How do I formally welcome guests to a funeral?
Organizing a funeral is definitely a hard thing to do. Opening a funeral service, on the other hand, is another type of obstacle to hurdle. Finding the right words to address a family who just lost a loved one must be perfectly thought over and crafted meticulously, taking into account the feelings of everyone in the room. Research would not hurt to improve your welcome address and it will surely keep you in the right track. There are many ready-made templates of funeral welcome address available online which you can definitely use but we highly recommend that a letter specially made for the deceased loved one would resonate a more personal and thoughtful touch. if it is your first time to formally welcome guests into a funeral, you have come to the right place. Before starting, we like to remind that a welcoming speech is simply an opening remark. You are not giving the main eulogy. In simpler terms, a welcome address will simply state the reason why everyone has gathered, in whose presence and thanking those who have attended. There are many ways to formally do a welcoming address and here are some of the tips to keep in mind when writing one.
Keep it Short and Sweet
As we have mentioned, a welcoming address is not the main eulogy and is therefore meant to be kept short. Because of this, a typical welcoming address outline would go like this.
- Introduction – The introduction of your welcoming speech must definitely address and thank the people who took their time off their schedules to attend the funeral. In addition, an acknowledgment to the family and loved ones that are close to the deceased would be a nice touch.
- Body – For the body of your address, a personal touch would be a good addition. A short and heartwarming story about the deceased would be wonderful. No matter if it’s a story you heard, or a story about an incident that happened between you and the deceased, if it’s bound to make your guests feel lighter, then include it in your address. As we have emphasized, the whole speech must be short. So, it is better to craft your story in a way that it encapsulates the character and charm of the deceased.
- Conclusion – For the ending part of your speech, it merely acts as a bridge to the main eulogy. You could always start by adding a few quotes or Bible verses to include in your conclusion, but the ending must always present the main eulogy.
Make Outlines and Drafts
As with any other speech, making an outline is always the best way to start writing one. It is the backbone of every speech and you could choose to follow the template that we have listed above and fill in the personal details. Here are other tips on how to create your welcome address at the funeral.
- Just write – Writing down your train of thoughts has always been the best way to start making any speech. People are always afraid of making mistakes and terrible lines, but drafts are just what they are, a draft. In freely writing your thoughts you could direct and correct the way you structure your speech and think up of other better ways to address the crowd. Do not take drafts too seriously and just write, write, and write.
- Important only – In writing a welcoming speech, you really want to avoid taking too much time and take away the thunder from the main speech. This must be extremely emphasized especially in funerals because this involves the passing of a loved one. Although you may have a close connection with the deceased, keep in mind that you are tasked to welcome the crowd and introduce the main eulogy. You might be tempted to share stories but that is why we recommend that you keep the stories that are heartwarming and will surely strike the crowd. It is important to know your place especially in a sensitive event such as a funeral.
- Keep on practicing – As they say, practice makes perfect. In an event such as a funeral, you really would want to avoid any mishaps. Emotions are everywhere and as the person in charge of welcoming the guests, a calm and reserved speaker would definitely be a good thing for the crowd. In this sense, we do not take lightly any emotion that you are feeling. As someone who is assigned to do such a task, we truly understand the close connection you have with the person who passed away. However, we do emphasize the importance of your role and that is why we recommend that you practice as much as you can so that you can keep your cool and avoid any emotional outburst during the speech.
Funerals are never a fun thing to do. Everyone is grieving for the loss of a loved one and at the same time, everyone is also trying to comfort themselves or another. However, if you are assigned to make the formal welcome address to the guest at the funeral, take it as an opportunity and honor that you were trusted the task to put the deceased in a good light which means that you are someone he or she trusts, and everyone thinks is strong. We hope that we have helped you start crafting your own welcome address. Remember to always keep it short and sweet so that the deceased may rest in peace.
