When someone dies, their close family and relatives may want to remember them in the best possible light. They can do this by allowing people who know the deceased person to give funeral tributes at the memorial person. This will provide an opportunity to those who have interacted with the dead person to share their memories.
Be mentally prepared for the task. Even if you know the deceased person well, public speaking and your grief can make the task tougher. Take time to organize your thoughts and plan what to say. If possible, write down the speech as it will guide you along.
Think through your memories of the person. Highlight any memories that you can comfortably share with other people. Preferably, it should be something that other people in the service can be able to identify with. Talking to other people who were close to the deceased will give you great points to talk about.
Show how the deceased affected your life. Talk about any life lessons or any of their character traits that inspired you to be a better person. Be yourself and try not to imitate anyone when giving your speech. It will help you connect with the audience.
Do not be overly emotional when delivering your speech. While it is permissible to show some bit of emotion, you should be able to master yourself and talk in an audible voice. Remember to also speak a word of comfort to the family members who lost their loved one and do not just make the whole speech to be about you and the deceased.
Know the time limitations that you have. Find out how many minutes you have to talk. This is because there are usually many other people who also want to give funeral tributes too. Your speech should be short enough to effectively pass across the message you want.
