Your celebration, your ceremony. The great thing is that it is entirely up to you, a special occasion to commemorate the life of a loved one.
With some thought and preparation your ceremony to scatter their ashes, will be meaningful, memorable, heartfelt and dignified. It is a fantastic opportunity to give them send-off they would have wished for.
If your loved one was religious you can ask their faith leader to preside. However, if the person wasn’t religious then it is entirely up to you, which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
On the plus side you can spread the ashes in a way you see fit, however with no tradition to lean upon you may be left wondering what the ceremony should involve. Don’t let that daunt you, we have put together a simple download [word document] for you to use as a guide – Suggested order of service
There are a number of ways that you could add a memorable addition:
- releasing environmentally friendly Chinese lanterns – at dusk these look wonderful
- Release doves
- Scattering wild flower seeds
- Scatter rose petals
- Set adrift environmentally friendly floating lanterns
Please remember other use of where you are scattering and some of the above may not be appropriate
If you want a professionally printed Order of Service, here is a company that specialises in such matters:
Should you want somebody to conduct a non religious / secular service for you, you could use the services of a celebrant here are a couple of options
British Humanist Association Funeral Celebrants
You should record aspects of the service for the family records – recording where the cremated ashes were spread