Questions Answered in your Quest to Planning a Meaningful Funeral through California Funeral Homes
Arranging a funeral for a loved one can be hard but with the support of funeral homes in California, you can plan a meaningful one. You might have some questions, not necessarily in regards to basic elements of a funeral but more special ones that can create a personal, meaningful experience for everyone who attends in honor of the deceased. There are also some misconceptions that should be clarified as well.
Why is a Funeral needed for your Loved One?
Funerals are not for the dead but rather for the living. California funeral homes can help you plan a meaningful funeral that helps you focus on the deceased and the life they led. Remembering who they were and how they impacted the lives of the people around them is important. The planning process is a good way to guide you through the steps of grieving and mourning with close family and friends. You just might discover something about the deceased you did not know that can make a positive impact.
Funeral Homes in California Can Plan a Meaningful Funeral Experience
There are different parts of a funeral that can, when combined, create a touching tribute to the deceased. Some of these elements may include a public visitation, special music and readings from the Bible or even poetry. California funeral homes can even aid in incorporating facets of different cultures or faiths or even variations of them. If you want a eulogy or special procession, that is possible. A committal service can be incorporated graveside for a burial or even at a columbarium after cremation.
Funeral Homes in California Can Fill a Critical Role
While you can handle the funeral planning on your own, why should you? The best thing you can do is rely on the services and counsel of California funeral homes to create a meaningful experience. A funeral director or specialist have the training and skills you can depend on. Their attention to detail, compassion and respectful planning are important in helping you personalize the funeral rituals and services you select for your deceased loved one.
With careful questioning, funeral homes in California can get a good snapshot into the life of the deceased. The funeral director or specialist can assist in choosing from a variety of funeral formats. You could choose a traditional service with clergy presiding over it along with a procession to the gravesite for burial. You could choose cremation with a memorial service afterwards. With either choice, California funeral homes may also be able to plan a public visitation before other service elements are carried out.
Funeral Homes in California Can Help You Personalize the Funeral Planning
The service you plan should be as special as your deceased loved one. For instance, you could personalize the obituary for the local newspapers. Depending on which of the California funeral homes you choose from, they could help you order a personalized grave marker or even a guestbook that visitors can sign online or even in person at the service. Your funeral specialist can also arrange to receive flowers that your order and those others send in honor of the deceased.
Funeral homes in California can assist you in arranging a special presentation of memorabilia including photos, personal items and other things that might commemorate your loved one's life. They could even arrange media equipment should you want to play a slide show or DVD or even music that the deceased loved.
California Funeral Homes Help You Understand the Role of the Body
Depending on the funeral service selections you plan, embalming may or may not be necessary in funeral homes in California. If cremation or public visitation cannot be carried out within the first 24 hours, a state law requires refrigeration or embalming. Of course, some California funeral homes may require embalming anyway for public visitation. The funeral you plan with the help of a specialist should reflect the deceased's personality and life. This aspect can be a great source of comfort for surviving friends and family.
In regards to symbolism, the deceased's body plays an important role. Embalming can preserve the body buying a few extra days for planning the service of choice, especially when an open casket is part of the plan. Of course, with cremation, an urn filled with the deceased's ashes can be equally symbolic. In some instances, if embalming is not desired and there is no public visitation, funeral homes in California can still allow immediate family to privately view the deceased. This may help some family members come to terms with the death and provide closure.
Planning a funeral service is a very personal task so there is no right or wrong answer. California funeral homes can help you through each step of the process, so that the tribute to your deceased loved one is memorable and meaningful.