Memorial Ceremony Script with Bubble Release or Flower Floating Ceremony

A sweet, eco-friendly memorial ceremony outline and script

 

 

If you’ve been asked to officiate a funeral or memorial service for a friend or relative, you may feel honored… and a little overwhelmed. Helping friends and family remember a loved one requires patience, compassion, and understanding. 

 

If this is your first time officiating a funeral, start by reading:

 
How to Officiate a Funeral or Memorial Service

 

It’s not required that you get ordained to officiate a funeral or memorial, but as a minister, the request may arise. Many families prefer a funeral officiant who’s ordained, and who will perform the service with respect and love. Ordination is free online with American Marriage Ministries. 

 

• Get ordained online with AMM here

 

Below, we’ve included a lighthearted script for you to use as a starting point when planning a funeral, memorial, or ash spreading ceremony following cremation (casting ceremony). This heartfelt service ends with a bubble release or flower floating ceremony – a popular choice for those who wish to honor the memory of the deceased in a moving, meaningful, and lighthearted way. 

 

Related: How to Include a Moment of Silence in Your Wedding Ceremony

 

Personalize this sample outline and script: Keep the wording you like and modify the rest to suit the personality and memory of your loved one. Add details and stories about the deceased's life and include details about their favorite hobbies, music, sense of humor, friends, travels, etc. 

 

 

A bubble release can be performed indoors or outdoors as part of a ash casting or funeral ceremony. 

 

 

Why choose a bubble release or flower floating ceremony for your loved one's memorial?

 

Bubble releases and flower floating ceremonies are thoughtful alternatives to the traditional 'balloon release ceremony' that are sometimes performed at funerals and memorials. These ‘release’ ceremonies give friends and family a chance to be present, to breathe deeply, to release the grief they carry, and to reflect on the memories they have of the deceased. 

 

Why consider an alternative to a memorial balloon release? Although quite beautiful, balloons can cause unintended harm to the local environment and wildlife, and even biodegradable balloons can stick around for far too long. Instead, bubbles can be released outdoors into the open air, and flowers or floral wreaths can be set afloat on the surface of a pond or lake, with less impact on the environment while creating lasting memories. 

 

Other environmentally-friendly alternatives to balloons include sparklers, pinwheels, paper lanterns, and candle lighting ceremonies.

 

Related: AMM Partners with Carbonfund for Carbon Neutrality and Healthy Communities in 2022

 

 

Flower floating ceremonies are a meaningful addition to an outdoor memorial ceremony, and give friends and family a way to participate as they remember their lost loved one.

 

 

Memorial Ceremony Script

with Bubble Release or Flower Floating Ceremony 

An original memorial speech & officiant script written by AMM Minister Michelle Rojas 

 

• Personalize this example by adding details about your deceased loved one, including favorite memories, hobbies, accomplishments, sense of humor, and daily life.

 

 

Welcome and Opening Remarks

 

• Greet guests and warmly announce the purpose of the day:

 

“Welcome everyone and thank you for accompanying us on this very difficult and very special day. We are gathered here today to remember and honor the life of _______, an amazing human being who was so full of joy.”
 

Being here without him, without his light, laughter, and warm embrace is almost unbearable at times. And though our grief may become easier to carry with time, for all of us, it will be impossible to look (up at the sky/ out at the waves) from now on without thinking of him."

 

Heartfelt Eulogy  

 

• How do family and friends describe the deceased? What did the deceased love to do? What were their defining qualities? What were their hobbies and accomplishments? Include those here: 

 

"It didn’t matter to _______ who you were, where you came from, who you might have voted for, (he/ she/ they) was always willing to lend a helping hand, give you (his/ her/ their) time and help,  words of advice, or a listening ear.

 

_______’s most precious joys in life were listening to music, playing the guitar and watching his favorite old shows and movies. I remember when _______ would ask me to look at his old photographs together, and we’d sit at the kitchen table just reminiscing. He loved to show me his life through his photographs. He also had an amazing memory and loved to recall the loves of his life, his children, and his history. 

