Funeral Planning

This section contains useful information about what to do when death occurs, frequently asked questions and the differences between a burial service, and a cremation service.

Family and friends getting together to honor a loved one’s life is one of the most important steps in the grieving and healing process. You may opt to have a traditional religious or military service, or as more and more people are doing, you can choose to have a non-traditional ‘life celebration’.

Decisions need to be made about the location of the funeral, the choice of casket or urn and who the pallbearers should be. Another decision to make is who will be officiating the service. You can choose to have a minister (or other religious leader) or a celebrant officiate the service. The difference between a minister and a celebrant is a celebrant is non-denominational.

Whatever you choose, some sort of service is expected from family and friends of the deceased. We are here to help create a unique and memorable service that people will remember fondly for years to come. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Pre-Planning

This section contains useful information about the benefits of pre-planning your funeral, pre payment options and our online pre-arrangement form.

When Death Occurs

No matter if a death is sudden, or if it is something that was a long time coming, the loss of a loved one makes us feel emotional and overwhelmed. No amount of preparation can fully prepare you for the loss of a loved one. When you are in a heightened emotional state, even the most basic decisions can seem staggering.

Burial Service

Traditionally, a burial service involves a visitation, followed by a funeral service in a church, or other place of worship. The casket is typically present at both these events, and it is your decision on whether to have the casket open or not. You have the option of having the remains interred (earth burial), or it may be entombed in a crypt inside a mausoleum (above ground burial).

Cremation Services

Cremation is an alternative to the burial process and it is chosen by many people because of religious beliefs, the desire to preserve the environment or it was requested by the person who died. The remains are placed in a container that is combustible and placed in a special furnace called a cremation chamber or a crematory where through intense heat is reduced to bone fragments that are then crushed and pulverized to resemble coarse sand.

Funeral Etiquette

Like everything in society, funeral etiquette and what is expected of you has evolved over time. As always common sense and good discretion is the best guide to proper funeral etiquette. Here are a few do’s and dont's of funeral etiquette.

FAQ

A funeral is a ceremony for a deceased person prior to burial or cremation. A funeral gives the opportunity for family and friends of the deceased to gather and mourn the passing of their loved one, to share cherished memories and celebrate their life.