When a loved one passes, many people may expect to attend the funeral but may not know that there are other services they may wish to attend as well. For most families, these services include the visitation or wake before the funeral, the funeral itself, the graveside service, as well as a funeral reception. As directors of funeral homes in Freeport, IL we are often asked what takes place at each of these services so we wanted to take some time to explain in a little more detail these events and what takes place.
Before the funeral takes place, the family may wish to hold a visitation or a wake. These two terms are sometimes used interchangeably but are actually quite different. A wake is an event that is much more religious in nature. It stems from the Catholic faith and often there is a member of the clergy in attendance who will read scriptures, holy texts, etc.
Both events have the body of the deceased present and offer a chance for guests to say their final goodbyes as well as offer their condolences to the family.
This funeral takes place often the day after the wake or visitation and is a more formal, structured event. The funeral will have an officiant who will lead the service. The service typically includes music and hymns, readings by family members including poems, prayers, or other special lyrics, reading of the obituary, and eulogies delivered.
Once the funeral has concluded and everyone has arrived at the cemetery, the graveside service, or committal, will take place. This service is much shorter than the funeral service. Typically it will also have an officiant, such as a religious leader, leading the event. This officiant will say a few words such as a prayer or reading, and the body will be lowered into the ground. Some committal services may offer guests an opportunity to place a flower on the casket or a small bit of dirt. This service may be held for family only or be open to the public so that anyone who wishes may attend.
The last event of the day will be the reception. As with the committal service, the reception may be held for close family only or might be open to the public. This reception can look quite different for each family. For example, it could be held at the funeral home, a church, or even a restaurant, event hall, or a family home. Also, it could serve light food such as sandwiches and snack trays, or be a more formal sit-down plated meal. It truly can be held however the family wishes.
You can see that there are quite a few components that make up the overall funeral process. From the visitation held at a funeral home in Freeport, IL, to the committal service and reception, each element has its own reason and plays an important role in the overall process of saying goodbye to a loved one.