Monthly Archives: April 2022

cremation service in North Versailles, PA

Tips for Staying on Budget

Tons of families have to have a memorial after a cremation service in North Versailles, PA without spending lots of money. How can you make your lost loved one’s memorial one to remember but you’re working with a smaller budget? You can definitely still make your lost loved one’s memorial or funeral to be the best it can be even if you don’t have a lot of money. These tips can help:

  1. Make it a Potluck – One of the simplest budget-friendly memorial ideas is to consider having a potluck. Ask your guests to bring a dish to share with everyone. This way, everyone pitches in to the cost of the food, and you can allocate some of your budget to other areas of the part.
  2. DIY Decorations – Instead of buying elaborate decorations, a great budget-friendly memorial service idea is to consider taking the time to make them yourself. This is where planning ahead will come in handy. You’d be surprised what you can do with a quick trip to your local crafts store or flea market.
  3. Be Your Own DJ – You don’t need to hire a professional if you have a music-streaming account such as Spotify or Pandora and you can make a playlist yourself for free. Just make sure to add enough music—about 100 songs should do it.
  4. Let People Help – Much too often, our guests ask, “What can I bring?” and we say, “Oh, nothing! I have it under control.” As a host, this is very easy to do—but this time, instead of saying “nothing”, take your guests up on their offers. This is especially helpful as you are going through a loss and could use the extra assistance.
  5. Send E-Vites – Depending on how many guests you have; postage can get expensive. Instead of spending money on paper, envelopes, ink, and postage, a smart money-saving memorial idea is to utilize e-invites.
  6. Find the Right Venue – If you’re throwing a memorial service and you want to host the event outside of your home, you’ll want to find the right event venue. A great budget-friendly memorial service idea is to go with an all-inclusive event venue to help save money. Finding a space with in-house catering, tables, chairs, décor, linens, and a good sound system for music is the smartest, since you won’t have to pay for outside catering or rent furniture. Also, bonus: someone else will have to do the cleanup. Ideally, you’ll want a location with a friendly staff that can comfortably accommodate the number of guests you have.
  7. Keep the Guest List Small – This might be difficult to do, depending on how you want to organize your memorial but keeping your guests at a minimum is a budget-friendly memorial service idea that can go a long way.

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As a North Versailles, PA cremation service provider, we are here to help if you want more tips on how you can make your lost loved one’s memorial one to remember without breaking the bank. Stop by and visit us or give us a call today.

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In Lieu of Flowers

A wonderful, meaningful way honor the memory of a lost loved one after their service at a funeral home in North Versailles, PA is to make a charitable donation on their behalf.

But planning to make such a donation can be tough in a time of grief and loss. That’s where these tips come in. First, learn how to choose a charity. There are so many charities out there, and so many causes that are well deserving of your donated funds. How to you choose which one you want to donate to in memory of your lost loved one? A good place to start is with causes that the deceased cared a lot about or causes that affected them personally. Did they love animals and commit to helping them in their lifetime? Consider donating to your local animal shelter. Were they suffering from a terminal illness or specialized condition? Look into charities that support other people that are dealing with the same. Unfortunately, not every charitable organization is reputable.

That’s why is important to compare and evaluate the different options to make sure your money will be put to good use. Online charity registries like Charity Navigator and Charity Watch assess various organizations and charities to help you make an informed choice about your donation. When researching, take a look at the organization’s financial health, accountability, transparency, and results. Then you have to make the donation. There are several possible avenues you can take when donating in memory of a lost loved one.

While it is very convenient to donate online with a credit card, it’s better to make the donation with a personal check to make sure there is a physical record of the gift so the deceased’s immediate family can be notified. Try to avoid giving cash to the bereaved as then they will have to deal with the donation arrangements. When sending in the donation, make sure it includes the name and address of the deceased, the name and address of a close living family member, and your name. It’s important that you don’t forget to follow up with the family. While organizations will usually notify the bereaved when a donation is made in their deceased family member’s honor, it’s still a good idea for you to notify the family yourself. Include the information in a sympathy card or when you call them on the phone to express your condolences. Keep in mind that it is considered appropriate to arrange your donation within 10 days of a funeral or other service.

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Do you want people to leave money to charities after you’re gone? Include it in your preplanning arrangements. Make sure to notate the wish in your Will or other preplanning documents.

Want more tips or information? We are here to help. Stop by and visit us or give us a call today if you want to learn more about making a charitable donation in someone’s memory, preplanning, or North Versailles, PA funeral homes.

cremation service in Monroeville, PA

Grief Care Packages in a Pandemic

While normal, everyday activities are tough because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s made supporting people after a death a cremation service in Monroeville, PA incredibly difficult. How can you comfort or support someone when you can’t see them in person or give them a hug?

