Sometimes the thought of planning a funeral seems too difficult for those who’ve suffered a loss. We’re here to help lighten your burden and remind you of the true value a ceremony can hold for you and your family.
The Healing Power of a Memorial Service
A funeral service provides those who are grieving with a supportive environment to celebrate their loved one’s life and start the journey toward healing and peace. No matter what direction you choose, our staff is honored to assist you in creating a service that reflects your loved one’s unique life journey.
Burial Services
There are different elements you can choose from when arranging a burial, depending upon your individual needs and preferences:
- Immediate burial means that your loved one’s physical remains will be buried or entombed without a public service or gathering.
- A visitation, also called a viewing, wake or calling hours, allows family and friends to gather in a room with the departed loved one in an open or closed casket to say goodbye and offer their support and sympathy.
- Funeral or memorial services can take place at a funeral home, church, or even at your home. Whether traditional or unique, both the visitation and the service can be personalized to reflect your loved one. For more information on personalization, visit our page on celebrating life.
- Graveside, chapel, or committal services are held at the cemetery, and allow family and friends to be present for the burial if they wish.
Cremation Services
The biggest misconception about cremation is that there can’t be a funeral service or visitation. This is absolutely not the case —we encourage you to consider holding a memorial service to celebrate the life of the deceased. Whether it’s through a final viewing before the cremation or through a formal service either before or after the cremation. If you want to take part in the cremation process, contact our staff for further details.
After the cremation, there are a variety of choices for your loved one’s final disposition. Your decision will depend on your religious beliefs and personal preferences, but here are some options to consider:
- Inurnment means that you’ll bury or entomb your loved one’s cremated remains. This can be in a family plot, a memorial site, a cremation niche or urn garden, or in a variety of other indoor and outdoor locations. Ask our staff for a detailed list of local interment possibilities.
- Graveside services are similar to those celebrated alongside a traditional ground burial, in which loved ones are present at the burial of the cremated remains and honor the deceased through memorial prayers or other meaningful tributes.
- Scattering allows you to spread your loved one’s cremated remains in a memorial garden, a cemetery, over water, or across any other meaningful site. You also can choose to scatter some of the cremated remains and retain the rest in an urn for internment or another form of disposition.
- Placing cremated remains in multiple urns allows family members who are separated by distance to each feel the comfort of having their loved one’s final resting place in a nearby location.
