Planning a funeral—traditional or otherwise—requires no shortage of time and preparation. Unfortunately, the requirements therefore couldn’t come at a worse time. Those doing the planning are often grieving in the process and need a great deal of support. If you’re in need of that kind of support, you may also be looking for Indianapolis, IN, funeral homes. A funeral director can certainly help and point you in the right directions, providing professional and valuable counsel in the process. But it may nevertheless be helpful to have a vision and general understanding of how the funeral should play out. Thinking through some of your options in advance could save you some trouble when it comes time to meet with the funeral director and make some final decisions.

So what exactly should the funeral in question look like?

There are any number of ways to personalize the funeral, attempting to reflect the deceased’s history and personality in the process. Whether it’s a unique location or atypical format, note that you needn’t simply reproduce the last funeral you attended. Taking a more traditional route is certainly fine, perhaps echoing the dignity of the deceased. But you should feel free to be creative and think outside the box. The important thing is that you take the deceased’s wishes into account, provide others an opportunity to say goodbye, honor the life of the deceased in a meaningful fashion and attend to any religious beliefs that may influence your views of life and death. These kinds of priorities will impact a variety of other decisions you may make.

For example, who should be involved with the funeral itself? There’s generally an officiant who leads the service, sometimes multiple officiants. That could be a member of the clergy, someone close to the deceased, someone from your local community or simply a funeral director. You may also wish to have some in attendance read eulogies that commemorate the deceased and remember his or her life in important ways. There may also be pallbearers in attendance in the event of a service being held at the gravesite itself.

In addition to those involved, there are decisions to be made about readings (anything from a poem to a prayer), music, food and refreshments and the possibility of recording the funeral for later viewing. You may also wish to include various kinds of personal memorabilia in a bid to symbolize your loved one in a unique way. Finally, one must make a decision of whether the body should be present, something that may certainly affect the overall tone of the service itself.

There’s no right or wrong answer in these instances. But you should endeavor to feel comfortable with the results, as they are certainly lasting in a certain sense. The more comfortable you are with the outcome, the easier it may be to move on and remember your loved one in a productive fashion. Should you or someone you know be looking for help, there are certainly available funeral homes in the Indianapolis, IN, area. Consider reaching out to O’Riley - Branson Funeral Service & Crematory. We make every attempt to handle your questions and concerns in a compassionate and dignified fashion. You may visit us at 6107 S East St Indianapolis, IN 46227 or place a phone call to (317) 787-8224.