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Funerals cover a wide range of different options. It could be that your loved one left specific instructions about what they want to happen after they have passed away. However, not everyone knows what they want, or has planned ahead for their own funeral. This is why those who are left behind are often confused about the options for funeral services and how they can do their best for their departed loved ones. A popular choice is to hold a service and have the burial in a church setting. Could this be right for your situation? 

What Are Your Choices?

If a Church based funeral is the route you want to take, for instance, do you know what different options you have? Simply choosing to have a religious service is the first step, but there is more to consider for funeral services. Not all funerals have to take place within an actual church, for instance. Equally, neither you nor the deceased needs to have been a regular churchgoer to benefit from a church funeral – they are available to anyone. You can choose which type of service to have, which might be a religious, a humanist or a civil one. Some people leave details of this when sorting out their will and probate with a company like bopprelawfirm.com. Speak to the experts at your chosen funeral home company, who will explain each type and help you decide what’s best. 

A funeral can take place in four different locations, namely a church, a cemetery, a crematorium, or a green or woodland burial site. Whichever you choose, a church minister can take the entire funeral service, or you can combine a church service with additional prayers or important words at any of the other places listed. Something to consider when you arrange any kind of funeral is the music that will be played, assuming music is wanted at all. Hymns are an obvious choice for a religious funeral, but the music of any kind is usually welcomed. It is often best to speak to the minister in charge at the funeral venue to ensure that your choice of music is something they will want to play. 

How Can Family And Friends Be Involved?

For many people, a funeral is a chance to say goodbye to someone they have loved very much in life. At funerals, it is possible for friends and family to be involved in the planning of the arrangements, and also on the day itself. One way in which they can be involved is to make a speech (known as a eulogy when given in praise of someone who has died). It could be that one family member writes the eulogy while another reads it out on their behalf. Or perhaps a reading is more appropriate – it can often be easier for those left behind as it is not quite as emotive as a eulogy. 

A reading could be a religious piece, a poem, or perhaps a piece of prose that the deceased particularly enjoyed, or that links to their life in some way. No matter what is chosen, it is a lovely addition to any funeral service.  Family and friends who may not feel comfortable in standing up in front of people to speak may want to organised a monument or memorial after the event, and it is worth speaking to the funeral directors who are helping you as they will be able to give advice about this and much more.