Personalised Memorial Location Ideas

Personalised Memorial Location Ideas

Recently I attended the personalised memorial of a dear family member on my Husbands side, Mr Bruce Malcolm Roberts. "Uncle Bruce" was a fixture in the Five Dock community for 60 years, with heavy involvement in Rotary and Apex. People LOVED Bruce, from local businesses to community members, family and friends.

A large non religious service was hosted with casket present at the Breakfast Point Country Club with family, friends and community members discussing Bruce’s love of art and money. The service had live music (including the appropriate “money, money, money” by ABBA), fresh floral arrangements, and we stayed on at the same venue after the ceremony for refreshments. Being a non practicing christian, it seemed fitting to farewell Bruce in such a way.

Personalising a memorial service has no limits. When it comes to farewelling your loved one, it’s most important to consider their personality, your family values, what kind of mood and the tone you would like to set for the memorial.

Here are some options to consider when planning a memorial.

 

Personalised memorial at home

There is a rise in people choosing to host loved ones funerals at home with more families opting for a private and more personalised memorial service. The reason behind this is the desire to have familiarity, comfort and privacy to honour their loved one in their home. It can be a nice place to say goodbye.

In addition, from a planning point of view it could be less stressful. Your funeral director can assist you with planning so you can concentrate on personalising the service with music, souvenirs, photos and decorations, food or flowers.

Where in the house to have the memorial is up to you: some prefer to move the furniture and do it in the living room area, others prefer the garden, if the weather allows it.

 

At a function centre or public venue

Function centres are a suitable choice for those planning memorials for people who aren’t particularly religious, though are expecting a large number of attendees. Some long term residents of Sydney are fixtures in the community and will have a public venue or function centre that holds special value to them - why not host their memorial in a place that holds sentimental or social meaning to them?

You can generally hire a venue for exclusive use, including options for personalisation such as hiring live music, catering and the option for multimedia displays. Most venues are very helpful in assisting with personal items for display, such as musical instruments, sporting equipment, photos and other items that really celebrate your loved one's life. There is often easy accessibility for guests to come and go pending their emotional state and plenty of bathrooms and seating available which is ideal for older friends and family.

 

In a church

If the person who has passed was religious, it is likely you have considered the possibility of a memorial at your local church. Whether religious or not, some people take comfort in being in the place their children were christened, they were married or they have farewelled another loved one. Your family’s church might have limitations to the personalisation of the service, though speaking with your funeral director and the pastor of the church will confirm whether it’s the right place for you to say goodbye.

 

At the beach

Having a memorial at the beach could be a beautiful choice when it comes to honouring a loved one’s life, especially if the person felt a special connection to the ocean, which is the case of many Australians.

However, careful planning is needed when it comes to a beach funeral. You will need to consider how private it will be, especially in summer. Try to avoid peak hours of the day so the memorial can be as intimate as possible. It's also best to hold the service in the morning, as they are generally less windy.

In addition, if scattering ashes into the ocean, you will need to make sure the tide is appropriate, so that the ashes are widely dispersed in the water and don’t fall on the sand. You will need to seek approval from the local council to scatter ashes at the beach.

 

At a park they loved

Having a memorial service in a public park can be a lovely way to say goodbye, especially if they shared a special connection to nature or this park held a special connection for your family. It’s important when hosting a ceremony in any public place to seek approval from the local council as you may require permission to scatter ashes.

 

Overseas

It is actually possible and perfectly legal to hold a memorial service overseas. If your loved one was born elsewhere or simply loved a place so much that you feel is the right place to say goodbye, travelling overseas is an option. In order to make it happen, you should get in contact with the consulate of the country you will be taking the ashes to and see if they would allow it. You will also need to carry the ashes in a sealed container and provide the death certificate upon departure in Australia.

