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Add description, images, menus and links to your mega menu
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Add description, images, menus and links to your mega menu
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Link to your collections, sales and even external links
Add up to five columns
by Kristal Borjas March 05, 2021 7 min read
Loss in the age of the pandemic has been especially challenging for families across the world. For months, people have been unable to spend time with family that lives outside their home or across states or cities, or even countries. During periods of loss, many have struggled with the issue of not being able to bring family and friends together to celebrate the life and mourn the death of someone that so many cared for.
One of the ways people found to adapt to the new difficulties of being together was by having and hosting online memorials. Online memorials are a beautiful way to allow people to come together virtually to share their memories and express condolences during periods of loss. They also provide an opportunity to bridge the gap of distance, allowing even more people to memorialize someone no matter how far away they live.
Grief can make the decision and planning process more challenging. Things are already emotional, that trying to manage, organize, and plan might inhibit one’s ability to properly mourn their loss. This article will help sort through some of the necessities to organize an online memorial for your loved one to give you the closure and peace you need.
Think of this as the "venue" for your virtual memorial. It allows you to bring together people, no matter their location, into one space together, all in real-time. There are also a lot of different options depending on what platform suits your needs and offers what you want from the service. Here are a few options:
Regardless of which platform you chose, it might be helpful to do a trial run with a few family members so you know how to start the meeting and work through any potential kinks. This will help you have a smooth memorial. It can also help alleviate some of the stresses of technical difficulties or issues.
In addition to these more recognized platforms, there are also websites and companies that offer services specifically for hosting a virtual memorial. There are quite a few of them online, so you can always conduct a search to find the right one. Many of them charge a fee but may make it easier to host your memorial.
Once you decide on a date and time that works for you to host the memorial, you can send invites out in a variety of ways. Some options include:
This is best when done with other family members, or at least by consulting with someone else who is close to the family. How do you want your loved one to be remembered? What do you want to include in the virtual memorial? Consider it as a list of first, next, then, and finally, to help you generate a schedule for what you want to have included for the duration of the live stream or meeting.
Here are some considerations for when you’re developing the service:
If you’re hosting a virtual memorial ceremony, you'll still want to consider where you're having the celebration and what will be on the screen along with you. It's important to think about what you might want in the background while you host.
Some families choose to have the ceremony at a traditional memorial or funeral home, which makes the setup a little bit easier. However, here are some things to consider when hosting the virtual memorial from home:
If you plan to host a virtual memorial, using platforms like Zoom, Google, Facebook Live, or Instagram Live allow your guests to leave messages and comments in real-time. However, once the meeting ends, those messages are lost forever.
Many families choose to set up a virtual memorial site that allows individuals to post personal messages, memories, or stories to a page that is saved in memoriam of the deceased. It remains available for them to read for years and is a beautiful way to allow remembrances years from now. This can be done with a Facebook page, which can be turned into a memorial page by a family member. It can also be done on a formal site created for the purpose of remembrance messages. You can link it at the end of the ceremony or in the original invite, so guests have access to leave a lasting message.
The planning process can be intense when you've experienced the loss of a loved one. If you're looking for other supports to help with the planning and preparation that typically comes with experiencing loss, you're not alone. There are resources to help families and individuals maneuver these difficult times. Take advantage of those resources, like EverLoved, to find out about what help you can find. Know that there is help out there, and you’re not alone in the process.
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