What is a Professional Eulogy?
A professional eulogy (also referred to as a funeral speech) is a speech written for someone who’s died, or in some cases preparing to die, with the intent of honoring their life and comforting their loved ones. Eulogies are often delivered at funerals or memorial services by family members, friends, clergy members or funeral directors. There can be one, or sometimes several eulogies shared, depending on the family’s wishes.
Eulogies provide an opportunity to share highlights from the deceased person’s life and special messages in a final farewell. A professional eulogy uses the art of words and writing to weave memories, accomplishments, passions and many other personal stories to create a lasting and inspiring message to leave in the hearts of friends and family.
Click here to view a sample eulogy
Why Hire a Professional Eulogy Writer?
Professional eulogy writers strive to capture the underlying tone of the intended speaker, often using his or her memories and emotions to craft a speech honoring their loved one’s life. Although he or she may not be the actual writer, it is their love and experience and emotion that is captured and conveyed in the speech. This is often life saving for people in the midst of grief and mourning as they try to make necessary funeral arrangements, coordinate their loved one’s wishes, and comfort their family members also experiencing the loss.
A professional eulogy writer can really ease the burden on families in the midst of their loss. Some people think hiring a eulogy writer somehow makes a eulogy less meaningful or personal.
We’re here to tell you that’s false. It couldn’t be further from the truth, in fact. The eulogies we create at, Lasting Eulogies are yours. They are born from you and from your relationship with your loved one. The stories, the memories, the love you shared belong to you. We are simply there to listen and put the pieces together for you into a beautiful piece of work you can share with the world about your loved one.
Writing is an art form. Most of us aren’t able to create in the midst of grief. I know even as a writer by profession, I struggled with writing eulogies for my parents. I was grieving and my mind was clouded with so many emotions. This; in addition to all the tasks I needed to do and decisions I needed to make. So if you are struggling with this, please know that you aren’t alone.
But I think I still want to try to write it myself….
If you really feel like you want to try to write a DIY eulogy, we are here to offer some help with that too. We’ve listed some tips below to help you get started. Carving out some quiet time for yourself, alone to reflect is ideal. Also writing down memories and ideas from friends and family is also really helpful when you start your writing process.
5 Tips for Writing a Eulogy Yourself
Decide the tone that you would like to convey in your eulogy. Who are you eulogizing and what were they like? Good eulogies take on the tone of both the speaker and their relationship with their deceased loved one, but also contain characteristics of the deceased person in the content and delivery. Was Aunt Susie always the life of the party? Did she appreciate laughter? Consider this as you are writing some of the memories you share.
Brainstorm on a piece of paper. Freewrite words and memories that capture who your loved one was. Is there a theme emerging? Can you think of a few specific memories that illustrate that theme best? Highlight those.
Format your rough draft. Begin the process of organizing your content into a written speech. What format makes most sense with your content? Sometimes chronological order, starting at the beginning is best. Other times starting at the beginning and working back in time makes the most sense. Know your audience as much as possible. Be creative in your presentation. Incorporate your loved one’s best known quote. Or something your loved one was known for or passionate about. Lead with that. Or perhaps end with that to leave a lasting impact with your audience. Your format is your opportunity to tell the story and take a walk with your audience down memory lane.
Read it through and edit as necessary. Have a trusted friend or family member also read it through. Time it. Most eulogies are best kept to 7-10 minutes maximum.
Read it through again; this time slower. I can almost guarantee that you will need to remind yourself to slow down. Nervousness combined with emotion have a way of making speakers go quicker than is ideal. When you arrive at the podium, pause and take a deep breath. Center yourself and begin when you feel ready. There are very few of us that are natural public speakers. It takes time and a great deal of practice. It’s also worth noting that no one expects that you will give a eulogy without some level of emotion. That emotion could manifest in tears or pauses throughout. It’s okay. Expect that you may get choked up. Your audience expects that too.
If you are struggling with fears of getting emotional during your eulogy, keep in mind the wise words of Winnie the Pooh. “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
I hope you found this information helpful as you navigate your own process of grief and saying goodbye to your loved one. If you decide you’d like help with your eulogy please contact us on our website at www.lastingeulogies.com. In most cases we are able to provide quick turnaround times. Please accept our deepest condolences to you and your family.