Help for Hosting a Virtual Memorial Service

Hosting memorial services virtually became the normal way of holding these events during the coronavirus pandemic. Even though restrictions have been lifted and in-person services are now allowed to resume, many families are continuing to choose to hold virtual services. This could be for any number of reasons from saving money on service costs to allowing friends and family who cannot travel a chance to attend the service. If you are considering a virtual service after your loved one’s direct cremation in Shorewood, WI., here are some tips to help ensure it runs smoothly. 

Assign Roles 

To have your service run smoothly you need to assign roles ahead of time. These roles can include: 

• Host- Many times with video conferencing software there will be a virtual meeting room and guests will need to be approved to be allowed to join in. The host will make sure that guests are approved to join in as well as greet them before the services begin. 

• Officiant- The officiant is the person who will run the service. They will do things like say the welcome and introduction as well as introduce any speakers. They will also be in charge of any closing remarks. It is there overall job to keep the service on track and moving accordingly. 

• Speakers- The speakers are those people you appoint to do things like read the obituary, delver a eulogy and any other speeches or readings you would like to have. 

• Technical Support – With any online software, issues can happen,, Make sure to appoint someone who is knowledgeable about the specific program you are using to act as technical support. This way any issues you or your guests have can be addressed quickly. 

Hold a Rehearsal 

If you are having multiple speakers or other people that are going to be involved in the service, it is strongly suggested that you do a dry run to ensure you work out any kinks before the actual service. This also goes for if you have videos or other digital files you want added or played during the service. You don’t have to do the entire service, but making sure you have the flow of the service rehearsed is important for a smooth final event. 

Allow Yourself Patience and Flexibility 

No matter how many time you practice or how prepared you think you may be, sometimes things can still go wrong. Maybe it’s a technical issue, or maybe it’s just something else entirely. Whatever the case, know that it is okay and the service is not ruined because of the mishap. 

Allow for flexibility and give yourself permission and the freedom to change things immediately if need be. For example, if one speaker’s microphone isn’t working, don’t be afraid to skip them and come back to them later rather than spending too much time trying to fix the issue at the moment. 

Just know that the guests are there to pay their tributes to the deceased after their direct cremation in Shorewood, WI., and that’s where their focus is. Because of this, when they think back about the service, they won’t even remember any missteps.