With so few people allowed to attend funerals and social distancing, funerals have become even more of a nightmare to organise than ever before. But there are some things creative things that you can do in order to include as many people as possible and all without breaking any of the Covid-19 rules.
Start by Reading the Will
Planning any funeral should always start with reading the Will. The Will often contains not only details about the things the deceased wants to happen at their funeral, but it also tells you who the deceased wants organising the funeral. There may also be details about a paid funeral plan included with the Will, or an arrangement that has been made with a local funeral director. If there is no Will, then it is a good idea to talk to the immediate family and any close friends to see if anyone had discussed the funeral with the deceased before they died.
Online Streaming of Service
Because you can have a maximum of 30 people attend a funeral, for many it would mean missing out on the service and leave them unable to say goodbye to the deceased. However, there is a solution that means everyone who wants to can attend the funeral, without actually having everyone in the same room – live stream of the funeral service online. If you are not familiar with the concept of live streaming, using the internet, you can broadcast the funeral to a certain group of people that you choose.
There are a number of different sites that offer to host live streaming services for a small charge. These services are often the best to use as they have the capacity to let larger numbers of people watch the stream than using a service like Zoom. They also provide a more secure service, so only those with the name of the stream and the password can watch the service.
Even though it is not the same as being able to attend the service in person, it does afford people the chance to say goodbye and get some form of closure.
Wake online
Not only can you host funerals online, but you can also organise a wake to be held online as well. Though this uses similar technology, it is not the same type of service that you would use. In order to host a Wake online, you can invite people to join a Zoom meeting where you can share memories, laugh and still be socially distant and responsible.
Memorial Group
Finally, you can set up a private group on Facebook and invite friends and family of the deceased to post memorials in the group. This can help let everyone grieve and provide you with some great stories that you would never otherwise know.
Need help writing your Will? Need an estate planning specialist to help you get your affairs in order? Contact our team of professionals today and see how we can help you!
