At Dils Funeral Services, serving Albany, Birkenhead and the Hibiscus Coast, we encourage families to make the service unique so it truly reflects the person who has passed and resonates with those who loved them. Here are five meaningful ways you can personalise a funeral service:
1. Choose a meaningful venue or backdrop. While many services are held in a chapel, perhaps the person loved Stanmore Bay’s coastline, or was active in a local community hall in Albany. With Dils we can help coordinate something meaningful for North Shore families.
2. Display items of significance. Personal mementos, hobbies, tools, instruments, these tell stories. A surfboard, a gardening spade, a golf trophy: these speak of the person’s identity. Experts recommend “consider the personality of the deceased” when personalising a service.
3. Curate music and readings they loved. Whether a favourite song, a poem, a cultural reading; selecting what mattered to the individual draws people in emotionally.
4. Invite involvement from friends and family. Ask someone to share a short story at the service; include a photo slideshow; allow a moment where people speak or write their memories. Participation brings the farewell alive.
5. Thoughtful gathering afterwards. The funeral may end, but the gathering often begins. At Dils we help arrange receptions, informal get-togethers and build points of connection for attendees.
In Auckland’s North Shore communities, where relationships are strong and local connections matter, personalising a service becomes more significant. Dils Funeral Services’ team works alongside you to bring these ideas to life, logistically, respectfully, compassionately.
By making thoughtful choices, the service becomes more than farewell, it becomes a meaningful celebration of a life lived, a point of comfort for the living, and a stepping-stone toward healing.
