Category: Funerals

This ceremony is held after the body has been buried or cremated and can take place any time after the death, from a week to a year.

Memorial Service Location

Memorial services may be held in any location. Many people choose locations with personal significance, such as a favorite beach, park, or family home, or locations that can accommodate a large group, such as a religious place of worship, a favorite restaurant, a banquet hall, or other event space.

If you will be following any religious traditions, you may want to hold the memorial service at your place of worship. The religious leaders there can help you plan and coordinate the memorial service.

Memorial Service Features

There is no formal structure to a memorial service. As with a traditional funeral, people may participate in the memorial service in many different ways, including delivering readings or prayers, singing songs or playing musical instruments, or sharing a memory of the person who died. If you will having a religious service, there may be a religious structure that you’ll follow.

Post-Memorial Service Reception

After the memorial service, it is common to have a reception, which can be held at a funeral home, religious place of worship, a family home, or another location that can accommodate all those who attended the service.

To learn more about planning a post-service reception, see our article Post-Funeral Reception

When To Hold The Memorial Service

Memorial services may be held at any time that is convenient or significant to you. Many people hold memorial services in the weeks following the death, and also hold memorial services on the first anniversary of the death.

The role of a minister / officiant at a funeral or memorial service is to help friends and family honor the life and death of a loved one. Ministers give friends and family an opportunity to mourn in whatever way they need to in order to heal. They do this by practicing compassion, listening carefully, and showing up prepared, ready to deliver an authentic and meaningful eulogy. Being able to gracefully navigate last minute changes, difficult emotions, and unexpected mishaps is also essential.

A good funeral requires the sensitivity and comfort only a minister can provide. Families have just lost loved ones, either tragically taken or have suffered through long illnesses.  They are searching for comfort. No matter how old a person has lived or how long a family has prepared for the departure of their loved ones, it is still “too sudden” for many family members.

There are times in the minister’s life when they called upon him to comfort the family.  These may be during times of disasters, senseless deaths involving crimes, a death of a child, the loss of the main provider in the home, wartime casualties, etc. Family member often are looking for answers or reasons why this has just happened, as well as seeking comfort.

The role of the minister is vital during these crucial times. A ministers role is more than just speaking words of comfort, it is listening and being there when family members need a minister the most.

All of these terms are common, but what do they really mean? 

Memorial services are remembrances of the deceased. Bodies, caskets, and cremated remains are not present at memorials. They’re often held before or after a formal funeral or burial (or in place of a funeral service). These ceremonies are usually a mix of formal and informal elements, and can be solemn occasions or celebrations of the deceased’s life. Anyone can lead a memorial service. 

Funeral services are usually formal and typically include a burial or cremation, although a funeral service might take place a day or two before the burial. Bodies, caskets, and cremated remains are present at funerals. For this reason, they almost always take place at a funeral home, cemetery, or columbarium. Because they tend to be formal, funerals are most often performed by ordained ministers and other clergy. 

Wakes and viewings are informal events that allow friends and family to mourn a loved one in the presence of others. Bodies, caskets, and cremated remains are present at these events. They’re often held at the deceased’s home but sometimes take place at a funeral home. Different cultures have different traditions for wakes and viewings. For example, ancient Celtic and Irish wakes were long parties that took place over a full night. Anyone can lead a wake or viewing.