Directors of funeral homes help families create a farewell ceremony to show love and appreciation for a relative who has recently passed away. Some families want a traditional funeral with an open casket and visitation before the service. Others prefer a more casual memorial service after the person's remains have been cremated. An urn with the loved one's ashes can be buried in a cemetery, interred in a mausoleum, or kept in a place of honor at home. Scattering ashes is another possibility. Here are some more tips on holding services for the deceased.
Images and Favorite Belongings
In both types of ceremonies, families can have photo boards, videos, and some of the person's possessions reflecting favorite hobbies and interests. A few decades ago, it was much less common to see these items at a farewell service. As people parted with more traditional aspects, they liked creating an atmosphere conveying a sense of the deceased loved one being present in spirit.
Memorial Services on the Rise
Memorial services also have become increasingly common. Men and women of the baby boomer generation have been at the forefront of this choice for their parents and also when prearranging their own funerals. They prefer to avoid paying for a full traditional funeral with a casket on display only for a day or two and then buried. They often request donations for a charity instead of elaborate floral bouquets.
Timing Considerations
In some instances, a memorial service is held weeks or even months after a person has passed away. This became a prevalent decision during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and over the cold-weather months. The Centers for Disease Control had urged people to practice social distancing. Families didn't want a service to become a virus-spreading event, so they delayed until warmer weather allowed for a large gathering outdoors.
Sometimes a person has moved far from his or her hometown and family. That's another reason relatives might delay a memorial service. Siblings of the deceased person may decide to hold a gathering at one of their homes after their loved one is cremated. They want the timing to be convenient for everyone, including those who will need to travel.
Help From the Funeral Home
Even when a service is delayed and held outdoors, the family still needs a funeral director to help with the practical details of arranging for cremation, printing memorial cards, and publishing an obituary. The person's remains must be brought from the place of death to a crematory. The funeral director helps the immediate family select an urn. This individual also arranges for cemetery burial or mausoleum interment if that is what the relatives prefer. To learn more information, reach out to a company such as Carter Funeral Home-Denbigh.
When my dad passed away, it was really a relief for our family. Although that might seem strange, he suffered with cancer for so long that we were really looking forward to him not being in pain anymore. We started thinking about everything we wanted to do for his funeral, but we didn't quite know where to start. After thinking about the prospect of his service, we finally decided it would be nice to choose a memorial that he would like. We worked with his friends and our extended family to create a great event, and I was amazed with how beautiful the service was.