When it comes to saying goodbye to your loved one, there are so many options out there for the departed. Whether you want to arrange a burial or cremation, you can ensure your loved one has a personalized, beautiful service to wish them goodbye. While you can have a traditional funeral, there is also now the option of a memorial service.
A lot of people haven’t heard of this before and struggle to decide between whether they should go for a traditional funeral service or a memorial service. Therefore, here is a look at the difference between a memorial service and a funeral service.
What is a memorial service?
It’s first important to explain to you exactly what a memorial service is. This tends to take place after the person has been buried or cremated. It’s often a chance to say a final goodbye when the time is right with family and friends present. It might be the case that family members can’t make it in time for the actual burial or cremation. Therefore, a memorial service ensures those people can gather at a later date.
A memorial service can also take place when it’s time to bury or scatter the ashes. It can take place in addition to a funeral or can be on its own as a further chance for the family to grieve and say goodbye. They are traditionally a lot smaller than a normal funeral and shorter too. But families can alter the service to ensure it’s personal to their loved one with the opportunity to say a few words, read a poem or even a full eulogy. You can also have songs played and it’s a great chance to have a celebration of the life of the person that has passed.
What is a traditional funeral service?
A traditional funeral service is a more common practice that families choose for their loved ones. It tends to occur within two weeks of the person’s passing and the body is normally at the funeral. This can be at a particular location including a chapel or a crematorium. The body is then buried or cremated, depending on the family’s wishes. In most cases, the funeral service will take place followed by a short service at the crematorium or the graveside at the cemetery.
A viewing may take place before the service and then the officiant will complete the service which includes a few words from loved ones, songs and poems. It tends to be a larger event with friends and family attending.
The purpose of a memorial and a funeral
The main difference between a memorial and a funeral is that the memorial often takes place after the actual burial or cremation. The main purpose of a funeral is to cremate or bury the body while saying goodbye to the loved one. This needs to take place within a short time frame of the death and tends to be a chance for the family to say their goodbyes to the loved one.
A memorial occurs after the event and offers the opportunity for families to say an additional farewell as well as reminisce about the loved one. It is often more for families to celebrate the life of the person and can give the family more of a chance to all get together to pay their respects. There is no limitation on time and this could occur a couple of months or even a year after the person has died.
Timing and location of a memorial vs. a funeral
A funeral service tends to take place a short period after the person has died. Depending on the circumstances, on average, the funeral takes place around a week or two after the person has passed. This is for preservation reasons and this needs to occur. It tends to be at a chapel or center followed by the graveside service or at the crematorium, depending on the families’ personal preferences. A memorial can take place wherever is best for the family and there is no legality involved in the memorial. It might be in a specific location where the ashes will be spread or it might just be a meaningful place where the person enjoyed going. It can occur whenever is best for family and friends and tends to be a few months after the death.
Why choose a funeral service?
A funeral service allows you to say goodbye to your loved one before they are buried or cremated. It ensures family and friends can pay their respects and you can hold a funeral which involves songs, poems and readings for the person who has died. With the casket involved in the funeral, it is a way for the guests to say goodbye while burying or cremating the body.
