Six Helpful Questions To Help You Choose A Memorial Planning Company
Seeking someone to help your family plan a Celebration of Life or Memorial service is already hard enough, let alone having to trust that the firm you hire knows what they doing and can do it confidently Thankfully, many of our clients find us through Google and we’re glad they do.
New Narrative is committed to providing the most professional experience for our clients, creating personalized, interactive, and professionally managed events.
We want all of our families to feel taken care of,
knowing they are in the hands of industry professionals.
Whether you decide to work with New Narrative or not, we want you to know the questions to help find the event planning company that fits your family’s vision and can confidently do the work needed to give your family peace of mind. After a year of planning virtual memorial events and helping over 120 families, here are some questions that could help get you during your search.
Here are six questions that you can ask any virtual memorial planner to feel confident and comfortable with using their services:
What Platform Does Your Company Use?
Platforms like Zoom Video Communications will allow for a more interactive experience with your guests. Live-streaming services such as YouTube or direct to a streaming website will give guests the opportunity to leave a message for your family , but you will not have the chance to interact with family and friends in real-time. You will want to be clear on which platform they will be using.
2. Is there a limit to the number of attendees that can log into or watch the service?
Not all streaming licenses are created equal. If your family is well connected or has roots in many different areas, you may want to confirm that the company you have hired can allow more than 100 logins in the event, should the invitation be spread far and wide around many different facets of your family’s life.
All New Narrative events have a maximum limit of 1,000 attendees via our Zoom license.
3. How Do Invitations Work?
You’ll want to know what is expected of you and your family when it comes to inviting guests. Some companies will use a third party software such as Evite or Paperless Post to create and send invitations on your behalf, while some companies provide you with an invitation that you send to your families. It is important to understand the scope of their invitation services and opting in for the amount of work you would like to take on.
4. Do we need to provide music for the event or will you provide?
It’s important to ask your provider how they will access the music you’ve requested and how it will be played during the event. If they are choosing Spotify or Youtube, you’ll want to know they have a Premium license. Ideally, the company you go with will download their own music and have it ready to be played on cue during your event.
5. What special touches or creative elements have you seen that are possible?
This is a great way to seek inspiration and ideas for your family. Even if you don’t follow the specific examples to a T, it could lead to another idea or a theme that your family hadn’t thought of before. Asking this question can also assure you that you’re working with the company that fits your family’s vision.
6. What deliverables will you provide to us after the event?
It’s industry-standard to provide each family with a recording of the event as well as the chat file created during the service. Some companies offer Attendee Lists, Keepsake Videos, or a lasting memorial site that will stay up indefinitely. You’ll want to understand what is including and any options you could purchase additionally.
We hope that this article was helpful! Contact us if we can help you or your family plan a virtual celebration of life, a hybrid memorial service, or an in-person celebration of life.