For some, an important part of planning a proper funeral service is to have a beautiful eulogy written and ready. The eulogy can pay tribute to a life well lived, and help those attending the service to better understand who the deceased was, and all the lives that he or she touched. It is not always easy to write a eulogy, however. If you want to have a good start, here are some common mistakes that many funeral homes in Old Bridge, NJ have come across and how you can avoid them in your own experience.

It is important to understand how long the biography section of the eulogy should be. In an obituary, for example, a good part of the piece is taken up by the biography, but that is not generally the case with a eulogy. You want to give a brief outline of the person’s life, but not spend a lot of time on this. Instead, you want to focus on the person’s impact on you and your life so you can show what they meant to you and to others.

A eulogy shouldn’t be too long. People will be dealing with lots of emotions and you do not want to stress them further by having to listen to one person for a long period of time. It should be between five to seven minutes in length to avoid people zoning out. You should read it out loud at the pace that you feel comfortable with and time it in advance to see if it works.

Many people are afraid to use humor when they write a eulogy, but this can be a mistake. If your loved one was someone who liked to laugh and have fun, it can be completely appropriate to have a few jokes or funny anecdotes in the eulogy. It will help bring their personality forward so that other people can remember what they were like. However, always keep in mind the venue at which you’ll be delivering the eulogy; off color stories and jokes are probably not appropriate in a house of worship.

Another mistake people make is not having someone listen to or read it before the day of the service. It’s always good to have opinions of people you trust. You can also get an opportunity to practice the eulogy while someone else listens so that you can fix any issues and make certain that everything is in order. The more practice you get, the easier it will be on the day when it counts.

By keeping these tips and common mistakes in mind when writing a eulogy, you can make certain that it will be as moving as you want it to be. Don’t be afraid of using humor in an appropriate manner to communicate what the person meant to you and use anecdotes to show the impact that they had on your life and others . If you want to learn more about funeral arrangements and everything they entail, reach out to an Old Bridge, NJ funeral home such as Brunswick Memorial Home. We’ve been serving the Old Bridge area for over 35 years, and we’re here to guide you through the process of making the necessary arrangements for your loved one. Stop by our location at 454 Cranbury Rd, East Brunswick, NJ 08816 or give us a call at (732) 254-9393. It would be our privilege to assist you.