Dos and Do Nots of Obituaries

There will be many things you may be called on to do after a loved one dies. One of these is the preparation of an obituary to let people know of the death and inform them of the funeral or memorial services you are planning. It is never simple to write an obituary. If you are not sure how to begin or what you need to include, funeral homes and providers of cremation services in Schenectady, NY have some of the dos and do nots your need to know about.

Do read examples before you start. There are lots of online sites where you can read examples of beautiful obituaries which can give you a good sense of the length and tone you want to achieve. Although you want to create a unique obituary, it is still helpful to have a good idea of what the usual ones are like.

Do not add too many biographical details. This is a very common mistake that people make when writing obituaries. They tend to want to include lots of details about the person’s life, but this can make the obituary confusing and longer than necessary. Stick to the person’s most important milestones so that readers can get a good idea of their life.

Do let other people read it. You want to have another pair of eyes checking the obituary to make certain you have not forgotten to include anything crucial. Choose someone you trust and take their advice.

Do not forget to include the funeral service details at the end. One of the most important parts of an obituary is the information about the services. It is customary to include all of this at the end of the obituary, usually in larger font or bold font. If all of the details are not finalized yet, you will want to make certain that the readers know where to check that information later.

Do include the names of survivors. Most obituaries have a list of those who survive the person who died. To make certain that you do not forget anyone, have someone check the list before sending the obituary to be printed.

Although writing an obituary is never going to be easy, it can be made a bit less difficult if you follow these tips. Reading examples is a great way to start the process so that you can get a sense of what an obituary is like, and then having someone read over what you wrote is also helpful. You definitely do not want to forget any information or the names of any people from the obituary, so having a second pair of eyes is helpful. By contacting a Schenectady, NY cremation service provider like us at McVeigh Funeral Home, Inc. you will be able to get the guidance that you need throughout the process of planning funerary services. Stop by our location at 208 N Allen St Albany, NY 12206 or call us today at (518) 489-0188.