Casket Services

A Funeral Service offers a means of expressing our thoughts and feelings about the death of someone we love.

A family tradition, religious belief or simply a preference or request of the deceased may factor into the choice of a casket burial.  Option of an open casket or closed casket is given to the family.  It is important to note that most grief psychologists will encourage viewing the deceased as a positive means of seeing the death as a reality and assisting the family transition to life without their loved one in it.

The funeral service assists us with acknowledging that someone we loved or cared about has died. This service allows us the opportunity to say good-bye, provides a support system for us and our family members, offers continuity and hope for those left behind and allows us the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of death, and life.

Meaningful funeral services allow us the opportunity to express our loss through music, comments and fellowship, in a safe environment. They also help us to move from life prior to death to life after death.  At Memories Chapel, we believe that every family is unique.  Various types of service choices are outlined below; there are also many ways to personalize the service and make it truly unique as you commemorate the life of your loved one.

The elements described below can be included to achieve the type of service that the family can choose from in reflecting the life of their loved one.

Visitation

The Visitation is an opportunity for a person to pay their respects to the deceased and offer condolences to the surviving family. The casket may be open or closed at this time.  When open to the public, it is an opportunity for family and friends to gather together and share their memories and celebrate the life lived.  A visitation generally has a more casual and intimate setting than a funeral service as it is often arranged as a come and go occasion.  Almost all of those who study grief and the value of the funeral agree that having a time of saying good-bye is a vital part of the healing process.

Funeral Service

The funeral service is a time for family and friends to gather as a community in a location that will accommodate the needs of the family in order to honour the life of the deceased.  The location can be a church, funeral home chapel or a community centre.  A funeral helps confirm the reality of a death and offers an atmosphere where mourning and grief can be expressed openly.  If the service takes place with a minister presiding, it encourages the hope that religious faith offers.

Graveside Ceremony

The graveside ceremony is a gathering where the human remains or cremated remains are placed in their final resting place.  This is the final act of a formal parting and most often takes place at a cemetery.  Cemeteries allow us a place to go and reflect on the life of a deceased person even years after the burial.  A graveside ceremony is sometimes chosen in place of a funeral service followed by a memorial gathering.
 

Reception

A memorial gathering or funeral reception offers family and friends an opportunity to share refreshments, fellowship, exchange stories, express personal sympathies and share in a time of social interaction. The participation by family and friends can be a great source of comfort to those who are bereaved.  Sometimes a memorial gathering can be arranged as an informal come and go reception in place of a formal funeral service.

Please ask your funeral director for the many reasons families choose burial of the body and for suggestions regarding the many ways to personalize a service.