FAQ: Funeral Services 

Throughout the history of mankind, and around the globe, people have connected to celebrate the death of a loved one in the community. No matter who the deceased was, a funeral celebration is the one (and sometimes the only) opportunity for family and friends to connect to celebrate their loved one, honor the community’s shared loss, and support one another during their grief journey.

Funerals are not just a ceremony to honor those who have died. Funerals serve as an important ritual that helps survivors begin dealing with their loss as they outwardly share/show their emotions with their family and friend in attendance for the funeral.

Funeral cost in Las Vegas differ from location to location. At Heritage Mortuary, we are a veteran and family owned business that understand the need to have a quality funeral service at an affordable cost. That is why we honor family's first with cremation services starting at $1600 and memorials as low as $2300.

The National Funeral Directors Association states the national median cost of a funeral details the average costs of a funeral in 2012: $7,045 (however, if a burial vault is required by the cemetery–and it usually is–the median cost can rise as high as $8,343). These statistics aside, the cost of a funeral service is wholly dependent on the specific services and products selected by the family member(s) responsible for making funeral arrangements.

 If you have not pre-planned for your funeral expenses in advance and your loved one passes suddenly. This is the question that will determine rather most families select traditional burial or a traditional funeral service with a cremation. As everything commodity in the United States has increase in prices so has the funeral industry. Heritage Mortuary’s traditional funeral service cost starts at $6500.00 (for the funeral service products only: transport, embalming, casket, hearse etc.) Our caring and licensed funeral director will thoroughly explain all options, try to assist and provide you with a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life that meets your emotional and social needs, all the while staying in line with your financial expectations.

Funeral give family, friends, and even strangers an opportunity to pay their respects to the person who has died. The rule of thumb when it comes to who should be invited, it is normally open to anyone that may wish to attend. However, if a family would rather have a private gathering then in that case it is exclusively for family members and close friends.

While it's not common to send out invitations to a funeral. Generally, the service details are published in the newspaper or online, and those who wish to attend, do. Know that it does make a certain amount of sense to reach out to certain individuals by phone, email, or social media to ensure they are aware of the service date/time (and express your desire for their presence). When preparing the guest list for a funeral service, you should both listen to your hearta ,nd use common sense.

You know the people that mattered most to your loved one, as well as those who mattered least. Whatever you do, don't invite more people than the venue can comfortably handle.

Flowers create a background of warmth and beauty which adds to the dignity and consolation of the funeral service. "Necessary" may not be the right word; but there's no doubt flowers at a funeral or other end-of-life ceremony serve many valuable purposes including a means of a visual expression of sympathy, love and respect or a means of lending support.

A funeral director has many responsibilities as they oversee all functions of the funeral home. Their main role is to provide compassionate support to the bereaved family members and arrange a good funeral according to their wishes.

Human beings are interesting creatures: sometimes we need to see in order to truly believe. It's a way of confirming the fact that, indeed, this individual is dead; but it's also an opportunity to say your "good-byes". You may find it a cathartic time where you can quietly share a long-held secret, let go of any anger or resentment, and otherwise come to terms with their death.

Honoring the life of your love one is a critical part of the healing process after thier death. One way to ensure that the family starts their grief process is by celebrating their loved one's life with a funeral, cremation, or memorial service.  This tribute event may be big or small; formal or informal; the possibilities for the event are endless. Throughout human history, and around the globe, people have gathered together to acknowledge the death of a member of the community. No matter who the deceased was, a funeral ceremony is the one (and sometimes the only) opportunity for everyone to come together to acknowledge their death, recognize the community's shared loss and share the burden of grief.

When asked this question, we like to tell people it's best done with honesty and awareness. Let them know basically what they can expect. Advise them there will be people there who will be sad and may cry openly; tell them there will be time for some people to stand up and talk about how much they loved the person (but they won't be required to do so). Let them ask all the questions they need to ask, reassure them you'll be right next to them throughout the experience. Never force them to go to a funeral, and always give them the opportunity to change their mind about attending.

Burial service cost in Las Vegas consists of two parts. The first part are the funeral charges and the second is the cemetry charges. Heritage Mortuary offers the most affordable funeral costs in Las Vegas with a quality service. 

Cemtery property in Las Vegas starts at $6500 and goes up. This cost does not include the headstone. 

Black used to be the only color to wear to a funeral; but not anymore. Today things are less formal than they once were, and it's not totally uncommon for families to ask prospective guests to altogether avoid wearing black clothing. Should you have additional questions about funeral attire or etiquette, please contact us.

The preparation of the deceased can involve several different tasks performed by trained and licensed embalmers and restorative artists. Typically, for a viewing rather a visitation or a funeral the embalmed, dressed, customized and casketed deceased will be present with the casket open. This will be the service period prior to burial or cremation. This time gives the family and friends an opportunity to see the deceased one last time and say their finial goodbyes. The viewing and or funeral may take place at the funeral home chapel or at a church or another event facility. 

