Four Approaches To Funeral Service And The Importance Of Selecting One In Advance

While you may live several decades more, you should still make preparations for your own death. Even the simplest of tasks can leave your family wafting in a wind of indecisive grief after you are gone. Take funeral services, for an example. There are four approaches to funeral services; do you know which one you would prefer for your funeral? This small detail can seem so overwhelming to others if you leave it unselected. Choose one of the following now to ease and comfort your family later.

No Service at All

You choose not to have any service at all. This may be because you have no religious affiliation, or because you are atheist or agnostic. As long as you have it in writing with the funeral home, your family needs to respect your wishes.

Service at Just the Wake

Some people opt to have a simple service at just the wake. Jewish people often do this because their faith demands that the body be untouched and not preserved. That means that after a day or two, the body begins to smell quite noticeably. To prevent further delays in burying the body, the funeral service is said over the body at the wake and then the body is taken directly to the burial plot with no more words said.

Service at the Wake and Grave Site

If you are Christian of any particular faith, you may opt to have service at both your wake and at the burial or internment site. This is the most common option, but it you still have a choice. You also need to decide if the same priest or minister is going to do both services, or if you will have two different people of the cloth deliver two different funeral services. Again, you absolutely should put this in writing so there is no confusion.

Service at Only the Grave Site

You could also skip a service at your wake and opt to only have service at your grave site. Then friends and family can come and go as they please, pay their final respects, and go their way without the expectation of having to stay for a funeral service. If they wish to attend the funeral service, they can do so at the burial time the next day. Usually, only family and the closest friends attend the graveside service, but you can make special requests in advance.