 

On a boat

Having a memorial service out at sea could be of special significance if your loved one had a deep connection to the ocean. If your loved one was in the Navy, a scuba diver, a marine biologist or even a fishermen, this might be the natural choice for you. Having the service at sea doesn’t mean you can’t personalise the memorial further, you may just need to consider the size of the boat for the style of the service you would like to conduct. A funeral director can assist you with unique personalised memorial services that really suit the personality of your beloved.

If you wanted to host a private, family only ceremony to scatter the ashes of the departed, you are able to hire a small motor boat (for eight people) in some areas of NSW. This option has limitations on where you are able to go based on whether or not you are holding a boat license.

 

Uncle Bruce’s service was an excellent example of hosting a funeral service outside of a funeral home or crematorium. There are several great venues that can offer a more personalised memorial service for your loved one and give you a chance to farewell them in a comfortable, social or appropriate manner. Is there a special place your loved one liked to socialise? A place in the community they loved or something special about their job that can help to host a more personalised memorial? If you’re unsure, you can always talk to your funeral director for some ideas or look back and think about your loved one’s favourite places for ideas.

If you need any guidance during this process, Lady Anne funeral directors are always happy to help and work towards your preference, providing services to plan and coordinate a customised and personalised event. For more information about personalising your loved ones memorial, get in touch with us.


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Our compassionate all-female team are dedicated to supporting families in their times of need. We arrange beautiful personalised funeral services in the Gladesville & Sydney area.

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Lady Anne Funerals is here to support and assist your family through what can be a difficult time, with a ladies touch. 

We are available to discuss a range of services to support your family, including: 

  • Personalised memorial services
  • Cremation and burial services
  • Religious services catering to all faith's
  • No service, no attendance 

Please get in touch - night or day - via the form or you can call us on the number below.

Phone: 1300 74 00 74

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Our Success Stories

I am truly grateful for the help and support from Lady Anne Funerals. They made everything clear and took away all the uncertainties about what needed to be done.

A special thanks to Yvonne, who was the celebrant for our ceremony. The respect and honour she showed in delivering the eulogy were fantastic. Many attendees commented on how well she spoke about my wife Glenda, as if she had known her personally.

Yvonne, thank you. You were exactly the person we needed during this difficult time in my life.
Ray - Google Review 4 months ago
Hi Yvonne, Just a personal note from me to say how grateful we all were for the gentle, magnificent way, you helped Janie make her mother’s funeral such an authentic, warm, loving, and memorable celebration.

Especially, your work has helped create a wonderful “first impression” for our grandchildren. You’ve gifted them the tools to actually celebrate a life, that I’m sure will help them cope with the inevitable sadnesses of living.

Who would’ve thought a funeral could be such a genuine, respectful, celebration.

Thank you again Yvonne.
Janie and Greg Page - Google Review 3 months ago
I am overwhelmed with the feedback on how beautiful it all was from all who attended. You and the other ladies were wonderful, looked so elegant, and made the day so very special for all who loved Paul.
Barbara Sommerville Enright
Karen has supported my Mum and me through the most difficult week of our lives as we not only planned a funeral, but interred my Dad to his new home. I will be forever grateful to Karen for her ongoing support, guidance, kindness, empathy and friendship over the last week. Karen has now become part of our extended circle of close family friends.
Daughter of the late Sveta Dordevich
Yvonne, thank you for your gracious, patient and calming presence and the time you took with our family to fully understand how we wanted to celebrate our Mothers life. You were responsive, caring and professional - but with an authentic warmth that shone through. Beautiful woman, inside and out.
Lydia Hamilton - Google Review 2 months ago
Karen and her staff treated us with the utmost respect we could not have been in better hands during this difficult time. My mum had organised her funeral with a prepaid funeral plan which she had purchased from Karen almost ten years ago this also made this upsetting time much easier to deal with and she got all the things that she wished for.
Malcolm Ellis
Karen and her team are lovely to deal with. They are highly professional and empathetic which is what you need when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. From the first call, I felt like I could trust Karen as she genuinely cares and guides you through the process step by step. Her team was highly accomodating and moved fast. I am so grateful to the support and service I received from the team at Lady Ann funerals.
Tina Kaur - Google Review 2 weeks ago
On behalf of my family, I would like to thank Lady Anne Funerals for a beautiful service yesterday for my aunt Dot. All who attended commented on how lovely the service was & the professionalism of all the staff. Thanks again very much for helping making a sad day one of celebration of Dot’s life.
Judith Neville
The Lady Anne Funerals team went above and beyond what I anticipated. Navigating funeral arrangements for the first time can feel overwhelming, especially amidst grief. Karen and her team were outstanding, managing essential tasks and collaborating with my family to create a meaningful celebration of life that truly honoured my mother's memory. Although you hope to never require their services, if you do, I wholeheartedly endorse reaching out to Lady Anne Funerals.
Jeremy Cooper - Google Review 4 months ago
“I just wanted to send you our sincerest thanks for everything you and your incredible team did for us in making the most perfect day, celebration and farewell of our beautiful Harper.