One way to help make a loss a little easier for someone grieving is to create a grief care package. While there are normal care packages that are great when there isn’t a pandemic, a care package in the time of COVID-19 is a bit different, from what it includes to the delivery:

  • Comforting Items – These days, comforting items like candles, weighted blankets, pajamas, and essential oils have become necessities for everyone dealing with the stress of the pandemic. They’re especially helpful for people that are going through a loss. Create a care package with some of these comforting gifts or have them mailed to the bereaved via Amazon or another delivery service.
  • Traditional Gifts – The traditional gifts like flowers, candy, books and sympathy cards still signal that you care and are thinking of the bereaved. Take into consideration the person to whom you are sending the grief care package as not everyone likes chocolate or has need for a new book
  • Compassionate Gifts – Another traditional care package for someone going through a loss is a cleaning service to help out with household chores. While this might not be possible right now because of the pandemic, you can still send helpful gifts that don’t require indoor contact. A landscaping service, for example, will go a long way towards taking the yard work off their plate. If it’s around the holidays, you can also hire an outdoor decorating service.
  • Food – Grocery shopping and cooking are tough during a loss, but these tasks are made even tougher because of the pandemic. Include some prepared, frozen foods in your care package so the bereaved don’t have to worry about risking exposure in a grocery store or taking the energy to cook. You can also send them a gift card for Instacart or another grocery delivery service so they can choose their own food and still stay safe from illness or place an Instacart order on their behalf and have it delivered to their home, so you and they are safe.
  • Significant Household Items – Toilet paper might not be as popular as it was at the beginning of the pandemic, but it’s still a very thoughtful item to include in a care package. It can be hard for the bereaved to have the time, energy, or emotional bandwidth to do errands like getting household necessitates. Help them out by sending toiletries, tissues, paper towels, dishwasher detergent and other items directly to their home. All of these items are available for delivery through Amazon, Target, and other stores, so it will be very easy for you to make sure they get to the bereaved while keeping yourself safe.

cremation service in Monroeville, PA

These are just a few tips to help you send care packages during the pandemic. We are here to help if you would you like to learn more about care packages or Monroeville, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today.

funeral home in Monroeville, PA

What Funeral Home Details Really Matter?

There are a lot of details that go into a memorial or a service at a funeral home in Monroeville, PA. However, not every detail matters as much as others. There are some aspects of funerals and memorials that guests don’t really care about at all, but there are some that they care about a lot. In order to save you time and energy on planning your lost loved one’s service, here are the details that your guests actually care about.

Use this list to help make your lost loved one’s service the best it can be:

  • The Flow – When it comes to any kind of even, even funerals and memorials, the “flow” refers to the way your guests move from moment to moment in the event. For example, from the service itself to the refreshments or burial. You don’t want to keep your guests waiting, so it’s important to optimize your flow by keeping your funeral director, celebrant, or any other person in charge appraised of your wishes and delays.
  • Location – Do your best to choose a location that’s as accessible as possible, whether that means keeping it close to home to minimize travel or ensuring it has wheelchair ramps or close parking for differently abled guests. Also, don’t forget to consider the weather if the venue you choose has outdoor options. You don’t want your guests to sweat through their black clothing or freeze in cold weather.
  • Saying Hello – Do your very best to talk with or say hello to every one of your guests. It can be tough to accomplish, especially if you have a big service, but it’s important to try so they feel appreciated for taking the time and energy to attend.
  • The Service Itself – The majority of funeral guests are at the event because they cared about the deceased. So, make sure the service honors and remembers the deceased in the best ways possible.
  • Date and Time – Your guests want to be able to come to your lost loved one’s service! When choosing the date, be mindful of holidays. Even though getting days off from may make it easier for them to travel, many people may want to use holidays for vacations or standing family reunions. When choosing the time, try not to make the service too early or too late. Having the ceremony at 9am might make it hard to guests to be ready, but a service at 9pm is later than others might want to stay up.
  • Food –The food at the service or wake one of the most important aspects, so you need to make sure your catering is the best it can be. That means not only delicious, but also hot, fresh, and well-presented. Don’t forget about options for people with dietary restrictions.

funeral home in Monroeville, PA

You shouldn’t waste your precious funeral or memorial planning time working on details that your guest won’t care about or even remember. Do you want more tips on planning or Monroeville, PA funeral homes? We are here to help. Call or visit today!