If you have had a friend or relative pass and are attending their funeral service in Bellingham, WA., you may be asked to give a eulogy. While this can be a wonderful opportunity to be able to share a little bit about your loved one’s life and personality, as well as your connection with them, it can also be a very intimating task.

If you have never had to do this before, you may not know what to say, how long it should be, or even where you should start. Fortunately, there is a general format for eulogies. Follow this format and speak from your heart and you will do great.

Where to Begin

To start working on the eulogy, you will need to gather some information. This information will go into the beginning of the eulogy to create a short biographical sketch of the deceased. Things that should be included are:

• their date and place of birth
• any other names or nicknames they went by
• where they grew up
• where they graduated, got married, and any other major milestones.

Don’t worry if you don’t know all this information, simply turn to other surviving family members to help.

Get Comfortable

Once you have all the information, it will be time to start writing the eulogy. To help with the writing process, try and find a quiet place and a block of time you will less likely be interrupted. Turn your phone off and get rid of any other distractions so that you can focus easier on the task at hand.

Follow the Format

As mentioned before, there is a general format for eulogies. By following this format, you will be sure to include all the key elements you should as well as have the eulogy be the proper length and time. The format looks like this:

• First Section – This is where you will give a very brief introduction to let everyone know who you are and your connection to the deceased. You will then move into the biographical sketch of the deceased’s life. This first section is not very long.
• Middle Section – This is the longest section and is the main part of the eulogy. Here you will highlight the life of your loved one. This can be done in a couple of ways. Some people choose to recap the life in a chronologic order, while others may tell stories of the loved one that express a common theme throughout. The important thing about this section is to think of how you want your loved one to be portrayed and write around that.
• Last Section – This is the shortest part of the eulogy and is a quick summary of what you have said. You can end your speech with thanking everyone for attending, letting them all know what you would like them to remember about your loved one, reading a poem or passage, or all of the above.

Tips and Best Practices

You don’t want to make your eulogy so long that people begin to tune out. You want everyone to pay attention so keep the word count at about 500-1000 words at the most. This is about one to two typed pages.

Also, when you are giving the eulogy, make sure to speak slowly and clearly so that everyone can understand you. Depending on the size of the service, and whether or not there is a microphone, you may also have to speak louder so that everyone can hear.

Lastly, if you are nervous about delivering the eulogy at the funeral service in Bellingham, WA., just remember that everyone is there to honor and show love for your loved one. Take a deep breath, speak from your heart and you will do just fine.