I have given a lot of thought to your business and the industry and I think it is perhaps the most important business for families to get it right when it comes to planning a funeral which may be sudden or may be a long time in the making. Either way, when one is faced with the unfortunate situation of needing to arrange a funeral, only then do you realise the importance of getting it right.

We experienced first hand the polar opposites the industry offers. It is not just about the cars, the booklets, the music and all the things that make up the day - its about the service, the care and most importantly it’s about the people.

From our very first conversation we could sense your genuine care to our situation and your attention to detail was obvious - this was very different to the previous conversations we had with others we had been referred to. Those other companies wanted to commence meetings with the paperwork side of things upfront which is a very confronting thing to do just days after losing your loved one - and when one of the others that I am referencing couldn’t even refernece our daughters name as our meeting started - we were horrified of how poor the service of care could be.

This is where you and your team shine. After feeling very lost in our search to secure the perfect funeral director to create the perfect day, my wife all of a sudden recalled you standing out the front of your office each morning watering the surrounding gardens to ensure a beautiful front of house. Well, I can assure you, it is not just the front of house that is beautiful - its the entire package that is beautiful.

Your manner, your direction and your expertise is evident from the get go. Nothing is too hard for you or your amazing team. The personal care made us feel like we were the only funeral you were working with at the time, and that’s exactly how it should be.

The finer detail, such as driving past our house so our daughter could go past our house one last time, then leaving the most beautiful flowers on our doorstep, to bumping into us at the Church because you were just doing your own research to make sure the day was seamless. This combined with your recommendations from every aspect as everything was very foreign to us, you were able to guide us to achieve the most beautiful farewell.

The day itself was simply perfect. Not once did we have a concern. The car was shining, your team dressed beautifully, cold water provided for us, directions for our guests, directions for us. Everyone commented on how amazing the day was and how incredibly your team were. Seamless is the only word I can use. It doesn’t stop here.

Your personal care and guidance then allowed us a more intimate farewell the following day (we are so grateful for for this recommendation and possibly would have missed this special day if you had suggested it was the best idea). Again, you and your team made us feel like you had nowhere else to be, and no one else to help. Just us. The setting was beautiful, the celebrant (that you arrange and recommend) is a delightful, your team make this day even more special than the last.

This is something we never want to go through again but there will be so many others, that like us, have no idea where to start to look for the right funeral director for their own special day. All I can say is that I hope that they appoint Lady Anne Funerals. We learnt a lot quickly and it is again a business many do not ever consider needing but without question one of the most important businesses to select the right person and the right team.

I welcome any of your future potential clients to contact me if they wish to discuss our experience with the amazing Lady Anne team. We thank you for giving our beautiful baby the most incredible farewell that was exactly how we imagined it, you just made it happen.”

Lee Dowdall
Lady Anne Funerals did an amazing job of organizing my Mum's funeral. Yvonne was caring and listened supportively to create the perfect day; I'm sure mum was watching and smiling. Everything was organised and coordinated perfectly, from ceremony, burial to catering. I am truly grateful to the whole team for making a difficult time of our lives so much easier.
John Jencek - Google Review 3 months ago

"I just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your amazing team. I couldn’t have asked for things to go any better. Everything was perfect. And your ladies were beautiful. Your Yvonne is amazing. She is patient, compassionate, caring and delivers perfection in all the elements of the proceedings. She has been an absolute Gem.

