Service For A Funeral

These days, it is becoming more common to come across the term memorial service on obituaries or death notices, or in conversations with someone after a loved one dies, yet many do not understand that there is a difference between this form of service and the traditional funeral. A funeral service, sometimes called a memorial service or celebration of life, is a beautiful way of acknowledging, celebrating, and honoring the life of a loved one who has passed. Some families conduct a memorial service as a way of remembering their loved one, while others consider a memorial service a celebratory occasion in which the deceased family and friends may assemble in memory, share memories, and offer each other support during the time of mourning.

If cremation has been performed, often a memorial service is held to bury or spread cremated remains, simultaneously with the celebration of the life of the deceased. After a direct cremation, the funeral home or crematorium returns the remains to the family, which may or may not decide to hold a memorial service at some point in the future. Once the lower-cost direct cremation is performed, the family is free to make its own arrangements for the memorial, which could greatly lower funeral costs.

Direct burial is a more cost-effective option for families who are not going to be having a formal funeral, but who still want to inter their loved one at the cemetery. Direct burials are an option often used by families that want to bury their deceased loved one, but who do not want to go through the traditional ceremony. Memorial services may take place under any circumstances and are frequently used by families that are having direct burials or cremations, cremations in which no viewing is planned, or in which the body is not available for viewing.

Unlike a funeral, a memorial service may take place weeks or months after the death, giving time for family members to plan, then gather in a convenient time and location. A burial service is usually held in addition to the traditional funeral, but may sometimes be the sole service chosen by a family. A family may also decide to have a private funeral with only immediate family attending the funeral, followed by a larger memorial service that can include extended family, friends, co-workers, and members of the wider community.

This type of funeral, usually called traditional burial by funeral providers, typically includes viewing or visiting, a formal funeral service, the use of a hearse for transportation of the body to the burial place and burial, or the burial, entombment, or cremation of the remains. Celebration of Life services may be as traditional or as unconventional as a family wishes, ranging from funeral services with a special display of photos to beachside BBQs, with friends and family gathering at the location loved by the person being celebrated. In addition to a funeral home’s base charge for services, costs typically include embalming and dressing a body; renting a funeral home for a viewing or viewing; and using vehicles to transport a family, unless they are using their own.