There are many nice places to have final services for a loved one, including within the funeral homes, but if you really want to have something outside for your loved one, that’s an option as well. There are going to be some things you can’t control about an outside venue, so planning services there can sometimes take a bit more thought and planning. Here are some tips for an outdoor service.
If you plan an outdoor service, you need to be realistic with yourself in that you never know what the weather is going to do. You can choose a date that works, but you might also want to have a backup date in mind in case of rain or other issues you can’t control. You can choose the very next day, which could be convenient for people who might be coming in from another area, or you can pick a date a week or longer down the road to try again.
It can be hard to back things up to another date and you might want to simply have an indoor location on hold as a back up in case it rains and you need to move the final service inside. You could have the funeral home as a back up, a church, a community center, a family home, or anywhere else that would work well for your guests and the service you are having.
When you consider the outdoor locations, you will want to think about what venue would work the best. For something casual, you can choose a picnic shelter in a park, perhaps. You can have it in a family member’s backyard or another location of that sort. For something more formal, you might want to book a location that does weddings because you know it would be more on the private side and you can get a formal feel to the location.
As you think about where you are going to have the final service, you will also want to think about the service style. Memorial services can be anything you want them to be. Some of the services feel somber and like a funeral service while others are celebratory in nature. What you do will determine what venue you want, who all you will invite, and many other details.
When you are outside, the seating and sound system might not be automatic as they are at some indoor locations, like the funeral home. You will have to think about how you are going to seat guests and how you will get sound to them so they can hear everything that is going on. You might have to rent seats and have them delivered or ask guests to bring lawn chairs. For a small group, you may not need sound, but for something larger, it’s good idea to have something ready to go. Funeral homes can help advise you further.