Posts Tagged ‘memorial’

Funeral flowers (also known as sympathy flowers) are a common way to show your love and support for the recently deceased. Whether you order a large casket spray for display during a memorial service or a handful of rose petals to shower down on the casket as it is lowered into the ground, flowers are one of the most popular traditions in the funeral industry.

When most of us talk about funeral flowers, however, we mean fresh flowers—an arrangement ordered through a florist in the days preceding the funeral, and for use during the memorial service. Like all fresh flower arrangements, these only last a few days before beginning to wilt. And while there are some great flower preservation options if you want to keep a bouquet or arrangement on display, you also have additional options to look beyond fresh flowers to artificial arrangements.

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Most of the funeral etiquette guidelines you’ll come across include tips on how to pick the right sympathy flowers or dress for a memorial service or even what you can do to help the grieving family. And while it is important to have a handle on all these things before you attend a funeral, good manners also include knowing how to be more involved in the funeral—especially if you were close enough to the deceased to provide a eulogy.

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Whether your funeral planning efforts resulted in a traditional ceremony and burial, or if you opted for a private cremation scattering, it’s a common practice to invite everyone in attendance to a post-funeral gathering. Also commonly known as the funeral reception, this event provides an opportunity for friends and family members to mourn the deceased (and to celebrate the life he or she had) in a setting that is less formal than a memorial service.

The responsibility for planning the funeral reception typically falls to the immediate family—more specifically, to the same individual who handles the bulk of the funeral plans. If this is too much of a responsibility, however, it might be a good idea to ask for help. Many people come forward to offer their assistance in the aftermath of a loss, and this is a good way to allow them to do their part.

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One of the most overwhelming and often overlooked aspects of funeral planning is taking care of the gravesite long after the deceased has passed on. Although most cemeteries offer some form of on-site caretaking (such as mowing and weeding, clearing the headstones, and removing unsightly or faded floral displays), this is a service that doesn’t always come standard. And in many cases, their level of care might not meet your expectations.

If you live nearby the cemetery, or if visiting the gravesite is part of your natural healing process, taking care of the headstone might not be that difficult. However, distance, infirmity, time constraints, and even your own emotional hurdles often get in the way—which is when it might be time to consider a gravesite care provider.

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Funeral planning is not immune to the power of popular culture. Although this industry is one that has a tendency to adopt change at a slower pace, technology has made it easier to incorporate thing like webcasts, memorial websites, and QR codes on headstones into your funeral plans. For some people, these types of things are part of the ever-changing world in which we live; for others, they’re too much of a departure from tradition to be a comfortable funeral planning choice.

Of course, today’s funeral innovations go beyond computers and technology. One of the most recent images to hit the newsstands is of a casket that takes advantage of the favorite pop culture item of 2011/2012: bacon. That’s right. A bacon casket.

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Sending funeral flowers to the funeral home or memorial service of a loved one is a great way to show your support. Long held as the standard in traditional funeral planning, flowers add a touch of elegance to the ceremony and also serve as a lasting reminder of much the deceased meant.

These days, however, more and more people are concerned about the greenhouse effects of funeral flowers—not to mention what to do with the overflow of arrangements once the funeral is over. Whether you’re planning a green funeral and want some great alternatives, or if you want to scale back on funeral costs to opt for a simpler, more streamlined affair, here are a few gift ideas if you want to go “in lieu of flowers.”

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Almost all traditional funerals and memorial services include a program that is handed out to guests as they arrive. This pamphlet usually contains photos and personal information, as well as an outline of the events that will occur during the service. Like a wedding or church program, it provides guests with an overview of what to expect while also acting as a keepsake for the event.

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It’s becoming a growing trend in the funeral industry for families to hold elaborate ceremonies to accompany the memorial service. From dove releasing ceremonies, in which classic white birds are set into the air, to bagpiping or even a procession that requires a permit and closing the streets, people want to remember their loved ones—and in a big way.

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In the past, funeral planning was almost entirely done with traditional burial in mind. This time-honored approach to saying goodbye has long been a staple of the funeral industry in the United States, taking precedence over all other forms of interment.

These days, cremation is growing in popularity. In fact, in some states, there are more cremations than burials—and the trend is only increasing. If you’re not sure which option is right for you, consider a few of these key advantages and disadvantages of burial versus cremation.

iMortuary’s team includes funeral professionals to help you outline your wishes and understand prices and your financial options.  Simply complete our brief online form to begin this no-obligation conversation.  After you talk with us, we assist you with finalizing pre-payments or filing your arrangements with a funeral home.

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Ethical wills are one of the oldest funeral planning tools in existence—even though they have a lot less to do with funerals and a lot more to do with leaving a legacy behind. Historically popular in the Jewish culture as a way to pass ethical values from one generation to the next, ethical wills are now being adopted by a large percentage of the population, across generations and religions. In fact, the American Bar Association recommends writing an ethical will as an addendum to traditional estate planning.

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