What to include in funeral invitations

Losing a loved one is always a difficult experience. It always seems impossible to process and planning for a funeral is probably the last thing you want to do. If you’ve never been part of a funeral planning, it can seem daunting, but with the right guidance it can be a healing experience for you and your loved ones.

Key to any funeral is the invitation. A funeral invitation is a letter inviting family members, friends and close ones to commemorate the life of the deceased. You might be wondering what you should say in such an invitation and who exactly to send it to. This general outline might help you.

What to say on the funeral invitation

The title

Start with the title. Specify whether the invitation is for a funeral or a memorial service.

Essential information

While keeping it brief and simple, ensure everything gets covered on the invitation. The top of the letter/card would read something like “In memory of”, “Celebrating the life of” or something similar. This is followed by the essential details including,

• Full name of the deceased
• Date, time and location of funeral service
• Visitation hours
• Photograph of the deceased
• Your contact information

Apart from the above, you should also offer a brief description of your loved one. Here, you could talk about the deceased’s life. This serves as a celebration of his/her life and offers the reader an understanding of the kind of person the deceased was in life. Do remember to keep this section brief as you wouldn’t want to stretch the invitation too long.

Addressing

Another important aspect is deciding who to address the letter to. It’s customary to maintain a tone such that it is all-inclusive.

Wording

Be mindful about your wording throughout the invitation as it will set the tone of the funeral service. A service that takes the form of a celebration of life than a traditional funeral will take a far different tone. Adding further, the information you provide should be short and easy to read, along with accurately depicting all the essential details.

Who should you invite?

Funerals are a time for mourning and honouring the departed. What’s key in deciding who to invite is to remember that you should invite people who the deceased would have wanted to attend, rather than who you want to attend. In other words, you should forego your own likes and dislikes when inviting people for the funeral service.

Considerations for invitations range from extended family to colleagues and high school friends.

Supporting you in every way

Once you have everything in order the last item on the list is sending out the invitation itself. One thing to remember here is that you don’t have to send out the invitation by snail mail. It is quite normal to opt for other forms of invitation such as emails and e-invites.

Still have questions? Feel free to get in touch with us at Fry Bros on 02 4933 6155 or contact us here. Fry Bros is a family-led funeral service from Maitland that has been helping families with their funeral services since the 1800s. Our team will always be available to help you during your difficult time.