How is a Funeral Different from a Memorial Service?
Although they can appear similar, a traditional funeral and a memorial service have a few key distinctions. While both types of services are possible with either burial or cremation, a memorial service is more often associated with cremation services. If you’re unsure as to whether you should plan a funeral or memorial service for your loved one, speak with your trusted funeral home near Celebration, FL, to find out more information. Here are some of the differences and similarities between traditional funerals and memorial services.
The majority of traditional funerals follow a similar timeline and order of events. First of all, a viewing or visitation will usually take place the day before the actual funeral service. In both cases the body is present, but at a viewing, the casket is open for attendees to look at and say a final goodbye. This process is an important step for many people in their grieving and acceptance process. It’s also an opportunity for family, friends, and acquaintances to offer their condolences to the immediate family, as well as pay their respects. In addition, having the viewing and funeral on separate days allows for people with difficult schedules to attend one or the other.
The funeral services will usually take place either at the funeral home or at a chosen place of worship. The family will choose someone to officiate, as well as a person to deliver the eulogy. In some
cases, there will be a time offered for family and friends to come up and share fond memories of the departed. After the services conclude, the bodily remains will be transported to the cemetery for burial, or to the crematory.
A memorial service can include many of the same aspects of a traditional funeral, with the main exception being that the bodily remains are not present. Memorial services typically take place after the disposition, whether it is by burial or cremation. Sometimes people choose to do this because it makes it easier for family and friends to make travel plans to attend. Others wish to wait until warmer months or better weather to hold the service. Sometimes, circumstances simply don’t permit a viewing and traditional funeral to take place. Regardless of the reasoning, a memorial service is still a meaningful way to honor the memory of the departed, and it’s also an important step in the process of grieving and acceptance.
Whether you decide to have a memorial service or a traditional funeral for your loved one, you can look to your funeral home near Celebration, FL, for help with planning it. They can also talk you through your options so that you feel comfortable moving forward with the final arrangements. If your loved one has left instructions as to what they want for their final arrangements, you can allow this to guide your decision-making. Both a traditional funeral and a memorial service can be meaningful ways for family and friends to say goodbye to their loved ones. In this way, you can focus on being close to family and processing your loss.
