Staying current with trends for funeral services in Warren, MI helps make funeral planning for loved ones who have died more expansive and with more options that can make the funeral process easier on the family and other mourners. Thank Baby Boomers for the changes that are modernizing the way funerals are planned and executed, because they are still leading the way in overturning traditions, even though most of them settled into traditional lives from their 30’s until now, and changing the world.

One current trend in funeral planning is preplanning funerals. Baby Boomers, more so than their parents, are now making sure that their final wishes are carried out for their end-of-life care, their final wishes, and their funerals.

Another current trend in funeral planning is the dramatic increase in the number of people who are choosing cremation over burial. Cremations now account for approximately half the funeral plans in America. The rise in the popularity of cremation is due to several factors, including the lack of space in many cemeteries, its eco-friendliness, and its accommodation for mobility (as people have moved around a lot for careers, they may die in one place, but they want their cremated remains scattered or buried in another place that is special or where the rest of their family is).

Funeral services are trending away from somber, quiet memorial services to upbeat and lively celebrations of life. While traditional funeral services are focused on paying respect to and recognizing death and loss of a loved one, celebrations of life take the focus off the death and put it onto the life the loved one lived. These celebrations of life can be very personalized and funeral homes can accommodate just about any type of celebration of life that can be planned.

A fourth current trend in funeral planning is the creation of online obituaries (by the family of the deceased), online memorials, and sharing information about the funeral via social media. This enables friends and family from all over the world to share in the mourning and offer condolences, comfort, support, and encouragement to the family.

Livestreaming funeral or memorial services rather than recording them is another current trend in funeral planning. With many livestream services like YouTube, FaceTime, Skype, and Google Hangout, to choose from, capturing funeral and memorial services live so that faraway family and friends can view the services in real time has never been easier.

A fifth current funeral planning trend is crowdfunding to help with funeral expenses and requesting charitable donations instead of flowers for people who’d like to pay their respects to the deceased.

Many community memorial gardens are being created in another new funeral planning trend. These are beautifully-landscaped areas where plants that are nourished in part by some of the deceased’s cremains can be planted or memorial plaques, stones, benches, or chairs that have the name of deceased can be placed, so that friends and family have a place to go to remember their loved one.

A final current trend in funeral planning is online grief support (there are even smartphone apps that let people who are grieving share their stories and help each other). Most funeral homes offer in-person grief counseling and support that, in the early stages of the grieving process, may be more helpful because you’re interacting with real people in person who are experiencing many of the same things you are. Online grief support, however, may be more helpful as you’re further along in the grief process.

For more current trends in funeral services in Warren, MI, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Lee-Ellena Funeral Home is here to assist you. You can visit our funeral home at 46530 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb, MI 48044, or you can call us today at (586) 412-8999.