Writing a Funeral Speech

Close family members of the deceased usually do funeral speeches and because they are already in shock or grieving, writing and saying a funeral speech can be very difficult and emotional; where do you begin talking about someone you love dearly and has just passed away. Here are a few tips and ideas, which I hope will help in such distressful situations. Keep the speech brief and general, approximately five minutes should be more then sufficient for a funeral speech for two reasons: one, you may get emotional and not be able to go through with it and second, everyone attending the funeral is mourning too and speeches usually emphasize the pain and loss.

The Essentials of a Funeral Speech

Keep the speech general, mentioning what characterized him or her as a person such as, his or her kind and giving nature, funny and humorous, loving, inspiring and/or a fighter who always worked hard to reach for a set goal. Always be positive in a funeral speech with regard to the deceased, as nobody wants to remember any of his or her bad sides on this particular day.

Always write the speech down, if possible type it in large easy to see print as usually one can get emotional and loose the line or break down and the whole page will get fuzzy through tears; if you can and know that you may break down and cry during the speech, try and have someone else with you who may finish your speech in such eventuality. However, don’t feel ashamed for breaking down, at funerals it is expected especially from close family and friends.

Make the funeral speech a conversation you would have had with your family and friends, informal and from the heart, as you are surrounded by family and friends therefore there is no need for formalities in your already hard to deliver speech.

Helpful Tip

Ask your family and friends for some of their thoughts on what they feel the funeral speech should sound like, as at such times it is understandable that you may not be able to think clearly and put together the speech by yourself. Funeral speeches are never easy whether it is to write or deliver them but it is also a form of paying respect to the deceased and some of the thoughts that will linger forever with some of the family and friends present at the funeral.