Memorial and life celebrations are really about sharing the love of your loved one. It's important to remember that the service is about sharing the love and life of the deceased and not so much acknowledging or focusing on the loss.

The best types of memorial services have a good mixture of sharing special memories, finding comfort and encouragement through the eulogy or message delivered within the service. Sharing memories can be more than recalling a certain time in the life of your loved one, it can include feelings and thoughts you may have had or have as well. It is all the beginning of the healing process and often is the first step in walking down this unfamiliar road.

Here are a few memorial service ideas you may want to consider that may add some variety and uniqueness to the celebration of life.

Balloon Release: During the service you could announce for those who are willing to write a note on a small piece of paper. This note will then be tied and attached to a string on a balloon and released at the end of the service. This is a token of releasing your loved one into the heavens but still having their special memories with you always.

Dove Release: The dove is a symbol for peace and commemorates important milestones in a person's life. In a memorial service, it represents the soul's final journey. Dove releases are becoming more popular for memorial services. There are even specific companies that provide dove releases services.

Candle Lighting: You can include and invite attendees to light a candle at the memorial service. You can place candles around an urn, casket or even group them together beneath your loved one's photo. The significance of lighting a candle during a memorial service is remembrance and observance of a life lived. There is also something very soothing about watching a lit candle.

Memorable Songs: Selecting music to be incorporated in a memorial service should be songs that are meaningful to the deceased or surviving family members. Religious songs in the form of hymns or songs that are favorites of the deceased are all good choices. It can be any type of song that had particular meaning for your loved one so it does not necessarily need to be religious.

Reading Poetry: There is something about hearing poetry read that can touch a cord in our inner spirit. Often it can express emotions that we are unable to during a time of loss. It is encouraging and healing.

Memory Table: Creating a table with photo collages and memorabilia of your loved one can pay tribute to their accomplishments and life. Often photos throughout the milestones in their life are displayed along with things that they may have loved to do. Hobbies, perhaps artwork or a craft that they created could be some ideas of items you could display.

Memorial Service Programs: Including memorial service programs that contain the obituary, poems, scripture, photos is a good idea since this will essentially become a keepsake after the memorial service. It's purpose during the service can serve as a guide for all and a keepsake of memorial for years to come after the service.