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Funny things to say in a funeral video, and how to do it well

Humor at a funeral is a gift when it is warm. Here is how to get a laugh without hurting anyone.

Yes, you can be funny

Some of the most loved funeral moments are the ones that make a sad room laugh. If humor is who you are, it belongs in your message. It tells everyone you are still you.

What works

• Gentle teasing about yourself. "I want it on the record that I did not forget where I parked. The car was moved."
• A private joke the room shares. The family knows. Everyone else will want to ask.
• An opening line that lands. "Miss me yet?" gets a laugh and a lump in the throat at the same time.
• Instructions to the living. "Don't start without me" is a classic. So is "Someone please finish the last of the potato salad."
• A final, small act of mischief. Pointing out something you got away with, years later.

What to avoid

• Jokes at someone's expense in the room.
• Anything that settles scores. A funeral is not the place.
• Humor with nothing warm under it. Make the laugh a way of saying "I love you."

Make it land

Say the funny thing, pause, and then follow it with something sincere. Laughter followed by a tender line is what people remember.

Need help?

Write what you would say, then use our AI helper's "funnier" button for ideas. It keeps your facts and your voice, and you decide what to keep.