It goes without saying that we have a unique privilege of witnessing and being part of countless funerals and memorial services at Krause Funeral Homes & Cremation Services. Helping families in Milwaukee, Brookfield, and New Berlin plan a tribute for their loved one is not only about honoring a life but it’s also a valuable part of the healing process.
Something special happens when a family sits down to talk through the details of the funeral service. What personal elements should be featured? Perhaps a reading or poem that meant a lot to their loved one. Maybe a recording or live performance of songs that will bring a smile to those in attendance. Many families select a keepsake to distribute, like a particular flower, a printed bookmark, or a candy or treat that was known as their loved one’s favorite.
Another personal touch is a table filled with items to highlight their loved one’s hobbies, accomplishments, and passions. You can just imagine how friends and family feel when they see these possessions set out in a beautiful display. If Grandpa was the biggest Brewers fan around, his jerseys, game tickets, and signed baseball would definitely bring to mind stories and memories to share. Or maybe a beloved aunt was rarely seen without her knitting needles in hand. Her “pride-and-joy creations” would add a lovely touch, bringing comfort to those who knew how much this hobby meant to her.
Another great way to highlight your loved one’s life – particularly the connection to family and friends – is through featuring a video tribute, a montage of photos and even video footage of your loved one’s life. Set to special music and expertly edited, the video can be shown during the visitation and during the service itself.
It’s said that photos open doors to the past, and a video tribute is the perfect way to showcase a life. So often, we see families gathering around photos at a funeral, sharing stories and memories of vacations, holidays, graduations, and weddings. This time spent together reminiscing is a healthy step toward healing and keeping the loved one’s memory alive.
A tribute video is one of the Signature Services we provide for families at no cost. Simply bring us 30-50 favorite pictures, either in loose photo form and/or digital and we will scan them in to create a video to be shown during the visitation, funeral, reception, or as a private remembrance for your family. If you would like photos to appear in a particular order, simply place a number on the back. We can also link the video to the web so other family and friends can see it and get copies of photos, if desired.
Consider these tips for putting together an unforgettable video tribute:
- Reach out to close friends and family for help. Ask them to email you digital versions of their favorite photos of your loved one.
- Look through your photo albums at home and select photos from every stage of life, if you have them. You might consider representing important members of the family as well. Perhaps a shot of your grandmother with her favorite cousin or her wedding portrait.
- Facebook and other social media pages might be a great source for recent and candid photos that genuinely capture your loved one’s personality.
- Video can also be used. With the availability of video cameras on smartphones, this is becoming an increasingly popular form of memorialization.
- Think about a song or two that held meaning for your friend or family member, or that express the impact he/she had on you and the world.
If you would like to learn more about creating a video tribute, or have questions for our staff about other meaningful options to celebrate a loved one’s life, reach out to us anytime. Remembering happy times together is a beautiful way to commemorate a life – and hold on to these memories moving forward.