Nearly 5 years ago, my husband’s precious maternal grandmother passed away. This special woman had an amazing sense of humor and a flair for life. Without saying a word, she could make me laugh with just a look. Several years before her death, she visited a local funeral home in order to plan her funeral services. When she passed away, the family didn’t have to deal with the stress of organizing her farewell services. They could relax, grieve, and concentrate on the wonderful memories they shared with her. I've grown to appreciate this. On this blog, you will discover the steps required to plan your own funeral.
Planning Your Funeral
Graveside Service Options To Consider For Your Loved One
Nora Mitchelle
While you may spend a lot of time and effort planning the funeral service for your loved one, you may be unsure about which types of things to include in his or her graveside service. Use this guide to help plan your loved one's burial service to provide a touching tribute and a chance for your family to get the closure they need.
Prayer Service
In addition to prayers and readings at the funeral, you can have your chaplain or minister perform a graveside prayer service. This can be done as the casket is being lowered into the ground, or it can be performed beforehand. If you are going to have a lengthy eulogy or prayer read at the graveside, work with your funeral home to have folding chairs placed next to the grave. This provides everyone with a comfortable place to sit as they offer their final farewells.
Release Ceremonies
Some families find a release ceremony to be a touching tribute to a loved one. You can opt for a dove or butterfly release, or you can choose a balloon release. Balloon releases are a good option for children attending the funeral, as it gives them an easy way to participate. Your funeral home director can help to make the arrangements needed for whichever type of release you are planning. You may also want to consider having some background music play during the release for a memorable sendoff.
Military Burials
If your loved one was a member of the military, he or she may qualify for a burial with full military honors. You can work with your funeral home director or veterans affairs office to secure everything needed for this option. Typically, a U.S. flag is provided for the service, which is the folded in a ceremony and presented to you or another family member. You may also be able to get a similar burial service for a loved one who was a police officer or firefighter, so be sure to ask your funeral director with help in securing any additional honors your relative may have qualified for at the graveside service.
Flower Ceremonies
Some families may choose to lay flowers on the casket before it is lowered into the ground. The flowers can come from arrangements that were delivered to the funeral home, or you can work with your local flower shop to secure single long-stem roses for each mourner to place on the casket. For this ceremony, you may choose to have music playing in the background or have a prayer read by your chaplain.
Your funeral home director can help you choose the order of events for a burial service and help you to secure any items you will need for the burial service. Talk to your family about which options are most appropriate for your loved one as you plan the burial service.
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