Once again thank you so very much. I would highly recommend anyone to use your company if they want a perfect funeral service. 5 star service. 5 star outcome.

There were multiple compliments on the service, on your ladies and on the care from the attendees. I’m more than happy for you to post this on any media platform as a compliment and tribute to your company.

Thank you."

Anne Leslie
Lady Anne Funerals has the compassion, understanding and empathy that many of the larger funeral homes do not possess. My aunts funeral was dignified and classy everything she deserved. I would highly recommend Lady Anne (and have) as they go above and beyond.
Joanne Marks
Our whole family would like to thank Karen, Therese and all the staff at Lady Anne Funerals for their kindness, compassion and the personal service given after the passing of our dear dad. The guidance in choosing Mandy Fischer as the celebrant was the perfect fit. We highly recommend their services
Janelle Maber - Google Review 4 months ago
I would like to thank you and the whole team at Lady Anne Funerals for making mums funeral the perfect goodbye. The funeral was everything and so much more than mum wanted. Nothing seemed to be too hard and that made my time far simpler than i had expected. 
The whole day was perfect and we noticed with love all the special touches from the bookmarks to the candle to the display screen with Iris's. Thank you so much. Your team felt like part of the family rather than people doing a job.
That i believe is what sets Lady Anne apart.
I cant thank you enough.
Pete
One of the most difficult and heart wrenching moments of my life was made easier by the beautiful team at Lady Anne Gladesville. The time, the respect and the support given to me and my family, not only for the ceremony but from the moment we contacted them until weeks after was truly incredible. Thank you so much!
Jo-ann Kennedy - Google Review a month ago
My family and friends were very happy with every aspect of the preparation and celebration of the end of my wife. When I knew the end was near I spoke to Yvonne who explained to me what would happen and this was done with delicacy and tact. When the end came Yvonne came to our house and explained every aspect of what would happen. We explained what we wanted for Margaret's farewell and nothing was too much trouble for Yvonne to explain or discuss. On the day of the funeral everything went like clockwork and all my relatives and friends told me how impressed they were. So thank you to Yvonne for being celebrant and MC at the farewell and thank you to all the Lady Anne team. If I were asked to score the service my family received  it would be ten out of ten.
Dick Hodge

“We wish to thank you for having helped us put together a beautiful farewell for our mother, one which she would have been delighted with.

It was a difficult day and it would have been worse without your synchronised, seamless and consistent presence as well as attention to detail.

We value your candour as the people you are and the very sensitive manner in which you conducted the service.

Thanking you from the bottom of our hearts,

The Pastore Family

I want to send a heartfelt 'thank you’ to you both, and your team, for your compassion and your assistance in taking meticulous care of Dad and arranging such a beautiful end of life service for him. Within a matter of only a few days, which included a weekend, you were able to organise the perfect service tailored to our requests.

Not only did you organise the attendance of the RSL representative, you also went to considerable trouble to download the music and videos we had chosen, in a format that could be utilised in the service.We greatly appreciated your guidance too with organising the order of service and arranging a printed copy of the tributes for one of our friends who was deaf.

Thank you Yvonne for doing a magnificent job as the celebrant. We greatly appreciated you reading our tributes to Maurie on the family’s behalf. Thank you too for reading the poem, 'The Dash’ so beautifully.

It was comforting for our family and friends to come together in a more intimate setting, which your chapel provides. The light refreshments, which followed the service, were ideal, allowing the family to stay on and share their memories.

Dad quite often had high expectations of the way things should be done, bless him, so I was particularly mindful of doing him proud with this last expression of our love for him and a tribute to his long and meaningful life. We achieved this, with your help, and I know he would have been deeply touched and honoured. Thank you for you for all you did.

Annie

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