What Is A Traditional Funeral Service
A traditional funeral service is a structured ceremony that provides friends and family with an opportunity to grieve and say goodbye to the person who has died while providing comfort to surviving family members.
The service typically begins with a viewing or visitation that can last anywhere from one to three hours, where friends and family can pay their respects and share stories prior to the funeral service. If the casket lid is closed during the service, the ceremony is known as a visitation, and if the lid is open, the ceremony is known as a viewing.
The funeral service is then held after the visitation or viewing, either immediately following or the next day. The funeral service can be held at a funeral home or a church of your choice. During the service, people may deliver eulogies, say prayers, read passages, or sing, however, these activities can be personalized based on your family or your loved one’s wishes.
After the funeral service, the body is then transported by a hearse to the final resting place, which is typically a cemetery or mausoleum, for the committal and last goodbyes. A committal, or graveside service is a brief memorial service that is held as you commit the body to the ground. Once the service has concluded, the family may choose to host a luncheon at the funeral home, church, restaurant, or other location to continue sharing stories and provide comfort to each other.
What Is Included In A Traditional Funeral Service
At Ryan Funeral Homes, we offer several different types of burial services and many options for personalization. Our package offerings vary from traditional wood or metal caskets to green burials, and large public viewings or visitations to small private family services, and a variety in between.
We work closely with each family to provide the professional services needed to accommodate personal preferences, budget, and final arrangements. Our full professional services include:
- All basic services of Funeral Director and staff
- Transportation from place of death to funeral home
- Staff and facilities for visitation and funeral service
- Embalming, dressing, cosmetizing, and casketing
- Filing of all necessary permits and documentation
- Coordination of all service details with clergy, newspaper, cemetery, and others
- Lead car, funeral coach, and support vehicles
Why A Traditional Funeral Service Is Important
A funeral serves an important role in helping the family and friends of the deceased cope, as it reinforces the reality of the loss. It allows family and friends to express their love and respect for the deceased and sets the foundations for healthy grieving.
Commonly Asked Questions
Is Embalming Required?
Embalming is not required by law for a traditional service, however, at Ryan Funeral Homes, our team does require the deceased to be embalmed if the family wishes to have a public viewing of the deceased.
What Does A Traditional Funeral Service Cost?
At Ryan Funeral Homes, the price of our Traditional Funeral Service packages ranges from $8,800-$13,000 depending on the type of casket you choose. Personalization is also available, including custom casket exterior designs and interior panel designs, custom vaults, and honor guards or escorts for military, emergency personnel, and others. Also included with your package is a register book, memorial folder or prayer cards, acknowledgment cards, memorial candle, laminated copies of the obituary, grief angel bears, family photo boards, a cross or crucifix, a tribute video and keepsake DVD, and an online obituary published to our website.
Is It Possible To Do A Traditional Service With Cremation?
Yes, it is possible to have a viewing or service with a cremation. Ryan Funeral Homes offer many cremation packages that cater to your family’s religious and cultural needs, as well as individual desires, for your final arrangements. Our packages allow your family to have the option of a traditional visitation and funeral service or no memorial service if that is your wish.
How Soon Should You Start Planning Your Service?
Preplanning your funeral is a personal choice and one that can bring peace of mind and comfort to you and your loved ones because the arrangements can be made in advance. These plans can help ease the decisions and/or financial burden that may be placed on your family as they are grieving. Funeral preplanning also allows you the time to make the choices that are best for you and your family and honors the life you have lived. Pre-funding is not required, however, there are several benefits in doing so. The biggest benefit is that we guarantee not to increase our professional services fees once the package has been prefunded, at no additional cost.
Learn more about our traditional funeral and preplanning services, and reach out to our team with any questions or to get started.