If you concider that this is the event that you, your family and friend share/celebrate the last day for your loved one. You will better understand the phrase, "it depends on the service". 

Just as no two movies or novels are the same length or cover the same emotional ground; no two end-of-life ceremonies are the same.

Cremation cost in Las Vegas differ from location to location. At Heritage Mortuary, we are a veteran and family owned business that understand the need to have a quality cremation service at an affordable cost. That is why we honor family's first with cremation services starting at $1600 and memorials services as low as $2300.

Burial service cost in Nevada consists of two parts. The first part are the funeral charges and the second is the cemetry charges. Heritage Mortuary offers the most affordable funeral costs in Las Vegas with a quality service. The cost for burial in Nevada starts at $11,500 and goes up depending on where in the valley and in the cemetery you select.

A life-cycle celebrant is especially valuable when a family has no religious affiliations or ties to a clergy person or minister who can officiate the funeral service.

Involving a celebrant in the funeral planning process has been found to enhance the funeral experience for all concerned. "The Celebrant comes to the table with no agenda," shares the Institute's website, "and no preconceived notion of what the ceremony should or must look like. 

The Celebrant elicits what is meaningful for each client." If you think hiring a celebrant is the right for your family's situation, contact Heritage Mortuary at 702-852-1464 for more details.

Las Vegas, Nevada is a unique city, and the coroners secures descendants into their care via a funeral home due to limited storage space. If your loved one passes at home then call the police, which will in turn call either the police or the paramedic, They will in the end call the coroner or the funeral home to transport your loved one to the funeral home of your choice or the mortuary that is contracted with the coroner. If your loved one is sick, it may be best to select a funeral home in advance as place them on file for your loved one.

If your loved one dies in a hospice the social worker will instruct you to select a funeral home to transport your loved one to their facility. 

The same process is true if your loved one dies in the hospital. The nurse will instruct you to select a funeral home to transport your loved one to their facility. This is all because of limited to no space at their morgue.

There are a few options available, including:

• Review all insurance policies the deceased person has, including life insurance. Some life insurance policies have coverage clauses for funeral related costs.

• Pending on eligibility one may apply for Clark County Social Security Burial Assistance.  Please give our Professional and Caring Staff a call at 702-852-1464 a call to schedule an arrangement conference to complete forms to be submitted to Clark County Social Service for determination.  

• Find local charities providing financial help for funeral expenses. Search for nonprofit organizations and for churches in your area.

• Talk to your funeral director about cremation options - these can be much less expensive depending on your choices.

• If your loved one was a retired veteran that received payment for a service-connected disability, call Heritage’s Staff at (702) 852-1464 for assistance with Veteran’s burial claim.  

When asked this question, we like to tell people it’s best done with honesty and awareness. Let them know basically what they can expect. Advise them there will be people there who will be sad and may cry openly; tell them there will be time for some people to stand up and talk about their loved one.

Then ask them if they want to attend and if there is something they would like to do or say at the service. 

Embalming is a process in which blood is drained from the body and replaced with fluids that delay disintegration. Embalming regulations are a more severe in Nevada than in most other states. The Nevada Board of Health requires a body to be embalmed for the following reasons:

• If the death was due to a communicable disease (Nevada Administrative Code 451.010)

• Before it is transported in any way (Nevada Administrative Code 451.100).

If embalming is not required by the Board of Health, a funeral home or other place in charge of disposition may not require embalming until at least 72 hours have passed. (Nevada Revised Statutes 451.065.) 

• There are times when families prefer to have to have their loved ones embalmed, such as for a public viewing, open-casket service, or traditional preferences.

First is the purchase price of the "right to use" the burial plot (unlike a real estate purchase, where you buy the land and all the structures on it; here you are only purchasing what is called the "interment rights" to the land). In addition, there are fees for the "opening" and "closing" of the gravesite; and any fees required to obtain the necessary permits and to maintain cemetery files and records. In addition, there's the fee for the use of any special equipment (such as a casket-lowering device); as well as the costs for any other services or items purchased. There's also the headstone or grave marker installation fee, and a one-time "perpetual care" (sometimes called "endowment care") fee paid to ensure your loved one's burial site is well-maintained.

This is highly discussed questioned. No state law requires routine embalming for every death. This is a known disclaimer per the FTC Funeral Rule. Some states require embalming or refrigeration if the body is not buried or cremated within a certain time. At Heritage Mortuary, we understand that that a family may choose a service that doesn't require embalming. A family may choose services like:  direct cremation and immediate burial, which don’t require any form of preservation.

Then on the other hand a family may chose a service where the body is to be publicly viewed. When selecting these types of services it is our funeral home policy to require embalming of the body for a public viewing. 

In accordance with NRS451.065 it is unlawful to require remains to be embalmed or otherwise prepared before disposition. However, there are exceptions... See below for a list of exceptions per NRS451

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, no crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition may require the remains to be embalmed or otherwise prepared before their disposition by cremation, interment or otherwise, or before their removal from or into any registration district.

