Funeral Homes Plan Delivery of Services on the 5 Elements of a Funeral
The funeral service for my Mom proved more difficult than my sister, Diane, and I had anticipated.
There were more details to cover with the funeral home than we had anticipated.
Besides notifying relatives and friends, there were details to manage we had not given much thought such as Mom's insurance policy, locating the paper work on her burial plot, a burial dress, choosing a casket, and more.
We were so glad we chose the newest funeral home in our city where we found a caring and supportive staff.
Our funeral director helped us through the process and discussed some special arrangements for each of the five phases of Mom's funeral.
1.
The Visitation.
This was a special time for our family and friends to gather.
It's sometimes called the wake, or the viewing.
We had Mom in an open casket in the visitation room at the funeral home so all who loved her could acknowledge her death and say goodbye.
It was a time for family and friends to support one another in our grief, but also a time to celebrate her life through a special video prepared by the funeral home staff.
The funeral home staff produced a video of highlights of Mom's life which featured many photographs of Mom, brothers, sisters, children, other family members and friends.
The video was shown continuously during the visitation hours.
2.
The Eulogy.
A remembrance and acknowledgment of Mom and the significance of her life to all who shared it.
The eulogy can be delivered by one or several family members and friends, or by a member of the clergy.
We chose a local minister who shared some of our fondest memories of Mom.
A close friend also sang one of Mom's favorite hymns, The Old Rugged Cross.
The funeral home arranged for a closed circuit broadcast of the eulogy service, accessible on the internet, for relatives who could not attend the funeral.
3.
The Procession.
It's also called the cortege.
It's the procession from the funeral chapel, or church, to the grave site as a symbol of support by the public honoring the death.
Our family and friends were led to the final resting place by the hearse containing the casket.
The funeral home arranged a police escort for the procession and set up covered seating for family members at the grave site.
4.
The Committal Service is held at the grave site.
The ceremony there was our final opportunity to say goodbye.
We were surprised and touched by the release of white doves at the close of grave site services, an added element by the funeral home that we were unaware would happen.
It gave us an added sense of closure and another special memory of Mom.
5.
The Gathering.
This precious time was limited to family and closest friends.
It was held in an informal setting arranged at the funeral home to share more stories and memories about Mom.
It was a time of celebration for the special person she was to each of us.
There were more details to cover with the funeral home than we had anticipated.
Besides notifying relatives and friends, there were details to manage we had not given much thought such as Mom's insurance policy, locating the paper work on her burial plot, a burial dress, choosing a casket, and more.
We were so glad we chose the newest funeral home in our city where we found a caring and supportive staff.
Our funeral director helped us through the process and discussed some special arrangements for each of the five phases of Mom's funeral.
1.
The Visitation.
This was a special time for our family and friends to gather.
It's sometimes called the wake, or the viewing.
We had Mom in an open casket in the visitation room at the funeral home so all who loved her could acknowledge her death and say goodbye.
It was a time for family and friends to support one another in our grief, but also a time to celebrate her life through a special video prepared by the funeral home staff.
The funeral home staff produced a video of highlights of Mom's life which featured many photographs of Mom, brothers, sisters, children, other family members and friends.
The video was shown continuously during the visitation hours.
2.
The Eulogy.
A remembrance and acknowledgment of Mom and the significance of her life to all who shared it.
The eulogy can be delivered by one or several family members and friends, or by a member of the clergy.
We chose a local minister who shared some of our fondest memories of Mom.
A close friend also sang one of Mom's favorite hymns, The Old Rugged Cross.
The funeral home arranged for a closed circuit broadcast of the eulogy service, accessible on the internet, for relatives who could not attend the funeral.
3.
The Procession.
It's also called the cortege.
It's the procession from the funeral chapel, or church, to the grave site as a symbol of support by the public honoring the death.
Our family and friends were led to the final resting place by the hearse containing the casket.
The funeral home arranged a police escort for the procession and set up covered seating for family members at the grave site.
4.
The Committal Service is held at the grave site.
The ceremony there was our final opportunity to say goodbye.
We were surprised and touched by the release of white doves at the close of grave site services, an added element by the funeral home that we were unaware would happen.
It gave us an added sense of closure and another special memory of Mom.
5.
The Gathering.
This precious time was limited to family and closest friends.
It was held in an informal setting arranged at the funeral home to share more stories and memories about Mom.
It was a time of celebration for the special person she was to each of us.
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