Learn The Difference

Every family is different and how they choose to honor a loved one’s passing is as unique as the family. No matter the type of service you desire, our caring and knowledgeable staff can help you plan a personalized service that lets you celebrate a life well-lived. But what is the right choice for you and your family? Each type of service offers its own unique benefits.

In years past, many families would choose to hold a traditional funeral service to honor their loved ones. However, as the popularity of cremation continues to grow, more and more families are now choosing to plan a more engaging and personalized memorial service or celebration of life.

To help you understand the differences between a funeral vs memorial service or a memorial service vs celebration of life, we’ve developed this guide to help you make informed decisions.

Funeral vs Memorial Service

In many ways, a memorial service is actually quite similar to a funeral service. A funeral service occurs with the body is present and has four main parts: the visitation, funeral, committal, and reception. In contrast, a memorial service contains much of the same structure although the deceased’s body is not present at the service.

In both cases, memorial services and funerals include religious elements, a eulogy, readings, prayers, songs, and reflection. They both also follow a similar order of services although there is no wake before a memorial service.

Because a memorial service occurs after the remains have been cared for, there is often more room for creativity. This is because your family can take more time to plan a ceremony and decide how you want to pay tribute to your loved one.

It’s interesting; funerals and celebrations of life have much in common, yet they often appear quite different in execution. Each is a ceremony; a gathering of people who share a common loss. It’s just that one is more rooted in tradition, while the other is the result of recent changes in social values. In either case, both serve to do the same three things.

Help the bereaved family, and their community, publicly acknowledge the death of one of their own.

Support the grieving family by surrounding them with caring friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

A celebration of life differs from a funeral in that it’s often a more casual and less structured service. Many families consider a celebration of life to be more of a relaxed and party-like atmosphere with guests attending to celebrate a life well-lived.

A celebration of life may or may not include elements from a traditional funeral service, although the choice is left up to the family.

In many ways, a memorial service is similar to a celebration of life. We like to consider a memorial service as a hybrid between a funeral and a celebration of life.

Much like a celebration of life, memorial services are often less formal than a traditional funeral service and both occur after the remains have been cared for.