Drafting funeral announcements can be a stressful affair for an individual who is grieving. Hard as it may be, it is necessary so as to inform the community about the passing away of the individual. There are some etiquette rules to be followed when writing these notices.
Include details of the deceased person. This includes their full name and any nickname they may have been popularly known by. If the person was a married woman, include their maiden name. You can also include their place of employment and place of residence. Also post a picture of the deceased.
Include names of the surviving family members. You can mention if the deceased was married and had children, siblings and grandchildren. This is important as someone may be acquainted with one of the family members that is mentioned. If the person was not married, include the names of his parents as next of kin.
You can provide details on when and where the deceased was born and when and how they died. You do not have to go into details. Include details of where and when the memorial service will be held. Specify if only close family members are allowed to attend the memorial service or other people can also attend the event.
If you would like people to make a financial contribution or any other contribution, please state so. If you would rather have them make donations in honor of your loved one, direct them to a charity of your choice. Keep the notice as short as possible since there are usually space restrictions when publishing in media obituaries.
Decide what tone to use. You can provide an official or unofficial notice. If the notice will be placed in the newspaper, try and be official. If you are planning to email the notice to close family and friends, then an unofficial tone is permissible. Funeral announcements can also be made over electronic media such as TV and radio stations.