FAQ: Funeral Services

Throughout history, people have gathered together to acknowledge the death of someone in the community. No matter who the deceased was, a funeral ceremony is one of the only opportunities for everyone to come together to acknowledge their death, recognize the community's shared loss and share the burden of grief.

The National Funeral Directors Association states the national median cost of a funeral details the average costs of a funeral in 2012 was $7,045 (however, if a burial vault is required by the cemetery–and it usually is–the median cost can rise as high as $8,343). These statistics aside, the price of a funeral service depends on the specific services and products selected by the family member(s) responsible for funeral arrangements. Your funeral director will thoroughly explain all options, ask the essential questions about your family's budget restrictions, and otherwise do everything they can to provide you with a funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life that meets your emotional and social needs, all the while staying in line with your financial expectations

Attempting to compare these costs is very difficult. Perhaps it's easier to see funerals, memorial services, and celebrations of life as three points on a spectrum–a range, if you like–of ceremonial formats. At one end is the funeral; at the other, the celebration of life; and in the middle, the memorial service. The funeral is most commonly the most expensive of the three, which is especially easy to see when you consider the cost of the casket is a significant expense. The cost of any of the three depends on your choices during the arrangement conference.

This question strongly depends on who you would like to attend the funeral. A person's role at a funeral is two-fold: they are there to demonstrate support for the bereaved family. Second, guests are there to tend to their sorrow; to begin to come to terms, in the safety of a shared collective experience, with the death of someone they held dear. Generally, the service details get published in the newspaper or online, and those who wish to attend do so; it also makes sense to reach out to specific individuals by phone, email, or social media to ensure they are aware of the service date/time. When preparing the guest list for a funeral service, you should listen to your heart and use common sense. You know the people who mattered most to your loved one. Whatever you do, don't invite more people than the venue can comfortably handle.

Although flowers are not necessary, they can create a background of warmth and beauty, adding to the funeral service's dignity. "Necessary" may not be the right word. Still, there is no doubt that flowers at a funeral or other end-of-life ceremonies serve many valuable purposes, including a means of a visual expression of sympathy, love, and respect or a means of lending support.

The preparation of the deceased can involve several different tasks performed by trained and licensed embalmers and restorative artists. Without going into too much detail, the body is temporarily preserved by embalming, refrigeration, or a combination of the two. It gets washed, dressed, and otherwise groomed, then placed in the chosen casket for viewing. Should you wish to know more about the process, contact us. There are also many excellent articles online describing the process in greater detail.

Sometimes people need to see in order to truly believe. It's a way of confirming that the individual is deceased; but it's also an opportunity to say your "good-byes". You may find it a cathartic time where you can quietly share a long-held secret, let go of any anger or resentment, and otherwise come to terms with their death.

We like to tell people that preparing children for a funeral is best done with honesty and transparency. Let them know basically what they can expect. Advise them there will be people there who will be sad and may cry openly; tell them there will be time for some people to stand up and talk about how much they loved the person. Let them ask all the questions they need to ask, reassure them you'll be right next to them throughout the experience. Never force them to go to a funeral, and always give them the opportunity to change their mind about attending.

The Celebrant Foundation and Institute define celebrants as "trained professionals who believe in the power and effectiveness of ceremony and ritual to serve basic needs of society and the individual. The Celebrant's mission is to help the client create a ceremony that reflects his or her beliefs, philosophy of life, and personality." A life-cycle celebrant is especially valuable when a family has no religious affiliations or ties to a clergy person or minister who can officiate the funeral service, but involving a celebrant in the funeral planning process has been found to enhance the funeral experience for all concerned. "The Celebrant comes to the table with no agenda," shares the Institute's website, "and no preconceived notion of what the ceremony should or must look like. Instead, through careful interviewing, the Celebrant elicits what is meaningful for each client." If you think hiring a celebrant is the right for your family's situation, contact us for more details.

The length of a funeral depends on the service". Just as no two movies or novels are the same length or cover the same emotional ground; no two end-of-life ceremonies are the same.

Black was traditionally the only color to wear to a funeral; but not anymore. Today things are less formal than they once were, and it's not totally uncommon for families to ask prospective guests to avoid wearing black clothing. Should you have additional questions about funeral attire or etiquette, please contact us.