How to Stream a Funeral Live
If you die tomorrow, how many people will be forced to go to your funeral and how far will they have to go? It is now quite common to leave your hometown and move around the country or abroad, at least temporarily, and find your loved ones scattered thousands of miles.
As much as we want to travel for every important life event, it is often impossible. In particular, it is difficult – if not impossible – to plan a funeral. Thus, more and more of those who grieve are choosing to broadcast the service live for their loved ones who cannot come to visit in person.
This practice has been around for several years, but as technology improves and we become more accustomed to sharing our lives so thoroughly on the Internet, the popularity of live broadcasts is growing, according to Wired :
Gary Richards, founder of OneRoom, a company that offers live streaming services to funeral directors in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States, says he has noticed many of the families who use his services are recent immigrants from the Philippines and Vietnam. , or India who are looking for a way to connect with family and friends from home. He says he also noticed a significant number of Americans seeking to build a bridge between the east and west coasts.
Think ahead
The easiest way to find out if loved ones agree if their funeral or memorial services are broadcast live is to talk about it while they are still alive.
While we, as a society, are notoriously bad at coping with end-of-life issues, there are certain things we can – and must – deal with in order for our desires to be fulfilled after death. Funeral versus cremation. Do we want our loved ones to attend an official service or a backyard barbecue. And do we want it to stay small, only with the next of kin, or welcome everyone – in person or virtually.
These conversations are not easy, but later on they will give you the confidence that you have received the most important nod of approval.
How to set it up
Many funeral homes now offer live streaming services for a fee, or directors regularly work with third-party companies that may come in to complete the task. If that’s not an option, you can set up the live streaming yourself.
The easiest way is to grab the service using a smartphone or tablet (but preferably a laptop with a webcam) and upload it to the Internet via a streaming service, YouTube or Facebook Live. The platform and hardware you use will depend on how your loved ones access the stream, whether you want to save the file, and how publicly you want the service to be.
US Urns Online has a comprehensive article on choosing the right equipment and setting up live streaming. If you’re doing this yourself, be sure to ask the funeral director if there are copyright issues when streaming any recorded music you may be using.
And if in doubt, ask for help. If your own grief makes it too difficult to deal with the technological aspects of live streaming, assign the task to a tech-savvy family member or friend. So many people want to do something to help the grieving loved ones, and this is something that you can delegate to reduce your own stress.
If you are attending a live funeral
Part of what might make people resist the idea of a live funeral is the random nature of the internet. While everyone who physically attends the service takes the time to formally dress in costumes and dresses and then mingle and interact with other attendees, a live viewer may well be “present” alone in their pajamas.
Dressing as if you were there for a face-to-face meeting will help you feel part of the service. And inviting close relatives to watch with you can be comforting, ” said Scott Watters, England’s funeral director, Funeral Guide :
“Celebrating a life or a funeral is usually not a solitary event,” says Watters. “In my experience, people will watch in a group.”
As for where to watch, you will definitely want to choose a location with a reliable internet connection. You may simply want to watch a movie from home, or consider watching from a location that mattered to the deceased person. Those coordinating the live broadcast can also provide advice on where and how to watch to better honor your loved one.
The future of funeral broadcasting?
Watters tells Funeral Guide that we shouldn’t worry about the live broadcast taking over in person at the funeral, but instead should be seen as a way to get more people into the service.
“Live streaming is very important for those who cannot attend in person,” he says, “because, in my experience, people are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the service.
“But I don’t think this technology will ever stop people from real life. People want to be able to reach out a soothing hand, hug, and show eye-to-eye appreciation.
While watching your Aunt Lizzie’s funeral live may be a new concept, people have tuned in for years to watch the funerals of public figures such as Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, and Muhammad Ali.
Live broadcasts are just another tool for mourners to show their respect and take part in an important part of the mourning process.
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