Writing a Eulogy: Finding Your Way Through Words and Grief

If you've ever been asked to speak at a funeral (or volunteered to do so), you know the unique challenges this presents, even for seasoned public speakers. When you're also tasked with writing the eulogy itself, that challenge intensifies considerably.

Many bereaved families leave eulogy writing to the celebrant or minister, but sometimes it falls to a relative or close friend: the eldest child, a spouse, a sibling, or a best friend. If you've found yourself in this position, you'll understand the complexities involved – balancing what you know with what you don't, filling in gaps, and ideally creating something that honours your loved one while bringing comfort to everyone in attendance. All while navigating your own grief.

Public speaking isn't for everyone. Neither is writing. Combining the two can feel overwhelming during an already difficult time. While this challenge isn't unique to funerals (think of wedding speeches or business presentations), eulogies carry a particular weight and responsibility.

So when you find yourself needing to create a meaningful tribute from scratch, what's the best approach?

Start with the Foundation

Your first step is gathering all the basic information you have about your loved one. This includes their date and place of birth, where they grew up, schools and universities attended, military service, marriages and relationships, children, careers, and homes. Think of the key moments that defined their life; the experiences that marked important chapters.

Look Beyond the Facts

The next step is exploring your loved one's personality: their likes, dislikes, quirks and passions. The best way to bring these to life is through stories and anecdotes, ideally spanning different periods of their life.

When working on a eulogy, I like to include a story from early childhood or teenage years, one from their family-forming years, and something more recent. Each story matters because few people at the service will have known the deceased throughout every stage of their life. You're painting a complete picture, one that will bring recognition, comfort, and perhaps even delightful surprises to those listening.

When You Need Support

At Eulonique, we understand that this task is far from easy. That's why we've launched our Eulogy Writing for Funerals service, offering professional support for those who have been asked to give a eulogy but need help putting their memories and emotions into words.

We provide a compassionate consultation to help you gather memories and stories, guide you through eulogy structure and meaningful content, and deliver a professionally written eulogy that you can revise until it feels authentic to you. We can even offer coaching with delivery and presentation tips. And if time is short, we're here with fast turnaround options.

This service complements our established Legacy services (Legacy, Living Legacy, and Everlasting Tribute), extending our support to anyone looking to honour a life through words, whether planning ahead or facing an immediate need.

For more information about our eulogy writing services, visit our Services Page, get in touch, or email us at info@eulonique.co.uk.