Personalizing Your Service
Every Life is Unique—Your Tribute Should Be Too
At Downing & Lahey, we understand that each life is one of a kind, and every farewell should reflect that individuality. We are dedicated to collaborating with every family to design a personalized service that honors your loved one’s unique story, passions, and legacy.
Below, you’ll find a selection of ideas to inspire your planning. These are merely starting points; our compassionate team is here to help you craft a service that truly celebrates the life it commemorates.
Memory Tables and Memory Collages
Remember your loved one with a memory table display. You can include significant items from your loved one’s life, including a bicycle, golf clubs, gardening tools, hunting and fishing gear, a musical instrument, a motorcycle helmet or jacket, knitting or sewing equipment…the possibilities are endless. Display special photos, certificates, achievement awards and other significant items in a customized memory collage.
Life Tribute Memorial Videos
There is no better way to remember your loved one than with a special personalized tribute. Our Life Tribute video program incorporates your family’s pictures with music into a presentation that can be played at the visitation, during the service or at the conclusion of the service. You can post the video online for family and friends around the world to see and share with generations to come.
Live-Streaming and Taping of Services
Do you have family members in another state or overseas who are unable to attend the service? No one should have to miss their loved one’s funeral.
Personalized Music
You are not limited to traditional funeral music during your loved one’s service. Customize the visitation or service with your loved one’s favorite tunes. We are happy to help your family compile special music to play during the services, or to assist in finding musicians. We also have a Clavinova in our chapel for traditional music.
Service Officiant
A service officiant is someone who is trained and certified to meet the needs of families during their time of loss. Often this professional is a pastor at a local church, or a chaplain for a local hospice. If your family is not affiliated with a church, but would like someone to lead the service, we are happy to connect you with an officiant who will help create a personalized service for your loved one. We will coordinate a time for you to meet with the officiant to share stories and your vision for the funeral or memorial service.
Bagpiper
The bagpipe provides a solemn, powerful song, making it the ideal instrument for funerals and memorials. For hundreds of years, people far and wide have bid farewell to their dearly departed with the music of the pipes. We can help you commemorate a loved one with this noble music tribute.
Pallbearers
Friends, relatives, church members or business associates may serve as pallbearers. If the family would prefer, we can provide some or all pallbearers for your loved one’s service.
Military Honors
We can help you honor your military member with a flag ceremony, color guard, trumpeter or even a final gun salute. We work with all branches of the military and can make all the proper arrangements easily and efficiently.
Receptions
Are you looking to host a reception after the service? Let us know and we can provide you with a list of recommendations for both reception venues and caterers.
Your services have been great everytime our family was in need.