Burial

Burial is the most common choice for disposition of a body. Burial is the process of disposing of the dead in a grave underground. The two most popular choices for burial today are traditional and natural.

Traditional burial is most common in American society. The process involves placing the body in a casket, placing the casket in a burial vault and burying the vault in the ground. The major decisions to make for this practice are what type of casket and vault to purchase and where to buy a burial plot.

Caskets can easily be the most expensive cost for the funeral. They range from hundreds of dollars to thousands. Most people purchase the casket directly from the funeral home.

Mausoleum

Some families choose burial ground in a cemetery mausoleum. A mausoleum burial would be similar to the traditional burial, except the casket is placed in a mausoleum, a large burial chamber, usually above ground. Often these are private family buildings designed to receive entombments, but many cemeteries have public mausoleums for those but many cemeteries have public mausoleums for those who prefer this form of burial.

Choosing the proper burial site is another decision to make. Many factors can influence the decision of where to be buried and whether to purchase a burial site in advance. Veterans and their families can be buried in national cemeteries free of charge. Religious affiliations often have specific burial locations like Catholic cemeteries or veteran sections within public or private cemeteries as well.

A funeral for a traditional burial includes the following elements:

  • The arrangement conference – meeting with funeral home director to discuss service
  • The Visitation (Viewing or Wake)– viewing of the body by family and guests
  • The Eulogy - a formal expression of praise given to a person who has recently died
  • The Procession – escorting of the body to the burial site
  • The Committal service – burial service

Many burial services now include an element of personalization. Whether it be photos displaying special memories, an engraved vault or special music or flowers, many are opting to celebrate the individuals life in a personal way. For more ideas on personalization click here.