When a loved one dies, the last thing on your mind is the kind of funeral you need to plan. However, once the shock wears off, you will have to deal with all the required arrangements with a funeral home in Laredo, TX. 

In addition to deciding on a final resting place for your loved one, you will also choose a type of funeral service in their honor. 

See the options available for funerals below, each with its distinct style and peculiarity. 

Traditional Funeral Ceremony 

A traditional funeral ceremony commemorates the life of someone who has died, often with religious overtones. 

The ceremony may be elaborate and drawn out over several days or simple and brief. Either way, it will focus on expressing grief for the demise and recognizing the person’s life and accomplishments. 

A funeral service, often held at a funeral home, place of worship, or residence, may include prayers, music, eulogy, and readings, among other elements. 

The service may be followed by a procession to the cemetery for burial. When cremation is chosen, the deceased is taken to the crematorium instead. A reception may follow afterward. 

The traditional funeral is the most common type of funeral service, often including the following: 

• An open-casket viewing of the deceased, also called a wake. This is often followed by a speech from family members or friends of the late person. 
  
• A visitation, where acquaintances and friends of the deceased come to meet with the family and offer their condolences. 

Memorial Service 

A memorial service is similar to a traditional funeral, but it does not include the viewing of the body, cremation, or traditional burial services. However, you may display the urn for ashes if still available, as you would a casket. 

Memorial services can be held anywhere from a funeral home chapel to more casual locations. They are typically intimate and may involve fewer attendees than traditional funerals do. 

A memorial service could be arranged as part of a larger celebration if one was planned before death occurred. You can also have a remembrance with the final disposition of cremated remains, like a committal service or scattering ceremony. 

Celebration of Life 

A celebration of life is a more flexible memorial service that highlights the impact of the loss with celebratory facets of the deceased person’s life. 

It is a relatively informal gathering of friends, family, and acquaintances that can take many forms. Nevertheless, it focuses on remembering the deceased in a positive light that they would have approved of themselves. 

This can be as relaxed as a gathering to share stories and memories or a more elaborate event with music, eulogy, food, and special tributes. 

A life celebration can take place anywhere the family feels comfortable bringing people together. You can personalize a celebration of life event by choosing the location and other elements with the deceased’s wishes in mind. 

Graveside or Committal Service 

A graveside or committal service is held at the site of the final rest. With cremation, it can hold at the crematorium, or when the ashes are being buried or placed in a columbarium niche. 

It may include a brief religious service or be entirely secular. At the conclusion of the committal service, family members and friends may leave flowers or other sentimental items in or around the final resting place. 

Direct Burial / Direct Cremation 

This is a non-ceremonial service where the body is taken care of through simple burial or basic cremation as soon as possible after death. It is often the most affordable funeral package because no additional services are required. 

The family may plan a memorial service or a celebration of life at a later time if desired. 

Our Laredo, TX funeral home is available for all the service types above. Call us today for immediate assistance or to plan ahead.