Arranging funeral templates, programmes, speeches and quotes
Death can be a scary thought. People spend their entire lives avoiding the topic. However, at some point, we will be faced with the responsibility of planning a funeral for a loved one. To help you grant them the send-off they deserve, we have created this short guide that will help you throughout the entire process, from arranging funeral programmes to planning funeral speeches and everything in between.
Honouring a loved one at their funeral
Taking on the responsibility of a loved one’s funeral can quickly become overwhelming. If you’re starting from scratch, read this article on How To Plan A Funeral In South Africa, and then you can move on to arranging funeral templates and programmes.
Before you begin drafting the funeral programmes, make sure to check if your loved one left any special funeral requests in their will. If their instructions are impractical or too expensive, don’t worry, start with the things that are within your budget and you can tackle the rest afterwards.
The funeral programme
Your funeral programme should be based on personal preferences, traditions, or religion. That way, it ties back to the loved one whose life you are celebrating. Before you start on this aspect of the funeral planning process, you will need to decide if you are having a religious or non-religious funeral. This will ultimately determine the location, the nature of the proceedings, and additional funeral support. Some cultures, such as Xhosa traditions, require that the family return to the deceased’s place of birth, bear this in mind when making your plans.
You must decide whether you will be opting for a cremation or a burial. Keep in mind that the prices will vary depending on which you choose. As a general funeral standard, a burial is usually more expensive than a direct cremation, but it is also culturally required for many South Africans. Once you know this, you can start creating your funeral programme.
Information to include in your funeral programme:
- Personal information about your loved one.
- Photographs, depending on your budget – if you can’t afford full-colour programmes, black and white copies are perfect too.
- Date and time of the funeral.
- Address of the funeral and any gatherings that might occur before and after, being mindful of existing COVID regulations.
- At the time of publishing this article, South Africa was on Alert Level 1, which means that after-funeral gatherings are prohibited.
Funeral readings and music
Many people choose to personalise their funeral proceedings and programmes by including special readings, poems, speeches, and music. This helps guests, family and friends remember your loved ones and take time to process their passing. Decide who will be responsible for speaking at the funeral.
You might need to have different people for the following:
- A master or mistress of ceremonies to conduct the flow of the funeral.
- A person to conduct the ceremony.
- Someone to give the tribute.
- A person or people to share heartfelt stories about the deceased, or poems, songs and speeches.
If you don’t know where to begin, think of your loved one’s favourite song, their most frequently heard sayings or any wise words of wisdom that they used to share. These are great stories that bring everyone together in the moment of grieving. Alternatively, these famous funeral poems are frequently shared at memorials:
A Zulu Tribute
Sohlala sikukhumbula njalo
Noma ungasekho kodwa inkumbulo yethu ngawe ikwenza ubenathi Isikhumbuzo sika
Uzohlala njalo use ezinhliziyweni zethu
Uyohlala uhlezi ezinhliziyweni zethu nkathizonke
Usungaphesheya, usuphumule Isikhumbuzo sika-
Isikhumbuzo sika-
Ulale kahle/ngoxolo
There is No Light Without a Dawning (by Helen Steiner Rice)
No winter without a spring
And beyond the dark horizon
Our hearts will once more sing ….
For those who leave us for a while Have only gone away Out of a restless, careworn world
Into a brighter day
A Xhosa Prayer
Nkosi yethu simakade
Siyacela ubekhona
Nawe kanye nathi
Nawe kanye nathi
Yehla moya oyiNgcwele
Ngena wena kuthi
Usebenze kubo bonke
Lokho okuthandwa nguwe
Lokho okuthandwa nguwe
Zonke izono maziphele
Nazo zonke izifo
Ubumhlophe no'bumnandi
Mabuhlale nathi
Mabuhlale nathi
If you opt for a more religious funeral service, we suggest including popular funeral hymns or readings. The book of Psalms has beautiful passages for Christian funerals. The Bhagavad-Gita for Hindu celebrations of life. For Muslim funerals, mourners will recite Ṣalāt al-Janāzah, the Islamic funeral prayer, a pardon for those who pass on.
Funeral flowers and floral arrangements
Funeral flower arrangements and floral tributes are often a major element included in a funeral as they are used to help honour and remember loved ones. There are several different flower arrangements for you to choose from.
Below are a few examples of popular funeral flowers:
- Coffin sprays
- Funeral wreaths
- Inside pieces
- Floral arrangements
- Casket sprays
- Aisle flowers
This is not necessary if you are on a tight budget. Another option is to make your own floral arrangements with contributions from everyone’s gardens. Think about this upfront and decide which route you will take.
South African funerals during COVID
According to current government COVID-19 funeral regulations at the time of publishing this article, funerals or cremations must be limited to 100 persons or less, observing a distance of at least 1,5 metres from each other. If the venue is small, then only 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used.
Face masks must be worn, and sanitiser must be used. The duration of a funeral or cremation service is restricted to a maximum of two hours. At the time of publishing this article, after-funeral and cremation gatherings were not permitted under existing COVID regulations. This is as per regulations on Alert Level 1. Please check the COVID guidelines prior to making any arrangements.
How Hollard’s funeral cover can help you
Planning and organising a funeral can be emotionally and financially taxing, which is why our funeral insurance cover has been put in place to help you. This way our team can help you navigate this painful time by walking you through every step of planning a funeral.
Our team is always on standby. Contact Hollard Funeral today to get a quote. T’s and C’s apply.
Hollard Life Assurance Company Limited (Reg No. 1993/001405/06), a Licensed Life Insurer and an authorised Financial Services Provider
