Hybrid Funeral? Virtual Honouring Event? What is that?

It is the best we can do during this pandemic!

Ideally, a funeral or memorial event allow family & friends to honour the deceased and come together to grieve and be present for one another. Since March 2020, we have been limited to funerals of 50 guests down to only 10 guests. This includes the funeral celebrant and musician. This often means that only 8 family members may be present for a funeral or memorial at this time. Our hearts are breaking for the bereaved during this difficult time.

A Hybrid Funeral is a combination of a virtual and in-person event. This means that the few family members are present at the chosen venue with the deceased,  but additional family & friends are connected on-line via ZOOM. We also offer a hybrid visitation, where guests stream the visitation live and leave condolences and comments in the chat box to connect on some level. We can also host a Virtual Honouring Event. Everyone is safe in the comfort of their own homes. Eulogy can be shared, a few planned speakers, a slide show, music & some interaction among guests. Sometimes we just have to do the best we can with the situation at hand. This is a great option to connect and work through grief together.

Some are putting off memorializing their loved one “until this pandemic passes”. We do not recommend it. Where you are in your grief will be completely different 6-12 months from now.

Many are accepting the situation with the mini funerals. It does not have to be that way. We can be creative and connect people despite our isolation. Anora Cremation, Burial & Events has successfully lead hybrid funerals and virtual honouring events and it has been positive for the families & communities that we have served. For a full set of funeral options which abide with the COVID-19 protocols please call or email. Let’s talk.