How To Write A Eulogy

Saying goodbye to a loved one is hard. Writing the perfect speech to deliver in front of family and friends who knew them too is even harder.

The main bit of advice we at Arthur Bell Funeral Directors can give is don’t worry. To write a eulogy and deliver it to those who knew the individual can feel daunting. The process is quite simple though, even for those who do not believe they have a way with words.

A common mistake made at the beginning of the process of writing is for the family member or friend to sit alone with a blank word processing document before them. The delivery may be up to one person but to write a eulogy many people are involved.

Ask friends and family to give stories and offer advice on how to write a eulogy. Do they approve of the tone? What happened during a part of their lives that you were not present for but another was? There is so much to consider that if left down to one person you are bound to find it easier with help.

If you have been to a funeral before you may remember bits of the eulogy delivered. Often the speaker talks of personal memories and anecdotes from the deceased’s life, whether that information has come from themselves or the memory of a friend or family member. This is where asking for help can come in very useful.

Write about their passions! Some questions to think about could include (though of course are not restricted to):

• Did they love watching and playing sport?
• Were they excited about the newest films or music?
• What instruments did they play?
• How many places in the world did they travel to?
• Where did they work and what did they do?

You could also include at this point information about their family and friends; those they lost in the past and those who would be at the funeral.

Finally, many eulogies include a poem or two. Poems are a fantastic place to go when your own words just can’t get the right feelings to shine through. Naturally, if the deceased hated poetry then it might not be the best idea!

The speech should be between anywhere between 3 and 10 minutes long. You want to write a short eulogy so those at the funeral focus all their attention on what you are saying. This is around 500-1000 words.

There is however no right or wrong way to write a eulogy. If you practice privately and in front of someone else, you can time the speech and adjust it if you believe it is necessary.

At Arthur Bell Funeral Directors we have heard many eulogies delivered over our extensive years of experience. We provide a range of funeral services designed to make the planning and arranging of the funeral as easy as possible for you.

Please call us today on 01924 822281 or fill in our contact form to learn more.