Anyone who is planning his or her own funeral likely wants to make the event one to remember. Meticulously checking off a long list of tasks will ensure that once you've passed away and your funeral takes place, it will properly represent who you were. If you're someone who eschews formality, the idea of having well-wishers show up in suits and dresses might not resonate with you. Although formal attire is common at funerals, there's nothing wrong with requesting that people show up in casual clothing. You might even wish to consider asking for people to dress in a way that represents your tastes, such as by wearing jeans and plaid shirts. Here are three reasons to ask for people to avoid formal attire at your funeral service.
People May Feel More Comfortable
While there are lots of people who enjoy dressing formally, this isn't always the case. Many individuals are uncomfortable when they dress up and may feel out of place while wearing a suit and tie or a formal dress. You want those who attend your funeral to be focused on supporting your surviving family members, not thinking about how they feel in their formalwear. When you request that people arrive in informal attire, the overall comfort of the funeral attendees will be higher.
It May Help People On Budgets
It's important to remember that not everyone owns formalwear. If you come from a working-class community and you anticipate that many of those at your funeral will have a similar background, they might not own appropriate clothing. Such individuals will face one of two difficult situations — either buy or borrow formal attire, or opt not to show up at the service. However, if you stipulate that your funeral's attendees are to dress informally, this can be of benefit to such individuals. Take this into account when funeral planning.
People May Appreciate You More
After your passing, when your family lists your wishes in an obituary or through communication with those who will likely attend your service, it's possible that people will appreciate your wishes — and, by extension, appreciate you more. There will almost certainly be people thinking things such as, "That's so thoughtful of him to ask people to dress informally, and so reflective of who he was as a person." People will already be thinking good things about you as they prepare to attend your funeral service, but your attire-related request can boost you in peoples' minds.
Share21 February 2018
Hi everyone, my name is Sari Blakenship. My first time visiting a funeral home was an extremely comforting experience. Although I was blindsided by the death of my loved one, the funeral director helped me through the planning process without taking advantage of my grief. I was allowed to work at my own pace to cope with the grief in a healthy way. I was never rushed or pressured, despite the necessary timeline. Whenever I couldn't move forward, the funeral director held my hand and offered words of comfort. I would like to share each step of the funeral planning process to help others through this difficult process. Planning a funeral takes a lot of thought and time during a particularly difficult period. Please visit whenever you need a hand.