Take a new, personalized approach to funeral planning

One of the best ways to honor a recently passed loved one is to create a customized funeral service that reflects their personality. 

“We’re always happy to work with families to make arrangements as personalized as possible,” says Kelly Carey, who oversees operations at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home in Boonton and Codey Funeral Home in Caldwell. “It creates a better experience for everyone.”

Personalizing a visitation or service can mean adding small accents and details to a traditional event or planning a more elaborate arrangement. Start with your memories, family stories and ideas to begin creating a special celebration of life.

Personalization can take many forms

What makes a person unique and special? It’s different for every individual, and there are many creative ways to honor a loved one. Displaying items from hobbies, sports and leisure activities as well as awards, mementos and even everyday items such as favorite foods and drinks are popular ways to personalize a funeral.

Kelly’s list of items she’s seen includes a hunting bow and arrows, homemade quilts, original paintings, wood carvings, business signs, motorcycle helmets and fishing poles. One family even included a container of corned beef and cabbage in the casket to send their loved one off with their favorite meal.

Photo boards are especially popular with families and attendees, who get to see the recently departed in all different stages of their life’s journey. Many people who will be at the funeral will have only known the person during a certain period, such as their school or work years. Photo boards are an excellent way to show the arc of a person’s life and the important people who shared the journey. 

Creating a customized music playlist is also a wonderful way to share another part of your loved one’s world. If a certain song had special meaning, framing the lyrics adds another custom touch to the memorial.

Honoring service to family, community and country

A funeral service is the perfect time to honor someone’s service — to family, community or country. Highlighting notable achievements of all kinds helps define a life well lived. 

Veterans may be eligible for military funeral honors. Public servants such as police officers and firefighters also may be recognized for their service with a uniformed presence at the service, a special dedication or even a processional in some instances. 

Speeches and tributes from family members are less formal but are deeply personal and can be especially memorable and moving at any type of service, highlighting a person’s humor, idiosyncrasies and love for and by their family and friends. These tributes are central to making a funeral service as unique as the individual being remembered.

For more information on how to personalize an arrangement for your loved one, or any other aspect of funeral planning, contact us at Codey & Mackey Funeral Home at (973) 334-5252. It is our privilege to serve you.