Four Weddings and a Funeral...wait, what?

I got a call early last week from a lady whose mother had just died. My company had been referred to her as possibly being able to produce the funeral video for her. I'll admit, it took me a second to formulate a response - which of course began with some words of sympathy for the loss. Was someone really interested in filming a funeral?

I've read about this in a couple of magazines the last few years, but I had decided that it wasn't the type of business I would enjoy doing. First, profiting from someone else's loss? Sure, a funeral home or cemetery profits from the same thing, but they perform a job that is certainly much more functional and necessary. Video? Possibly a short memorial photo montage set to tasteful music...but that's not what was being requested.

As it turned out, there were some family members that would not be able to make it into town on such short notice. The video would be of the memorial service only, nothing more, and would be shipped ASAP to the out-of-town family.

Long story short, I considered that I am of course a service business, and since my service was being requested and I don't have a moral objection to being at a funeral, it was in everyone's best interest for me to be there. So I did it. And....it wasn't so bad. I got strange looks from some of the people in attendance, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Hey, we've seen plenty of political and celebrity funerals filmed live on TV...isn't a close loved one much more important than some person whom you've never met?

Would I do it again? Probably. Will I be advertising this service? Probably not...it still seems too...strange, or heartless, something like that. I do feel good about being able to help with the healing process. Some of the people at the service, as with most funerals, had very kind things to say about the departed, and were in seemingly rare form in their declarations. I think it will be a nice recording of their words for them to revisit in the future. I'm not sure I'd want a DVD of a friend or family member's funeral, but what do I know?