Welcome to
Remember Me!
By Nicola Dela-Croix
The optimistic guide to creating your own unique and truly personal funeral ceremony.
Welcome to Remember Me – and well done for taking the brave and positive step of thinking about your farewell wishes. Planning your own funeral isn’t gloomy, depressing or tempting fate. Yes, we live in a society that doesn’t like to think about lives ending or talk about funerals - we’re still in denial about growing old, let alone coming to terms with the idea that one day we just won’t be here any more! But there is absolutely nothing to fear. If we embrace the idea of mortality, and take control of how we are remembered, then, not only will we get the truly personal funeral we deserve, we will also gain a whole new, positive perspective on life as we appreciate, more than ever, that our time is limited and precious. We have to make the most of the years we have and appreciate our unique value in the world while we are still part of it. So the more we shy away from talking about death and the prospect of our own funeral, the more we are denying ourselves the chance to live the full, all-embracing, wide-screen, technicolour life that only exists when you know it’s not forever.
A unique life needs a unique send off. We owe it to ourselves, to our family and friends to make that happen. And that’s where Remember Me comes in. I’m combining all my skills and experience to show you exactly how to create a truly personal and unique life celebration for yourself - taking away the fear, busting the myths and clearing the confusion that can be associated with funeral ceremonies. And, if you follow this process, by the end you will not only have a tailor-made funeral ceremony, but also a new-found appreciation for life itself, for the person you are, the value you hold in the world and in the lives of others.
Remember Me is also the perfect follow up to my other e-course ‘Celebrate You’, as much of the information gathered during that process – including your life story – can be incorporated into your ceremony content and wishes.
What’s coming up?
Over six different stages we’ll take a deep and detailed look in to the benefits of planning your own funeral, what makes a meaningful life celebration and your options for the type of ceremony you feel would mean something to you and your loved ones. Along the way we’ll look at everything from flowers and coffins, to music and photographs, together with the all-important story of your life, personal messages and other meaningful words, plus advice on how to share your wishes with your loved ones.
Remember Me will be a positive uplifting experience – I promise! Here’s what we’ll be covering...
We’ll start with a reminder of all the positive reasons why you should think about your funeral ceremony, what makes a meaningful farewell and what a funeral is really for. There are suggestions for how to capture your wishes plus a link to the Remember Me Workbook.
This section covers the all-important question of Burial or Cremation and the considerations that may have an impact on your decision. Plus the options and possibilities for where and how you’d like to be laid to rest, and the style of ceremony that is best suited to your wishes and beliefs.
We begin to look at the many ways you can create a ceremony that is uniquely personal to you, starting with choices such as style of coffin, how you’d like to be dressed, the wonderful, colourful world of floral tributes, and memorable ways to arrive on the day itself.
Music plays an essential part in any funeral ceremony, reflecting your tastes and personality, as well as the feelings you have for life and your loved ones. So how do you choose music and at what point in the ceremony is it played? We also look at the use of photographs and video/audio recordings.
What will be said when everyone gathers to say farewell to you? How can your life story, your qualities and characteristics, your achievements and feelings be shared in an accurate and meaningful way? We answer all these questions, together with thoughts on poems and readings, and sharing personal messages.
In our final part we discuss how you can live on through charitable donations and gifts, and the comfort your loved ones will gain from gathering together after the ceremony to share memories and raise a glass to you. Plus advice on how to tell your family and friends that you’ve put together your farewell wishes, and where to keep them.