There is a slight difference between a funeral eulogy and an obituary although they are in most cases used at the same time and in some cases to mean the same thing. A funeral eulogy is a speech that lauds and often congratulates the deceased. In other words, it a memorial that is used to pay tribute to the life lived by the deceased. The latter on the other hand is a notice of the death of someone. There are times when it usually has a short biography of the deceased. This clearly points out that they both have different writing formats.

According to the funeral director Auckland, when writing an obituary you should seek to demonstrate honor and respect to the departed, while at the same time notifying those who have remained of the death. Obituaries can be written in two basic ways; the short and concise or longer containing more detail. The former often requires that you include the following information: Name in full, Residence, Place of birth, Date of death and plans for internment and memorial. The more detailed one should have the information above as well as the circumstances of the death, positions held, religious affiliation, any organization to which the departed belonged as well as plans for body viewing. It should be written with short and concise language and a picture may be used.

Remember that if a funeral obituary is to be placed in a local daily it is often paid for. So when writing you will need to take into account the length with regards to both the cost and the restrictions imposed by the dailies.

On the other hand, when composing a eulogy, you need to remember that in the context of a funeral you do not need to be a novelist. The funeral service Auckland advise that it is a vehicle to express your feelings. It needs to be written in an informal and conversational way. It is an opportunity to examine the shared feelings and experiences between you and the deceased. You can include literary quotations such as poems, verses from the scriptures, lines from songs and any other excerpts that the deceased loved.

While writing a eulogy you should focus on the deceased's positive qualities and attributes in an honest and truthful way. It is quite acceptable to introduce humor if it fits with the departed's personality. Brevity should also be given priority, though verification with the funeral director helps solve the time issue. If the time allocated for eulogizing the deceased is enough, you can then come up with a longer piece. As you, the eulogy writer, is most likely to be the one reading it, you will need to make sure that you have a good understanding of the meanings of the words used. Ambiguity in the type of words used can only end up sending wrong signals.

Both documents are meant to pay last respects to the deceased. This therefore implies that they need careful creation. If you follow these guidelines you will certainly create the best. The style of writing in both cases should not only be conversational, but also convey the feeling of the moment. Write in a coherent and simple style. Vocabularies are not preferred here since it is not a grammar contest.