Our Monthly Tip: Invite Your Guests to Perform a Choral Reading with Scripts and Flower Keepsakes

Credit: Larkspur Conservation

Our Monthly Tip:

Ask your friends and family to be active participants in the memorial service for your loved one. Many services feature friends and family who may sing a song, read a poem, or share a prayer. Another idea is to invite guests to take part in a choral reading or other scripted group recitation. Reading together may be a bonding experience for loved ones as they perform the celebration with each other. Adding a single flower stem as a keepsake gift will make the service more memorable as well.

How-To Suggestions:

Prepare the flowers by having enough stems for each participant in the choral reading to receive one. You can have them ready to hand out in a basket or simply leave the basket in a place where your guests can help themselves. You might tie a nice ribbon around the handle to make it more special, or tie a small note with your loved one’s name written on it to each stem.

Several days before the service, create a scripted program for your guests, which may include memorable quotes from your loved one, a longer prayer, or even lyrics from their favorite song. Participants may want to walk through their group reading before the service. You can have an informal virtual rehearsal through platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet. Reading together ahead of time may help everyone feel more comfortable on the day of the service.

Remember, this service is meant to celebrate your loved one. All of your guests want to honor them and say goodbye in a meaningful way. Inviting friends and family to play a part in the ceremony may offer them space to come together in their grief and love. Collaborating with each other will re-affirm their place in each other’s lives and allow their lost loved one to bring them all together again.