Many funeral homes in Shelby Charter Township, MI offer more than one type of funeral. You can either choose a traditional funeral that follows common traditions and rituals, or a contemporary funeral that includes different rituals and customized services to personalize a funeral. Your choice between the two can be guided by the wishes of your departed loved one and the amount of money you are willing to spend. Here are some of the differences between traditional and contemporary funerals.

Common Characteristics Of A Traditional Funeral

Traditional Funerals often have four main events including visitation, funeral service, committal service, and funeral reception. Family and friends visit the bereaved to comfort them and pay their respects to the deceased. After this, a funeral service is held to honor the deceased and then a committal service is held at the burial site before the grave is covered. A funeral reception is then held to allow family and friends to spend time together and share their memories of the deceased. At every stage of this traditional funeral, there are various rituals observed depending on the religion of the deceased.

Contemporary Funerals Break All The Rules

Most of the rules of a traditional funeral service are broken during a contemporary funeral service. For example, contemporary funeral services can be held in various locations, not just a church or a funeral home. To honor a loved one that loved skating, you can hold a funeral service at a skating rink or a room decorated with a skating theme. Even the rituals observed in a contemporary funeral are not often religious in nature and do not follow any common traditional practices. In fact, there may be no hint of religion in a contemporary funeral at all. The objects or images included in a contemporary funeral are deliberately chosen to individualize the funeral and honor the deceased loved one.

How To Choose Either A Traditional Or Contemporary Funeral

It helps if your loved one gave specific instructions about what kind of funeral they prefer. But if there were no instructions, then it’s up to you what kind of funeral you feel will be appropriate. A traditional funeral includes rituals that have both cultural and religious significance. Not only do these rituals mark an important milestone that every human must experience but also help you feel like you are not alone when grieving. On the other hand, a contemporary funeral frees you to celebrate the life of your loved one without any cultural or religious restrictions. You can make the ceremony as cheerful or as somber as you like without worrying about anyone’s disapproval.

Talk to our funeral director to help you organize the type of funeral that you want. We will not only help you understand our cremation services in Shelby Charter Township, MI but also explain all the factors you need to consider for any type of funeral. Our caring professionals have years of experience helping families and will be glad to help you create a lasting and meaningful tribute to the life of your loved one.