Funeral Planning: Understanding the Different Types of Services

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The process of planning a funeral can be difficult and emotionally overwhelming. Therefore, it is important to acquire professional assistance from a funeral home. The experts will help you handle the numerous aspects and requirements of funeral arrangement. One of the primary aspects to consider is the type of service that you would like for the departed. The choice will depend primarily on religious and even cultural practices. In addition, you should consider personal preferences and the set budget. Here is a brief description of the primary types of funeral services that you can choose.

Full Service Funeral

The full service funeral is also commonly referred to as the traditional service. As implied, this type involves multiple practices and services before and during disposition. Usually, the body is embalmed and visitation or viewing might be included as part of the proceedings. A hearse is also required to transport the body to the pertinent cemetery or funeral sites. Additionally, there is an official service conducted before cremation, burial or entombment of the remains. Unfortunately, the total costs of a traditional service are considerably high. The expenses include the basic funeral home costs, hearse rental, casket purchase and any required special equipment.

Immediate Disposition

There are two important options if you would prefer a funeral service that involves immediate disposition of the body or remains. These options are direct burial or direct cremation. In the former option, the body is usually buried shortly after the departure of the loved one. Typically, there is no visitation of the body or a viewing service planned. Therefore, embalming is usually not deemed necessary. A simple casket is utilised, and you can choose to have a service during the burial.

Direct cremation is similar; the body is cremated within a short duration after death. Normally, embalming is not necessary, and visitation of the body is not a part of the process. The remains are placed in a simple container or urn. They can be preserved in a crypt or home, or they can be scattered in the deceased individual's preferred spot. The primary advantage of immediate disposition is the lower costs, which can ease the financial burden.

Memorial Service

A memorial service provides a medium ground between a traditional service and immediate disposition. Basically, this type of funeral arrangement involves memorialising the departed loved one without the body present. In simple terms, the body can be cremated or buried immediately and later on, a full commemorative service with family and loved ones can be organised. 

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22 February 2017

Organising a funeral for teenagers

It's incredibly hard to plan a funeral for teenagers. They should have their whole life ahead of them, and even if they have had a terminal diagnosis, often their parents cannot believe that they could actually be gone. When my niece passed away, I worked with her friends to make sure that the funeral worked for them and gave them a chance to grieve as well. It was great to see how much impact my niece had made on the world in such a short time, with her friends and family coming together to pay tribute to the beautiful young woman she had been. This blog has tips for other people planning funerals for teens.