As you reflect on the life of your loved
one who has passed, you may already know exactly what will be the right way to
remember them with the perfect final arrangements. However, sometimes it can
help to have a quick overview to help you select the style of services that
will be best.
A Life Celebration is an event that we most
often help our clients organize after the deceased's body has been taken care
of. It tends to be less traditional and less formal than other service styles.
However, it can be tailored to reflect the unique interests of the departed.
Was Grandpa a chess fanatic? Work that theme into his Life Celebration, perhaps
even allowing for some game time.
If there are strongly religious or
traditional preferences, the full traditional funeral service may be a better
fit. You can think of a full service as having four components. There is not a
requirement to hold all portions to call it a funeral service. The first
element of a full funeral is a visitation or formal viewing event. This is a
time that allows the family, friends, and acquaintances who wish to offer
support to gather in a show of kindness and love. It also allows for the
deceased to be presented for a final goodbye from those who have survived them.
After the viewing, the funeral service will
take place. Often clergy, funeral celebrants, and/or family and friends will be
part of presenting this service. It is a time to remember and honor the one who
has died. Following the funeral, if casketed burial is scheduled instead of
cremation, the procession will move to the memorial park or cemetery where
interment is already arranged for. A brief committal service will occur there.
The last portion of the funeral service is a reception that can often turn into
a beautiful celebration of life.
Even though cremation is always handled
respectfully, it is not an honoring service. Cremation
is the means that transitions the intact remains into their final form, that of
ashes. The process of cremation is regulated carefully and as such will be
handled according to specific protocols to protect the dignity of the deceased
and the security of the remains. It is legal and ethical to combine a funeral and cremation in Centerville, OH, for
the same individual if desired. The procedure of burning the body in a closed
chamber and then collecting the final remains allows the family to have many
options for where the remains will be laid to rest.
