5 Types Of Funerals Services: What You Need to Know

The Wake

Wakes generally take place before funeral services, though you can have a wake with no other service. The wake often consists of two parts: the viewing, in which people can say their goodbyes to the deceased, and the visitation, in which people spend time with the deceased’s close friends and family. The wake occurs before burial or cremation.

Traditional Funeral Service

Funeral services are what comes to mind for many of us when we think of the word funeral. In this type of service, people come together to pay their respects for the deceased. This can take place in a place of worship, a funeral home, or even at someone’s home. During a funeral service, the deceased’s body is present. Once the service is over, the body is usually transported to a cemetery or crematorium.

The Memorial Service

Memorial services work in much the same way as funeral services; the key difference is that the deceased’s body is not present (though their ashes may be if they’ve been cremated). Memorial services don’t need to take place right after the deceased has passed so this allows time for friends and family who live far away to make arrangements to attend the service. These services can be held in the same places as funeral services as well as other locations like parks or gardens.

The Committal Service

Committal services, also known as graveside services, take place before burial or cremation. More often than not, these services take place after the funeral service, but you can opt to have the entire service be just a simple committal service.

The Reception

Receptions take place after the other services we discussed. They are a time for people to gather together and commemorate the deceased. Services typically have a more rigid structure than receptions - during a reception, food and beverages are served, and people have an opportunity to walk around and talk to one another. You can also combine a number of ceremonies into the overall memorial plan. For example, it’s not uncommon to have a wake, funeral service, committal service and reception all in a short period of time. There are no hard and fast rules to funerals and with us, you can create the perfect way to celebrate your loved one’s unique life. We offer professional funeral services in Roblin; if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.