

What are the stages of grief? A search of the internet will turn up articles on 4 stages, 5 stages and even 7 stages of grief. The concept of stages has evolved from the “5 stages of dying” popularized by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her book, On Death and Dying, originally published in 1969. According to Dr. Kübler-Ross, the stages that a dying person goes through are:

1. Denial and Isolation — initially the person denies that the situation exists, “It cannot possibly be,” and may withdraw and isolate himself from others.
2. Anger — the person becomes angry about the situation and may place blame on herself or others, “It’s not fair that this is happening to me.”
3. Bargaining — the person makes a deal with God, “Let me live and I will do this …”
4. Depression — the person is overcome with sadness and despair, “It’s hopeless, why bother with anything?”
5. Acceptance — feelings of anger and sadness have subsided and the person accepts the reality of the situation and decides to make the best of it.

The Real Meaning of the Stages

Dr. Kübler-Ross’ stages have since been applied to grief and other forms of personal loss, such as loss of a job or onset of a disability. In her book, On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss, Dr. Kübler-Ross says,

“The stages have evolved since their introduction, and they have been very misunderstood over the past three decades. They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no typical loss. Our grief is as individual as our lives.”

She goes on to say of the 5 stages, “They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief. Not everyone goes through all of them or goes in a prescribed order.”

How Families are Remembering Their Loved Ones

This video shows how families are using traditional and new methods to create personal and meaningful, permanent remembrances for their loved ones. You will see touching and inspirational approaches to creating monuments and memorials that tell the story of a life, in words, pictures, and images. New technologies allow us to be creative in ways that most of us have never imagined. These examples of monuments and memorials show how we all can leave a mark in a very special and personalized way.

The Remembrance Process℠ Video

More info at http://www.remembranceprocess.com

The Remembrance Process℠ captures the essence and importance of this human need, encapsulating the care-giving continuum before death through the farewell process with time-tested ways to help families move from grief to remembrance.