Writing and Giving a Eulogy: 5 Top Tips

Making the arrangements for the funeral of a loved one can be a very stressful process. Not only will you need to make practical arrangements, but you will also have to deal with your own feelings of grief and loss. Thankfully, you do not need to face making funeral arrangements on your own, as you can always call on a professional funeral service for assistance.

However, a tricky part of organising any funeral is when the eulogy needs to be written. Because a eulogy requires an intimate and deep knowledge of the person who has passed away, it cannot be written by a member of staff at the funeral home. If you need to write a eulogy, take a look at the advice below.

Consider what you want to say

The first thing you need to consider is what you would like to say. You may wish to give a biographical account of the deceased life, or you may wish to focus on a particular area of their life such as military service, their hobbies or their family or other achievements.

Consider who you want to address

While the eulogy will usually be addressed to the mourners who have come to pay their respects, you can choose to speak directly to the person who has passed on. Taking this approach can be a useful way of coming to terms with your own grief. Remember, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to giving a eulogy, so you should do what you feel is best.

Make some notes

Once you have decided what you want to say and who you want to address your eulogy to, you should begin to jot down a few notes. If you need to check any details, you should contact friends or relatives of the deceased. You should make a rough outline of what you wish to cover so you can work out a structure for the eulogy.

Think about reading a poem 

As well as remembering the deceased in your own words, you may also wish to read a poem which meant a lot to them or which captures how you feel towards the person who has passed away.

Consider using humour

Your first instinct may be that a eulogy is no place for jokes. However, that isn't necessarily true. A little humour can help to lift the mood of the funeral service and to remind those present that the service is a celebration of life.

If you would like further advice, you should contact a funeral service today.