 

Today, we can remember all the moments in which he danced, laughed at his favorite movies, and even how much he adored eating his meat. He could spend all day cooking for us, wanting to feed the whole family. He was an incredible host, the one who always brought us together, and we all knew that a feast was waiting for us when we were invited to his home.”

 

• How would the deceased want to be remembered today? Include those feelings and memories here: 

 

“Those who knew him well would agree that he wouldn’t like to see us cry today. He’d want this to be a party! One with a lot of food and a lot of smiles. The love he showed each of us is something that will always live on, and it can give us strength until we meet again. 

 

Today, we can find a little bit of happiness in all the wonderful memories of the moments we spent with _______.  Every time he sat next to us, gave us a hug or a handshake, offered some words of wisdom or advice on life, invited us over for a big brunch or dinner, or kept us laughing with an unexpected joke.”

 

 

Moment of reflection 

 

“Let’s take a moment to remember him, and all those crazy and joyful memories that will make us miss him the most.

 

(Pause for a moment or two) 

 

These moments that we carry with us today are the ones we will keep in our hearts forever. We can remember him with love, humility, and as the person he strove to be.”

 

 

Bubble Release or Flower Floating Ceremony 

 

Set up: If you plan to release floating flowers, choose blossoms in the deceased's favorite color and arrange them in a spot that is easily accessible by friends and family, such as a small decorated table, or along the dock or shore. 

 

• Explain the symbolism of the ceremony and how to participate: 

 

“Today we want to remember what we love the most about _______. His closest family members and friends will take a (flower/ wreath/ container of bubbles) and share a favorite memory of _______ with us, or a beloved trait, a story, or anything else they’d like _______ to know, or the rest of us here to hear. 

 

Then they’ll release the (flower/ wreath/ bubbles) (into the air, onto the water). Every (flower/ wreath/ bubble) represents a beautiful message or memory for this wonderful human that was so loved by us all.”

 

(Everyone takes turns saying something, and then blows bubbles or places a flower in the water.)

 

 

Closing Remarks 

 

“_______’s absence from our day to day lives will always be difficult. We’ll never forget him. That kind of love never leaves us, and I know we’ll always remember him with the deepest love, and a smile. 

 

Before we leave today, the family would like to tell everyone here, thank you. Thank you so very much for coming, and for loving _______. His memory will live on in each of us.” 

 

End of Ceremony

 

Everyone is free to talk, hug, and share their thoughts with each other. The Officiant gives their condolences and words of encouragement to the memorial’s organizers, and the family and close friends of the deceased.

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

Wait, why are we talking about memorial services on American Weddings?

 

 

We spend a lot of time talking about wedding ceremonies here on the American Weddings blog. This makes sense... Wedding ceremonies (and wedding officiants) are awesome! And they’re our primary focus and passion. 

 

But AMM Ministers don’t just marry people. When they choose to, their roles can extend much further, supporting their communities in important ways, and celebrating not just new beginnings, but endings, too. This deserves to be highlighted! 

 

Ordination through American Marriage Ministries gives our ministers all of the same rights and protections held by ministers ordained through traditional brick-and-mortar churches.

 

As an AMM Minister (or Reverend, Pastor, or Officiant, whatever title you choose), your right to conduct religious ceremonies of all forms is protected by the religious non-establishment clause of the first amendment. While many of our ministers only conduct wedding ceremonies, others also conduct baptisms, funerals, baby blessings, and other meaningful rites. 

 

Learn more about what it means to be an AMM Minister by visiting our FAQ page. 

 

 

---

 

Read next: 

 

 

• Celebrations of Life: Wild Child Reverend Scarlett’s memorial services honor people in the same ways they lived

 

• Christian Memorial Service Script with Prayer

 

• Honoring the Memory of Loved Ones in Your Wedding Ceremony

 

 

 

Learn how to honor deceased relatives and lost loved ones as part of a joyful wedding ceremony, with examples. Read the full article here. 
 

 

---