Archive for the ‘Etiquette’ Category

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Planning an Outdoor Memorial Service

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

Planning an Outdoor Memorial ServiceThe majority of funeral and memorial services are held indoors. Although many people opt to include an outdoor gravesite service in addition to a more formal indoor event, the most traditional funeral planning option is to hold a memorial service in a church, funeral home, or private home. This indoor environment means that it’s easy to control the temperature, ensure that any audio-visual equipment is protected from the elements, and know that everyone will be comfortable as they prepare to say their farewells.

Because death occurs rain or shine, getting outdoors to enjoy a memorial service under the sun might seem like a challenge. However, with the right kind of planning, you can hold a memorial service outside and enjoy a different, more natural kind of funeral.

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Anniversary Memorial Services

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Anniversary Memorial ServicesThe average American puts quite a bit of time and expense into funeral planning, usually to the tune of about one week and $10,000. And for the most part, this is considered well-spent. After all, we constantly hear about how this is the last chance to say farewell and a reason to gather the entire family together at one time—even if it is with a somber note to the event.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the commemoration of a loved one’s life has to stop the day after the funeral takes place. A growing trend in the death care community is to follow up on a funeral one, two, three, or even ten years later with an anniversary memorial service.

What is an Anniversary Memorial Service?

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Sympathy Gifts for Men

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Sympathy Gifts for MenMost funeral gifts and sympathy offerings are geared toward a female population. Whether due to the natural progression of funeral trends or the fact that many types of comforting gift ideas are feminine in nature, the reality is that funeral gifts geared specifically for men tend to be more difficult to come by.

Grief and Gender

Men and women grieve differently—and there’s no time that this becomes more apparent than following the death of a loved one. As a general rule, women are more likely to reach out to family and friends for support, and to make a physical show of their bereavement. Men, on the other hand, might withdraw or isolate themselves (and their grief), trying to be strong for others.

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Funeral Mediation: When Families Disagree

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

Funeral Mediation: When Families DisagreeDeath and funeral planning have the tendency to bring out the best and the worst in people. While families might hope that the loss of a loved one will bring them together as a cohesive unit, it is often found that the reverse is true. From disagreements about money issues to the actual funeral planning process (including how the body is disposed of, what kind of funeral service is held, religious preferences, and even flower choices), it often comes to pass that individuals simply cannot agree on how to proceed.

Understandably, this can quickly make a bad situation even worse—especially if there are no pre-arranged funeral plans in place and there has not been an Executor to the Estate named.

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Is it Okay to Take Photos at a Funeral?

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Is it Okay to Take Photos at a Funeral?In the modern age, funeral etiquette can sometimes be a difficult thing to uphold. While whipping out a camera and taking photographs at a funeral might once have been something no one would dare to do, the increase of portable technology (especially high-quality camera phones) means that just about everyone is five seconds away from a photo opportunity.

However, this is one of those instances in which just because we can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should. Depending on family preferences and the nature of the funeral, it might be better to keep that camera under wraps unless you have permission from the family to capture the big day.

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When Should You Hold the Funeral?

Friday, November 23rd, 2012

When Should You Hold the Funeral?Because few people are ever prepared for the death of a loved one, it’s difficult to time the funeral just right. According to some religious customs (particularly the Jewish faith), the deceased should be buried within three days following death. For others, there might be delays due to autopsy reports, family flying in from out of town, or personal preferences.

Whatever your situation, it can be difficult to decide on a day of the week and a time for a funeral.  Depending on the type of ceremony you plan on having, you may be restricted in your options.

Who Should Be Involved in Planning a Funeral?

Friday, November 9th, 2012

Who Should Be Involved in Planning a Funeral?Whenever the subject of funeral planning comes up, the topics almost always revolve around the what, where, and how of the process. What did the deceased wish to have done to his or her remains? Where will the funeral and interment be held? How will everything be paid for?

One question often overlooked is who. Who is responsible for planning the funeral? While it might seem like there’s a simple answer to that question (the Executor of the estate or next of kin), there are a lot more complex layers involved—especially if the deceased had a large family.

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How to Say “No” During Funeral Planning

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

How to Say “No” During Funeral PlanningThere are many reasons why you might need to say “no” while planning a funeral. Maybe intrusive family members are making it difficult for you to plan the small, intimate memorial service the deceased asked for. Perhaps you’re feeling pressured to buy larger and more elaborate caskets from the funeral home. It’s possible that you might even need to go against the advice of others to forgo a military funeral or close the funeral to the public.

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What to Do if You are Asked to Be a Pallbearer

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

What to Do if You are Asked to Be a PallbearerPallbearers are a part of a long-standing funeral tradition in which the casket is carried as part of a memorial service or ceremony to its final place of rest. Once a necessary part of a funeral, pallbearers were responsible for carrying the casket from the church to the graveyard, or even from the home to a graveyard. This could mean quite a distance would have to covered, so strong men were called upon to adopt the role.

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Funeral Sermons: A Do-it-Yourself Project?

Friday, October 12th, 2012

Funeral Sermons: A Do-it-Yourself Project?Who you ask to give a funeral sermon is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during the funeral planning process. That’s because so much more than the color of the casket or the types of funeral flowers on display, the sermon provides spiritual and emotional comfort to all those in attendance. Regardless of your religion or views on the afterworld, a moving sermon can help you come to terms with your grief and open you up to others who are in a similar state of shock.

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