How You Can Help During A Funeral Or Memorial Service

During a funeral, the family will likely be fully absorbed in their grief. You can support them by offering tissues if people are crying, or a shoulder to lean on.

Seating

Especially at funerals where there are many people in attendance, seating can get a bit tight. The family should sit up front, in the first one or two rows, and you can help them by making sure these seats are kept available to them.

In some cases, people will give the family too much space in the front of the room, leaving the family isolated. If this happens, you can move closer to the front to make sure the family doesn't feel like they're sitting alone.

For more advice on seating at a funeral, see our article Where to Sit at a Funeral.

Being A Good Guest

By being a good guest, you can help create a positive feeling at the funeral. Even though funerals tend to be sad affairs, good manners and generosity of spirit always make people feel welcome and good. Ways you can be a good guest include:

• Introducing yourself to guests who may not know anyone at the funeral
• Offering tissues to guests who may be crying
• Offering your seat to a stranger if seating is limited
• Not talking during the service
• Signing the guestbook

For more advice on funeral etiquette, see our article Funeral Etiquette.