This article on how to write a eulogy for a funeral is provided by Sydney Coffins. Sydney Coffins is a memorial product and funeral provider in Australia, specialising in unique and personalised coffins, caskets and funerals.

Delivering a eulogy at a funeral is an honorable task. However, it can often be seen as a very difficult task. How do you compress a life into a few minutes when there is so much to say? Follow our 6 step guide and it is possible.

 

Step 1 – Who will be attending the funeral? Decide on the tone

The tones of the funeral will largely depend on the audience, culture, religion, traditions. Funerals are usually somber occasions and therefore bringing any humor to a eulogy needs to be very carefully thought about and take into consideration how this humor will affect other people.

A eulogy should have a positive, respectful, honorable tone and it should not shock the audience, confuse the audience,  insult the deceased, or dwell on negative aspects of the deceased.

Step 2 – Introduction

– Introduce yourself: Your name, and relation to the deceased.

– Brief Introduction about the deceased: Name and talk a bit about the life of the deceased.
Example: Birthplace, hobbies, major milestones, and major events in their life.

– Introduction to their character: Talk about their positive characteristics and focus on their strongest and most admirable trait/s.

Step 3 – Connect their strengths to memories

1. Share stories which exemplify their positive aspects of their character.

2. Share milestones which exemplify their positive aspects of their character.

3. Conclude with a farewell and how they will be missed and their legacy.

Length – The length of a eulogy is subjective and it is up to the individual and the circumstances. They are generally between 3-6 minutes long. However, this is only an indication.

Step 4 – Rehearse and receive feedback

Ask a close friend or family member who will attend the funeral to proofread the speech and listen to you rehearse it. Gather feedback and make appropriate adjustments to the eulogy.

Step 5 – Choose a stand-in person

Sometimes funerals can be too overwhelming, and as much as we want to acknowledge the deceased by delivering a eulogy it may be too difficult to do on the day. It is a good idea to choose a trusted person to deliver the speech on the day in case you cannot. It is also a good idea for them to have a copy on the day and to have also rehearsed it.

Step 6 – Speak slowly and clearly

Delivering a eulogy on the day of the funeral may seem very overwhelming and there may be moments you feel it is very emotional to speak. It is helpful to pause until the emotion passes and then proceed. Try to speak slowly and clearly so the audience can understand everything. The audience is also feeling a lot of grief so you are not alone in the grieving process. They understand how difficult it must be to speak during such a time.