Making a Memorial Service Planning Checklist 

Where do you turn? Who do you talk to? We understand that the first steps in planning a life celebration can be overwhelming. Lighten wants you to know there is no single “right place” to start and that your memorial service planning checklist could be completely different from someone else’s. 

In this article, we are providing an explanation of the five-step process that Lighten utilizes to help those who have lost a loved one to plan a celebration of life. Whether you use the following as an exact guide or as an aide in creating your own process, we hope you find this guide to making a memorial service planning checklist helpful. 

1. Reach Out 

You don’t have to fulfill the memorial service planning checklist yourself. With the goal of creating a celebration of life that is unique, uplifting, and worthy of your loved one’s life, it’s okay to reach out for help in the midst of what can be an overwhelming time. 

2. Meet with Your Dedicated Planner

A dedicated Lighten celebration of life planner will not only discuss the needs of your event but will also get to know you and ask you about the unique story of your loved one’s life. Here are some of the talking points you may consider while making a memorial service planning checklist. 

• What elements of your loved one’s unique personality would you like to highlight? – Your loved one’s personality may guide the tone of the event. For example, if they are an individual who was always the life of the party, you may plan an event that is upbeat and celebratory. If they had a more mellow personality, you may consider a tone that is more reflective. The interests and hobbies your loved one was passionate about can also be brought into the planning. Perhaps they dedicated their life to education, loved adventurous outdoorsy activities, or had a knack for restoring antique furniture. Whatever qualities, experiences, and passions characterized your loved one’s life, Lighten will work with you to incorporate those personalized details into the ceremony. 
• Virtual, In-Person, or Both? – Some considerations when choosing the format of the event might be the geographic locations of attendees, weather conditions, and the type of experiences you would like to create. Virtual memorials have many valuable benefits (read more on why you might choose virtual vs. in-person), while an in-person event at an unconventional location can be a uniquely intimate experience. 
• Who will be participating in the program? – Give yourself the freedom to think outside the box when it comes to choosing the people who will deliver memorial tributes. While a traditional eulogy is typically delivered by immediate family members, there may be other people who can highlight different aspects of your loved one’s life. Friends, colleagues, neighbors, and community members are some examples of the individuals whom you may want to include. (See more ideas for creating a unique memorial tribute). 
• What elements would you like to include? – Photos, videos, music, readings, and maybe an experiential component that is completely unique to your loved one might be on your memorial service planning checklist. Lighten has helped families curate everything from a video bloopers reel to an immersive museum exhibit. Whatever elements will make your loved one’s unique identity shine through the service, consider putting it on the list. 

3. Collaborate and Finalize

Once you have chosen your format and decided on the initial elements of the life celebration event, it’s time to move on to gathering the details. You may want to make a list of the family members and friends you would like to call in order to gather photos, memories, favorite recipes, flower ideas, and more. Lighten clients are invited to use the online Lighten Planning Center to collaborate with others involved in the planning. This is a place where they can not only share the materials listed above but use an idea board to continue building a beautiful and deeply personalized memorial. 

Here are a few memorial service planning checklist items that you may consider: 

• Who can I contact to gather memories or favorite sayings of our loved one? 
• Where or with whom are the pictures that could be used for the service?
• If it’s an in-person service, is there someone who can prepare our loved one’s  favorite dish? 
• What were our loved one’s favorite flowers and how could they be incorporated into the service? 

4. Build a Memorial Webpage

Your dedicated Lighten planner will create a memorial webpage for your loved one that can serve multiple purposes. You can use it as the invitation to the event, a place for family & friends to share memories, and, after the service, as a guestbook and home to the recorded ceremony. 

5. Honor Your Loved One at the Event

The culmination of your memorial service planning checklist is to be fully present for a service that truly celebrates the life of your loved one. Lighten’s memorials are led by an officiant. We  coordinate all of the details that you have decided on throughout the duration of the memorial so you may share that time with friends and family without worrying about running an event. 

If you are nearing or in the midst of planning a memorial service, Lighten can help. One of our dedicated planning members is here to help guide you through our r checklist so you can focus on celebrating a life well-lived.