How to prepare for an online ceremony in the best possible way

Nowadays, modern funerals involve live streaming and a carefully prepared script with photo, video and audio material. Funeral directors are therefore increasingly looking for solutions to make such services as accessible and user-friendly as possible for the bereaved.

Playbook Online is one such solution: it makes it very easy to prepare the perfect ceremony online, in collaboration with the bereaved, via a web application. The bereaved can upload all conceivable media files themselves and organise the ceremony as they wish via an intuitive platform. As a funeral professional, you can watch remotely via the cloud and monitor the quality.

Despite its high degree of user-friendliness and intuitive look and feel, there are still a few tips and tricks you can use to ensure the best possible end result for the bereaved. To do so, follow the three pieces of advice below.

Tip 1: Always do a final check

Online ceremonies created in Playbook Online can, in theory, be modified right up until the actual ceremony. However, as a funeral professional, it is advisable to set a deadline by which the script will be finalised for the next of kin. A period of 24 hours before the start of the ceremony is a good starting point.

This gives you time to do a final check without the next of kin being able to make any further changes afterwards. If there is a problem with the script, you will still have plenty of time to discuss it with the next of kin. If you do not perform a final check and simply leave the script open, you may be faced with last-minute changes during the ceremony that have not been implemented optimally.

In Script Online, it is possible to automatically close scripts for editing at a specified time. So make use of this feature and perform the final check.

Tip 2: Work together, not at cross-purposes

Playbook Online is a cloud product. This means that multiple users can be online at the same time to collaborate on the same project. This is extremely useful for relatives who can work together on a single funeral ceremony from different locations, even from abroad, but there is also a risk involved

Collaborating in the cloud also means that people can work at cross-purposes. Especially when bereaved families ask you, as a funeral professional, to help with the online ceremony, you want this to be done in a streamlined and effective manner. Therefore, make agreements about who does what, when you will and will not be watching, and what is expected of you.

This will prevent people from working at cross-purposes, or your corrections and adjustments being undone by well-meaning relatives.

Tip 3: Use the instructional video and manual

Although Playbook Online is fully optimised for intuitive use, it is advisable to refer relatives who are using the system for the first time to the instructional video. This is available to everyone under the question mark in the top right-hand corner of the Playbook Online platform. The same button also provides a short manual in PDF format for next of kin to consult.

Experience shows that nine out of ten questions about how the platform works can be answered by actively pointing out these two informative items to next of kin in advance. The video only takes about three minutes, but explains everything they need to know to get started. They can consult the manual if they encounter any problems afterwards.

This is beneficial for the next of kin, who can quickly move on without having to contact you for assistance. But it is also beneficial for you: you spend less time answering questions and can focus on your actual work.

Also suitable for other online ceremonies

Playbook Online is currently used by numerous funeral directors, crematoria, funeral homes and funeral centres, but is also suitable for other types of online ceremonies. Think of memorial services, but also festive occasions, such as anniversaries.

Would you like more information about how Playbook Online works and its advantages, or are you looking for tailored advice on how to use Playbook Online in your situation? Please contact us and we will be happy to help you personally.