When And Where To Hold Funeral Services
if you are having your first experience with planning a funeral, arranging services with funeral homes may be daunting. You're planning the memorial of a person who was loved by many people, and there are lots of things to think about. The following are some common questions that come up in initial consultations with funeral homes:
Where (Geographically) Should You Hold a Funeral?
The geographic issue is one that has come up more and more often. First of all, the person may have been living or traveling in a place that's far away from the family. Do you hold the funeral services in that location or transport the remains to another area? If all of the family and friends are congregated in one place, it's easy to hold funeral services there. If the person was deceased in another location, you may need to fly the body back or drive it in a hearse. Cremation can solve that issue, though, if you decide just to have the remains shipped to the location of the funeral services.
When there are two or more meaningful groups of friends and family in different locations, it becomes up to you to use some discretion. Which group was closer to the deceased? Are there any important family members, such as young children, who wouldn't be able to travel to a cemetery plot in another location to pay respects? Sometimes it's possible to choose funeral homes in two different cities and hold a service in each place; if the body is cremated, you can even bury half of the remains in each location.
Where (Logistically) Should You Hold a Funeral?
Speak with the funeral director of your choice about options for home memorial services, the costs of funeral homes for your memorial service, and the options for public venues to hold a funeral service. All can be viable options.
When Should You Hold a Funeral?
If you are planning on doing a traditional burial, there is a bit of an added time constraint. Embalming will preserve remains for a few days or a week, but it is a quick turnaround time to arrange funeral services and gather everyone together. When timing is an issue, such as when key family members are abroad or are ill themselves, it may be wise to have the body cremated and then be able to plan for funeral services at your leisure.
Contact a company like Ryan-Parke Funeral Home for more information and assistance.
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