Blog-Funerals

Pallbearers are those people who carry or escort the casket at the funeral of a loved one. Usually pallbearers are close friends or family members of the deceased, and they can be either men or women.

Being a pallbearer is a great honor and signifies that the pallbearer had a very special relationship with the deceased. Usually there are about six to eight pallbearers in a funeral as there are eight handles--three on each side, and one each at the front and back in a casket. Depending on the design of the casket, sometimes there may only be the handles on the sides.

The responsibility of a pallbearer is to carry the casket from the venue of the funeral to the hearse or funeral coach. Then, if there is a cemetery burial after the funeral service, the pallbearers must carry the casket from the hearse to the site of burial. Moreover, if the funeral service is closed casket, the pallbearers usually bring in the casket at the start of the ceremony. However, for an open casket funeral, the casket will already be placed at the venue by the staff of the funeral home you have hired.

How to choose a pallbearer

When choosing a pallbearer, it is important to keep in mind that this is a very special and honorable responsibility which should be filled only by the people who were extremely close to the deceased. Whether it is a father, mother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, cousin, husband, wife, or best friend, it is crucial that a pallbearer is emotionally, mentally and physically capable of carrying out the task.

If any person is unfit mentally, emotionally or physically,  they can serve as an honorary pallbearer. This means that they can walk alongside the actual pallbearers without having to carry the casket.

Thanks for reading,
Karen

Most people believe that funeral ceremonies can be officiated only by religious leaders such as priests or ministers. However, the truth is that there are no rules that say that only religious leaders can conduct a funeral service. In fact, unlike many ceremonies such as a wedding, the person officiating a funeral does not need to have power vested in them by a higher authority.

What this means is that basically anyone can conduct a funeral ceremony. What matters is that the service is in tune with the deceased's beliefs or what the family sees as most fitting. With that in mind, here are your options when it comes to conducting a funeral service:

Religious leaders

Religious leaders are the most common conductors of funeral services as most funerals are conducted following a set of religious orders. For instance, a prayer or reading may be a part of the step, which is usually carried out by a priest or a vicar. This is most suitable if your loved one was religious or spiritual. You can ask the religious leader to conduct the funeral in a place of worship, and he/she may ask questions regarding your loved one or if there are any specific requirements.

Celebrants

Very few are aware of celebrants. You probably know them and what they do, but don't know what they are called. Celebrants are simply people who conduct a funeral ceremony. They are not associated with any religion or belief system. They are professionals who know the right way to officiate funeral ceremonies as per the wishes of the deceased or the family, and this includes religious and non-religious ceremonies.

Family members and close friends

As mentioned before, anyone can conduct a funeral service since one does not need to have a certain power or authority to do so. This means that even friends and family members can conduct a funeral service if they wish to do so.

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Funerals are an important ceremony for people who have lost their loved ones. It is like a physical point of departure that allows them to say their final goodbyes. While there are no written rules that dictate how one attending a funeral should behave, there are some basic etiquette rules that everyone should keep in mind. 

Here are the basic do’s and don’ts when attending a funeral. Make sure you follow each and every one of them the next time you go to a memorial service. It shows respect and care for the grieving.

Don’t show up late

Make sure that you are never ever late to a funeral! If possible, it's always the best practice to show up around 10 to 15 minutes early. If there is something that is unavoidable and you are late by any chance, make sure to make a quiet entrance inside the venue. For example, you could enter your seat by taking the side aisle.

Don’t sit anywhere you want 

Usually the first few rows of seats are meant for families, relatives and close friends. So if you do not fall into these categories, make sure that you choose a seat that is somewhere in the middle or back.

Do restrain from being on your phone and social media 

Make sure that your phone is in silent mode, or switched off. It is extremely inappropriate and disrespectful to be on your phone during a funeral whether to reply to a text, or take pictures or videos and upload on social media like Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Do wear modest clothes 

Remember that when you attend a funeral, your purpose is to offer your condolences and pay your respects. For this, you do not have to dress extravagantly. Always wear modest and conservative clothes with minimal accessories. You don’t necessarily have to wear all black, just dark colors unless the deceased has requested something different before passing. 

Thanks for reading,

Karen

Planning a funeral is often seen as a daunting task by many. While it may not be the most exciting project, it is not as complicated and morbid as it seems. After all, when the time comes, we are all, one day, most likely going to have to plan the funeral of a loved one. Or maybe you want to plan your own funeral in advance. 

On that note, busted are the most common myths and misconceptions about funeral planning:

• Funerals are extremely expensive

Usually, funerals are expensive. There’s no doubt about that. Then why have we included this among our list of myths? Because funerals don’t always have to cost a fortune. They are expensive only because we follow the societal expectation of what a funeral should be – extravagant floral decorations, an expensive hearse, fancy catering and more. You don’t have to follow this template. Instead, you can make it more personal and intimate on a budget. 

• Funerals are always religious

Not all funerals have to be religious. Depending on what your loved one prefers, or even if they don’t share their final wishes, depending on what you believe they would appreciate, a funeral can be humanist. There is no requirement for conducting a funeral at a place of worship. A funeral should be meaningful, celebrating the life of a loved one in the most appropriate way possible.

• Pre-planning funerals is too difficult

Often, many people believe that death is too grim a subject to focus on, especially when your time has not yet come. This is why many people don’t make their final wishes known to their family. But this only leads to more confusion and disagreement during a time that is already difficult for the family. It is always better to have a healthy discussion about your final wishes with those who are likely to plan your funeral.

Thanks for reading,

Karen 

Like all other industries, the funeral service industry also evolves with time. There have been some changes in the way we grieve for the loss of our loved ones, and the rituals we follow to honor their memory. If you are looking for innovative ways to say your final goodbyes, here are some of the top trends in funeral services.

1. Personalization of services

Today, it is increasingly becoming popular to personalize funeral services so as to reflect the kind of person the deceased was. More and more people are now realizing that funeral services are valuable points of departure, and they want to make them as meaningful as possible; and they achieve this through personalization of funeral services. For example, having a theme based on deceased’s interests and passions is becoming increasingly popular.

2. Eco-friendly funerals

Being environment-friendly is now a popular lifestyle today, and people even like to implement it in funeral practices. Some examples include opting out of embalming, or choosing to embalm with products free from formaldehyde, using recycled caskets, adopting a burial technique that would save space, not introducing balloons into the atmosphere, and more.

3. Increase in cremations

Another trend is choosing cremation over burial. Although a larger number of people still choose burial, the number of people who opt for cremation is quickly increasing. There are many reasons that may drive this decision, most of which are to do with being more environmentally friendly, more cost-effective, or due to personal beliefs.

4. Crowdfunding funerals

It’s no secret that funerals are expensive, yet necessary and therefore, is difficult for many people to pay for the expenses. However, many have found a way to solve this financial issue – crowdfunding. From financial donations from friends and relatives, to using a third-party platform to raise funds, crowdfunding funerals is a rising trend. Some even request others to make small contributions instead of bringing gifts and flowers.

Thanks for reading,

Karen