Creative Ways to Personalize a Live-Streamed Funeral
This post was written in April 2020 at the height of worldwide lockdown restrictions. It has been co-authored along with Ali Briggs of LifeWeb 360. New Narrative and LifeWeb360 have teamed up to help families navigate virtual funerals and celebrations of life since early 2020.
Live Streaming: The New Normal
A note about our definition of “Live streaming”: For the purpose of this article, we are considering “live stream” an event filmed with a single camera without any interaction from virtual guests, similar to a YouTube stream.
There’s no doubt that the modern funeral has changed for families and funeral professionals alike. As the world changes daily, it can be very difficult to adapt to this new normal while still providing routine and structure for families.
We understand the hard work that goes into making sure each family receives the same care and attention to detail while being challenged on a brand-new level.
While live streaming or video-conferencing services are not new concepts, infusing special touches can help you bring friends and family together to create meaning.
1. Create a custom invitation
We recommend using a free design software, such as Canva to create a personalized invitation that can be sent out to guests.
Bonus: exporting the invitation as a PDF allows you to embed a clickable link to make sharing the memorial information as easy as possible for guests. Your community can also easily email and forward this invitation to others who may want to attend.
2. Submit a short video to be played during the service.
If you have a day or two, encourage family members to submit a short passage, poem, or speech that can be read aloud during the service.
3. Ask the Pastor, Officiant, or Master of Ceremonies to acknowledge some of the friends and family tuning in.
Include any friends from clubs, church groups, colleagues, clients, or other special people who may be attending virtually.
4. Create a custom playlist for pre-ceremony music.
Music can be a soothing way to ‘welcome’ guests to the live stream and allow them for a moment or two to settle in with our honouree’s favourite music. Have the customized playlist available for download or stream afterward for guests as a memory of the service.
5. Set aside time for a group activity.
It’s important that you build time into the service ‘schedule’ to accommodate a group activity to help guests feel connected while being physically apart. This activity can include a group toast, a moment of silence, or a guided writing exercise. Build in some extra time to allow guests to ‘grab their drink / sandwich / prop / pen + paper’.