Monthly Archives: December 2022

Signs You Should Consider A Contemporary Funeral For A Loved One

A contemporary funeral is a funeral that breaks all or most of the rules for traditional funerals. More people are turning to personalized funerals and funeral homes in Chesterfield Township, MI are often willing to arrange such funerals. But you may be having trouble deciding whether you should consider a contemporary funeral or just stick to cookie-cutter traditional funerals. Here are signs you should consider a contemporary funeral.

You Dislike Formal Events Or They Make You Uncomfortable

The formality of traditional funerals can be an additional burden on mourners. Traditional funerals are often very formal occasions because of their religious nature. Sometimes it’s so formal that the family members of the deceased are not allowed to read their own eulogy, give a speech, or even read a poem to honor their loved one. Instead, the representative of the religion, who has little knowledge about the deceased, gets to speak more than the family members.

You Are Not Religious Or Are Agnostic

Another sign you may need to consider a contemporary funeral is if you are not religious or are agnostic. Instead of spending the funeral shaking your head in disagreement at the religious rituals or messages being shared, personalize the funeral and do it in a way you think will honor your loved one. That means a funeral with no sermons or religious rituals and so on. Instead, you can organize a funeral that centers on the life of the deceased, especially if you want the funeral to be a celebration of life.

The Deceased Asked For A Non-Traditional Funeral

If your loved one did not specifically say they wanted a non-traditional funeral but their wishes may not be accommodated in a traditional funeral, then a contemporary funeral is a no-brainer. On the other hand, it’s not unusual for a person to ask for a contemporary funeral before they die. This is because contemporary funerals are actually becoming more popular than traditional funerals.

You Want An Affordable Funeral

People who feel that a traditional funeral is not affordable and may put a financial burden on their family can get creative and have a funeral they can afford. For instance, you can choose a direct cremation and then hold memorial service weeks or months later at your home or at a beach, or any other location. That means not paying for a casket, burial ground, funeral service, and even an urn if you choose to scatter the cremains. It all depends on what you decide is necessary to celebrate the life of a loved one.

You Want To Live Stream The Event

If your loved one has many friends but not all of them are able to make it to the funeral, then you can stream the event on various social media or streaming platforms. That means adjustments will have to be made to how the services are held.

Our staff can help you organize a contemporary funeral when you choose us to provide funeral and cremation services in Chesterfield Township, MI. Let us help you create a meaningful ceremony that celebrates the life of your loved one.

What To Know About A Veteran Funeral

Veterans planning a funeral or the loved ones of a veteran may not have to pay for all costs at funeral homes in Washington Township, MI. They can access benefits that are occupational in nature and are only available for veterans that were not dishonorably discharged. But the family of the dead veteran still has to pay for some of the funeral costs. Here are things to know about a veteran funeral.

A Veteran Funeral Ceremony

A veteran funeral often includes a basic Military Funeral Honors (MFH) ceremony. There is folding and presentation of the United States flag to the family of the deceased veteran during this ceremony. The ceremony is different depending on the status of the deceased in the military. Two or more members of the Armed Forces render the funeral honors. There is also the playing of taps by a bugler, or when there is no bugler, a clear recorded version of a bugler playing may be used.

Requirements For Funeral Honors

Active military members or in the Selected Reserve are eligible for military funeral honors. Retired military members are also eligible but only if they didn’t go through a dishonorable discharge. Another group that is eligible is former military members that completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve. They must not have been separated from the military under dishonorable conditions. You are also eligible if you were discharged from the Selected Reserve because of a disability that occurred while on active duty.

What Funeral Costs Are Covered By Veteran Affairs

Veteran affairs provides multiple benefits to a deceased veteran that may be financial in nature or may include certain unique funerary goods and services. If the deceased is eligible, VA may pay up to $2,000 to cover burial expenses but on a reimbursement basis and only for service-related deaths. That means that the family of the deceased has to provide receipts and the VA will pay the maximum amount permitted by law. Non-service-connected deaths result in a $300 reimbursement for funeral and burial expenses.

You May Not Have To Buy A Casket

Free caskets are only for personnel who died on active duty. You may also receive a free urn if there is cremation. The casket provided is of high quality. For veterans that received an honorable discharge, only a free flag for draping the casket is provided. But they have to pay for other funeral goods and services they incurred from funeral homes or mortuaries. Military personnel that died on active duty and those that received an honorable discharge all get a hero’s tribute in the form of military funeral honors.

