Funeral Speeches - How To Make A Funeral Speech With Professionalism And Respect
When somebody passes away, it is always a difficult and upsetting time.
Arrangements have to be made for the funeral and loved ones begin the grieving process.
If you're asked to make a short speech at the funeral, you must do it with the utmost respect for the deceased and with the greatest professionalism.
The most important aspect of making a funeral speech is gauging the type of speech that will be appropriate.
Most people think that humour is not suitable, but it can be if the atmosphere allows it.
The best way to approach your speech is to speak directly with the funeral organiser (probably a family member) and subtly ask what they are expecting from the speech. Bear in mind that this is a really upsetting time and they may not want to discuss things in too much detail.
Most likely, they will ask you just to say a few words about the deceased and to reflect the love the family had for the deceased.
In this case, it would be appropriate to highlight a maximum of two quick examples of the good times the deceased had during their life. You may be able to include some humour.
Always write out your funeral speech and read through it (probably 10 to 20 times) before the day. You need to be comfortable with the speech and how it reads.
The length of the speech should be a maximum of five minutes (unless you have been specifically asked to speak for longer). The optimum speech time is three to five minutes.
On the day, arrive at the funeral venue 10 minutes early and check out where you are going to be standing to make the speech. If you are in a church, make sure you can see your speech as some churches can be dimly lit.
It is acceptable to have your speech in front of you as a memory aid, but try not to read it directly. This will be obvious to your listeners and ruin your speech.
When it is your turn to speak, make your way calmly to your speaking position and make your speech. After your funeral speech, return to your seat. When you are walking, keep your head slightly bowed and avoid too much eye contact with the other attendees.
If you need help writing your eulogy, you can get some great speech examples from the site below:
Funeral Speech Good luck!
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