Info on Different Types of Funeral Ceremonies
Soon after the death of a person, a funeral service is organized by the family members and close friends. During this service people get together to remember the deceased and to say their final goodbye to the person. Planning a funeral is an expensive as well as elaborate affair.
Depending upon the budget, customs and religious beliefs, one can plan a funeral in many different ways. Funeral services come in many forms and can be held in places of worship, the home of the deceased, funeral homes or any other suitable location. In fact, choosing an appropriate format for a funeral service is regarded as one of the most difficult tasks for those who are given the responsibility of planning a funeral.
Some of the different types of funeral ceremonies are:
Traditional Funeral:
This is the most common type of funeral service in the Unites States where family members and friends of the deceased pay their respects to the deceased and offer condolences to each other. Typically the service is held at a place of worship (like Church) or a funeral home where the body of the deceased is present in the casket and it may be open or closed. Soon after the service a procession will be held and the body of the deceased will be transformed to a final resting place. Lastly a final committal ceremony will be held. The average cost of a traditional funeral is something around $8000 to $10000 and it can be organized by a funeral home. A funeral director takes the entire responsibility of planning a traditional funeral.
Graveside Funeral:
This popular form of funeral service is held immediately prior to burial of body of the deceased. Basically a graveside funeral service is held at the cemetery, either in a chapel or beside the grave. Before the actual service a visitation is planned one day before the service so that all the known persons of the deceased can come and say their final good bye. On the day of the service only close family members and few friends are present at the graveside where the actual ceremony is held right before the body is buried. A graveside funeral is less expensive as compared to a traditional funeral service.
Cremation with Ceremony Funeral:
This type of funeral service is much like the traditional funeral service. The main difference here is in a cremation with ceremony funeral before the actual service the body of the deceased is prepared and cremated as per the local laws and health regulations. Finally the cremated remains means the ashes are placed in a cremation urn. The urn is placed at the funeral service along with the photos of the deceased and here at the service family members along with close friends of the deceased come together to celebrate the life of the deceased. Depending upon the wishes of the family members of the deceased, the urn is taken by them or the urn is buried at a special site. This type of funeral service will not cost you much money.
Direct Burial Funeral Service:
This type of funeral is planned without any form of service. Here the final disposition of the deceased body is done through burial without including any traditional service such as visitation. Also here guests are also not invited. This type of funeral is ideal for those having no family members and friends or for those who cannot be identified. Also those who want to have a very private funeral after their death prefer this kind of the funeral. Here it is very important for the family members to be aware of the wishes of the deceased. It is a very quick and inexpensive funeral service. After the direct burial, a memorial service can be planned later on where people can come together to honor or remember a deceased. This kind of service commemorates the life of the deceased without the body present.
Direct Cremation Funeral Service:
There are many people who do not wish to have a funeral service after their death and wish to have direct cremation instead of burial. This is a very rare kind of funeral service but if it was the last wish of the deceased, then family members and close friends need to accept it. Here soon after the death of a person, the body is taken for cremation and only few family members and close friends and present at the service. This type of service is most preferred by those who do not wish to spend too much money at their funeral service. After the direct cremation, the family members of the deceased can plan a memorial service where people can come together to honor or remember a deceased. Even though the body of the deceased is not present, people can still get a chance to grieve.
To conclude, no matter what type of funeral service is planned in the honor of the deceased, it must help the survivors to express grief, celebrate life and acknowledge the passing of a loved one with some form of ritual. Here the most important aspect to bear in mind is that if the wishes of the deceased are not known then everyone must follow it. In case the wishes of the deceased are not known, all the decisions related to the funeral service must be taken the immediate family members or close friends. All the decisions must be taken keeping in mind the religious, cultural and social preferences of the deceased.
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