Our funeral home offers services specifically targeted at military families. We have the information you need and can work with you to arrange the whole funeral. Our staff can answer all your questions about veteran funerals when you come to us for funeral and cremation services in Washington Township, MI.

What To Write On Cremation Urns

After choosing the right urn for your loved one at funeral homes in Washington Township, MI, you may find it challenging to pick the right quote to engrave on it. You may wonder whether to just write a name or include “In Loving Memory” with the name. The thing is you can write anything on the urn as long as it is personalized and means something to you and other people who were close to the deceased. Here are some ideas on what to write on the urn holding your loved one’s remains.

Bible Verse Epitaphs Are Great If You Are Religious

The Bible has a number of quotes that are concise, significant, and relevant. Inscribing a Biblical quote on an urn is itself significant because the Bible is considered as the divine message from God. The quotes are often concise or short enough to fit on the visible surface of the urn. You can use the King James Bible if you want the quotes to sound like Shakespeare if you are into that. Finding a relevant quote in the Bible is not hard because you already know how your loved one lived their life and you know their faith. Some popular verses Bible verses include:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1)
Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)

Use Poetry To Express Your Emotions And Thoughts

Poetry is an art form that people use to express how they feel about loss, love, life, and death. Quotes from poems can more clearly express the extent of your sorrow while at the same time honoring the memory of your loved one. Unlike Bible scriptures, quotes from poems may use many words just to express one emotion. Be conscious of the limited space that is available on the urn. You may have to add the quote on the back of the urn and have the name and dates on the front.

Adding Artwork As Part Of Urn Inscription

You can also add custom engraved artwork to the urn if there is adequate space available. The art can depict the personality, beliefs, hobbies, interests, and other qualities that the deceased had. But make sure that the art does not dominate the space instead it should complement the text engraved on the urn. Your funeral home can help you find great artists that can do custom engravings if you are having trouble finding one.

Humor Is Also Acceptable

Humor is also acceptable depending on the kind of relationship the deceased had with close family members and friends. These messages can include “just breathe”, “Beam me up, Scotty” and so on.

When you come to us for funeral and cremation services in Washington Township, MI, our staff can help you find the right urn and the right message to engrave on it.

Why You May Need A Burial Vault

A burial vault is a solution most funeral homes in Shelby Charter Township, MI may suggest if you are concerned about the integrity of the casket of your loved one after burial. The extra weight of the earth above the casket and water leakage may cause the casket to cave in after a period of time. This will incur extra costs because the cemetery will have to do something after the grave collapses. Here are reasons you may need a burial vault.

Grave Liners Do Not Protect The Casket

Many people confuse grave liners with vaults but grave liners are basically concrete boxes that prevent the grave from collapsing or caskets from caving in. They have multiple names such as grave receptacles, rough boxes, or concrete boxes. But since they are made of concrete, they cannot efficiently protect the casket from water and dust leakage. This can cause the structure of the grave liner to weaken and also deteriorate the casket. You can prevent all this by using a burial vault.

Burial Vaults Are Built To Provide Security

Burial vaults are made of concrete but they are also lined with plastic on the inside and are sealed securely. The seal prevents the cover from sliding from its position so that it can continue protecting the casket space. They perform the function of grave liners but they also protect the casket from the elements. That means that there is no intrusion of water or dust into the vault. So, the main difference they have with grave liners is that burial vaults offer more security for the casket. Vault manufacturers are serious about the durability of their vaults which is why they offer warranties.

You Can Customize A Burial Vault

You can have a photo of your loved one or an emblem added to the burial vault to personalize it. There is a standard quality for burial vaults but you can choose to get one that offers premium protection. That means it could be made with other materials that enhance the integrity of its structure and seal it more securely.

Where To Purchase Burial Vaults

The funeral home you are working with should have burial vaults that you can buy. But if you want a wider selection of burial vaults you may have to contact a retailer that specializes in selling burial vaults. But the cemetery is likely to charge you a fee for using a burial vault that you purchased from other retailers. The price for a standard burial vault is somewhere between $900 and $7,000, but it’s not unusual to find vaults that cost as much as $13,000.

Buying Vaults Online Is Not Recommended

Purchasing burial vaults online is not a good idea because the retailer will probably charge you high shipping fees. This is obvious because burial vaults are really heavy and difficult to ship.

We help customers seeking funeral and cremation services in Shelby Charter Township, MI find the right burial vault for their loved one. Our main focus is to lighten your burden and provide the highest quality care and service in your time of need.

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