There are many functions that a funeral fulfills: it honours a unique life; it gives friends and family a chance to say goodbye, and it provides a place where the healing process can begin. For thousands of years, the funeral has played an important role in providing consolation during a time of loss and mourning.
Say More Than Just Goodbye
We invite you to plan a service that’s as traditional or contemporary as you want. We welcome unique requests to honour the memory of your loved one and our planning specialists will work creatively to ensure your memorial is a one-of-a-kind tribute.
Traditionally, a visitation is done before the funeral service, giving others a chance to offer one-on-one condolences, love and support.
Planning a Service and Reception
Don’t feel confined to the traditional service, as there are nearly endless opportunities to honour your loved one in a unique way. For example, someone who spent a lifetime baking delicious treats can be remembered with a taste of his famous brownies, or for the avid reader, friends and family can take home a copy of her favourite book. The possibilities are endless, and we are here to discuss your ideas.
Here are some things that can help make sure the service is personalized:
- Special interests, hobbies and characteristics you want to honour
- Reminiscences to share
- Close friends and relatives to invite
- A spiritual leader to conduct the service
- Those who may want to share a memory at the service
- Favourite music to play at the ceremony and/or visitation
- Favourite authors to read at the ceremony
While Glenhaven Memorial Gardens will work closely with any funeral home you choose, we suggest you consider our sister Arbor Memorial funeral homes: Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home - Central Chapel; Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home - Township Chapel, and Robert J. Reid & Sons Funeral Home.
Online Tributes
Sharing Memories is our exclusive memorial site, available free of charge. It offers friends and family from around the world the chance to honour their loved one with photos, messages, quotes, and more. Your loved one’s profile will be accessible always, meaning you can visit and reminisce anytime and anywhere.
Helping You Cope with Grief
We understand the importance of support, and offer free AfterCare service to ensure you receive guidance and emotional counselling anytime you need it. Our AfterCare professionals can also offer help with finalizing the estate.
Planning Ahead
It can be difficult to make important decisions during a time of mourning. Pre-planning allows you to be certain your life will be commemorated as you see fit, while having the peace of mind of knowing your family won’t be left struggling financially during their grief.
When you plan ahead, you also receive valuable benefits, including the ability to transfer your plan to any of our locations within Canada. Learn more about pre-planning your final arrangements.
The Benefits of Planning Ahead
- Savings: Planning early offers cost savings of up to thousands of dollars.
- Reduce the burden on your family: Planning your final arrangements ahead of time reduces the responsibilities on your family at their time of distress.
- Peace of mind: Gain comfort in knowing your plans are ready.
When you plan ahead, your funeral service can be as elaborate or as elegantly simple as you wish. You’ll want to work with a facility that can offer a wide range of options, from a traditional church ceremony to a memorial celebration. Find out more about choosing the service that’s right for you in this informative video.
Free Guide
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