What to Expect at a Funeral

Steve McCowen • December 23, 2023

We’ve all been there. Going to a funeral can be a little daunting, especially if it’s your first or if it’s been awhile since you attended one. Let’s talk a little bit about some of the terms you will hear and what you can expect in general.


There’s a great deal of variety in funeral service today. The funeral home works with the surviving family to help them choose service options that reflect their lifestyle and belief system. The spouse, parents, or children of the deceased determine the content of the service.


The service typically includes:

1.   A gathering or visitation

2.   A religious ceremony

3.   Burial or placement in a final resting location (committal)

4.   A luncheon, brunch, or wake


The gathering may be held the evening before the service or the same day as the service.


The religious part of the service may be held in the funeral home chapel or in the family’s place of worship.


At the conclusion of the service, a procession will usually travel to the graveside where the casketed body will be buried. Cremated remains may be buried, placed in a niche, presented to a family member for keeping, or scattered.


The committal service is often followed by a meal at the church, the funeral home’s celebration center, the family home, or a restaurant.


If you are attending a gathering or visitation that takes place before the service, the body may or may not be present. When the body is present in an open casket, attendees will usually approach the casket briefly and silently say a few words of farewell or prayer.


The family may choose to receive their guests informally and casually engage in conversation as they circulate among those attending or they may choose to receive guests in a more formal receiving line. 


If you are attending a memorial service, the body will not be present. A memorial service may take place weeks or even months after the passing and may or may not include the presence of cremated remains.


The family may choose to have a memorial service for a variety of reasons. Some religions require that the body be buried immediately, necessitating service after burial. Some families just need more time to come together.


How we celebrate a life is often less formal today.


The service may include pictures and music that reflect the lifetime of the deceased. Work or interests of the deceased are often reflected in objects placed in the room or favors shared with attendees.


Attendees may participate by sharing memories of the deceased. A family member or celebrant may also tell the life story in the form of a eulogy.


Funerals are an important part of the grief journey that all families must travel when they lose a family member.


We attend to support and help the family members transition their thoughts from the cause of death to the life’s legacy. This is so they can begin their long healing process.


Your attendance is appreciated and important.



www.amsfuneralhomes.com

Since the early 1920s, Avink McCowen Secord Funeral Homes and Cremation Society has had the honor of supporting families through loss. They are proud to serve families throughout Plainwell, Vicksburg, Portage, Schoolcraft, and surrounding communities such as Kalamazoo, Pavilion, Flowerfield, Otsego, Alamo, and more. Their caring and professional funeral directors assist families in the planning of funeral services, burial services, memorial services, and cremation services. To learn more, visit amsfuneralhomes.com.

By Steve McCowen June 21, 2024
When people organize a funeral gathering and ask friends and family to come to them to share in their loss and sorrow, to help them. Please go, hold a hand, give a hug, share a memory, offer your condolences, and smile at the video. Let them cry in a safe place.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
First, understand that what you wear to the funeral is much less important than actually going to the funeral or gathering. Don’t underestimate the value of your presence.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
It’s always worth the extra time to be sure you are getting the best final expense coverage you can afford. The one that will really be there for your family when it’s needed.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
One of the realities of losing a spouse or a parent is the impact that event has on living arrangements. Are we living in the “right” place?
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
Three hundred and sixty five days a year, twenty-four hours a day, rain or shine, hot or cold, from the year 1776 to present day, they’re serving our country. They are our veterans and November 11th is the official day that we honor and thank them each year.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
Jane knew some people had a fear of planning a service. They don’t know how to or what to plan. They are at a loss. They should have they called the local funeral home for help.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
According to a National Funeral Directors Association survey, more than half (62.5%) of us expect to participate in making our own funeral arrangements. And yet, less than a quarter of us have actually acted on that impulse. Not really so surprising since making funeral arrangements can literally be the very last thing we do. We can put it off right up to the end!
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
Let’s talk about the stages of grief. There is denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I studied them in nursing school, reviewed them when I got divorced and generally found them to be a pretty accurate and helpful bit of knowledge. And then, a family member died. Stages?
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
First,  relax. Talking about your funeral plans might make you a little uncomfortable at first but making a plan doesn’t mean you will be using it anytime soon. Your funeral director or advance planner will guide you through the process. Most people get very comfortable in just a few minutes.
By Steve McCowen June 10, 2024
Call the funeral home, make an appointment and get everything written down and on file at the funeral home. It’s easy and there is not charge for the appointment.
More Posts
Share by: