Funeral Services
Planning a funeral service can be a very difficult process for families who have just lost a loved one. But it’s important to provide those who are grieving with a supportive environment in which they can begin to find closure, say goodbye, and come to terms with the loss. Gathering with friends and family gives everyone the opportunity to connect, share memories, offer words of sympathy, and create a lasting network of comfort and support as they start the journey toward healing.
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You may not have given a lot of thought to funeral services, but when the day comes that you do need them, you will be glad to know what they entail. There are many types of funeral services that are offered by different companies and it can be difficult at times to decide which one is best for your needs.
This page will give an overview of the types of funeral services available so you can make an informed decision about what type is right for you or your loved ones. You may not have given a lot of thought to funeral services, but when the day comes that you do need them, you will be glad to know what they entail.
There are many types of funeral services that are offered by different companies and it can be difficult at times to decide which one is best for your needs. This blog post will give an overview of the types of funeral services available so you can make an informed decision about what type is right for you or your loved ones.
Types of Funeral Services
There are many different types of funeral services. There is the traditional funeral, cremation, and burial. The standard funeral service includes a casketed viewing or visitation before the ceremony with a eulogy from the officiant and an open-casket ceremony followed by burial in consecrated ground.
Cremation reduces the body to bone fragments through intense heat and vaporization so that it can be placed in an urn for burial or scattered on private property, public parks, waterways, and oceans at sea (in some states). Burial is placing a casket into the earth while memorial services are often held afterward.
The Types of Funeral services we offer are;
- Traditional Funeral Services
- Cremation Services
- Burial Services
- Memorial services
Traditional Funeral Services
In this type of funeral service, the body is usually embalmed and urned or buried. In some cases, cremation may be offered in lieu of an urn burial. If you choose a traditional funeral, there are several types to consider:
This is basically what it sounds like - your loved one’s casket will have the necessary fittings for viewing and visitation after which they will be laid to rest with their final wishes fulfilled (if applicable). There is no specific religious requirement but if desired then you can request that clergy members participate in such ways as prayers, readings, blessings etc.
Burial Services
There are different services that you can choose for a loved one’s burial, depending upon your individual needs and preferences:
- Immediate burial means that your loved one will be buried or entombed without a public service or gathering.
- Visitation, also called a viewing, wake, or calling hours, allows family and friends to gather in a room with the departed loved one in an open or closed casket and say goodbye or offer their support and sympathy to the bereaved.
- Funeral or memorial services can take place at a funeral home, in a church, or even at your home. The service is a ceremony which serves to celebrate, honor, and remember the life of the deceased. Whether traditional or unique, both the visitation and the funeral service can be personalized to reflect the individuality of your loved one. For more information, visit our page on personalizing services.
- Graveside, chapel, or committal services are held at the cemetery, and allow family and friends to be present as their loved one is transferred to his or her final disposition through ground burial.
Cremation Services
The biggest misconception about cremation is that there can't be a funeral service or visitation. This is absolutely not the case, and we encourage you to consider holding a memorial service to celebrate the life of the deceased as well. There are many options open to you when it comes to honoring your loved one's life. After the cremation and memorial services, there are a variety of choices for your loved one's final disposition:
- Interment means that you'll bury or entomb your loved one's cremated remains. This can be in a family plot, a memorial site, a cremation niche or urn garden, or in a variety of other indoor and outdoor locations. Ask our staff for a detailed list of interment possibilities.
- Graveside services are similar to those celebrated alongside a traditional ground burial, in which loved ones are present at the burial of the cremated remains and honor the deceased through memorial prayers or other meaningful tributes.
- Scattering allows you to spread your loved one's cremated remains in a memorial garden, a cemetery, over water, or across any other meaningful site. You also can choose to scatter some of the cremated remains and retain the rest in an urn for interment or another form of disposition.
- Placing cremated remains in multiple urns allows family members who are separated by distance to each feel the comfort of having their loved one's final resting place in a nearby location.
Cremation takes place if desired by the family. The funeral director will offer guidance as appropriate about what kind of memorials are available in their area so that you can decide which option best fits your needs.
Memorial services
The last type is a memorial service; this can be held in your own home or where ever it feels appropriate for the loved one to have their final farewells with friends and family present.
As you go through these types of funeral services- do not forget about what each option entails when searching for an alternative way to honor those who have passed on. Keep all choices in mind while exploring different avenues so you're able to decide which suits your needs best whether they relate to work or personal reasons- don't make any hasty decisions either because there's no going back once anything has been done!