      2.  The State Board of Health may require embalming or other preparations if necessary to protect the public.

      3.  If embalming is not required by the State Board of Health pursuant to subsection 2, the Nevada Funeral and Cemetery Services Board may authorize the embalming of a body if it determines that it is necessary to preserve the body and the crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition:

      (a) Has held the body for at least 72 hours;

      (b) Is unable to notify a member of the family or other authorized person to obtain approval to embalm the body; and

      (c) Has no reason to believe that the family or other authorized person does not wish to have the body embalmed.

The Federal Trade Commission states that average casket costs around $2,000. If you are concerned about casket costs, speak with your funeral director who can advise you on the most appropriate casket for your situation and your budget.

Today, modern cemetery grounds are well-groomed, with vast expanses of green grass. A burial vault protects this pristine view, ensuring there is no sign of burial plots "settling". Certainly the vault also protects the casket; but the primary role of a burial vault is to protect the beauty of the cemetery environment.

If your loved one has not made previous arrangements for their burial, leaving you to pick the location of their interment, the first thing you'll need to do involves the selection of the cemetery and burial location within the grounds. You'll also choose the most suitable casket and burial vault, and provide us with the clothing you'd like your loved one to wear (and any 'special items' you'd like us to place in the casket) . Once payment is made, the date and time of interment is agreed upon. At that time, the cemetery grounds keepers will take care of the "opening" and "closing" of the grave and the proper placement of the casket in the burial vault.

The cemetery will put a temporary identification marker on your loved one's grave, but it is only intended as a placeholder until a permanent headstone or grave marker is set in place. Without one, your loved one's burial site will, when this temporary marker becomes illegible or is somehow removed, appear "unmarked".

We, and the cemetery where your loved one will be interred, have strong working relationships with trusted monument companies. When you are ready to order a gheadstone or grave marker, we will come together to orchestrate its selection, manufacture and placement. Speak with your funeral director to get the details.

When we make arrangements for the direct burial of an individual, we are expediting their interment. There will be no funeral, memorial service or celebration-of-life; instead, we provide the physical care of the deceased (perhaps embalming their body, but certainly dressing and casketing) and then escort the casket to the cemetery for immediate burial.

It's very hard to know without having the opportunity to speak with you. Direct burial works well when there are few mourners or if your loved one's wishes were for a simple interment. It's done quickly and professionally, without ceremony of any kind. With that said, what do you think? Does direct burial feel like the right course of action for you? Speak with a funeral professional to further explore the idea.

Your funeral director will complete and file the death certificate, obtain signatures on any required permits or authorizations, helps you select a cemetery in which to inter your loved one, as well as a casket and burial vault. He or she will oversee the physical care of the deceased: they will be dressed in clothes you've provided (or purchased from us), casketed, and then escorted to the cemetery for immediate burial. This same individual will witness the burial and provide you with copies of all pertinent papers for safekeeping.

Some of the things you'll discuss with your funeral director involve purchases made from outside vendors, and you will be asked to pay for those items at the time of the arrangement conference.  One of the most common is the fee charged by a newspaper to print your loved one's obituary. Another cash advance charge could be for clergy or musician's fees, floral arrangements, reception necessities, such as food/beverage or facility rental. Your funeral director will provide you with a detailed invoice for all cash advance items.

Rather than having a service in a church or funeral home chapel, and then adjourning to the cemetery for the burial; some families choose to gather solely at the cemetery. There, they are led through a ceremony prepared by a clergy person or celebrant and witness the in-ground committal of their loved one's casket. If the idea of a graveside service appeals to you, speak with your funeral director about your options.

The exact answer to this question largely depends upon the services, products and cemetery you've selected; but a good rule of thumb is to expect to pay at the time the service contract is signed (at the time of the arrangement conference, or soon afterwards). Speak with your funeral director to learn more.

We're tempted to answer this with another question: who would you like to write it? Perhaps you'd like to ask a friend or family member to do so; maybe you're thinking it's something you would like to do. Or perhaps you'd rather turn the duty over to your funeral director. He or she is experienced in obituary writing, and would be delighted to relieve you of the task; so don't hesitate to ask them to craft a suitable obituary.

Burial at one of the Veteran Cemetaries is a benfit that is earned potentially saving a family thousands of dollars. 

Arrangements:

If your family member/loved one has passed away please call Heritage Mortuary 

For immedate Assistance. 

Arrangement for burial at the cemetery can be made through your Heritage Mortuary Trusted Funeral Director or by contacting the cemetery.

We will arrange all services for you and your family to include the burial service, military honors, the receipt of the flag, and the Presidental Memorial Certificate. 

Eligilbe Veterans are buried at the Nevada Veteran Cemertaries at no charge. This includes the cemetery plot, opening and closing, concrete vault, headstone and perpetual care. 

There is a $450 fee (subject to change) charged for the burial of a spouse or eligible dependent.

Please Note:  This does not include Mortuary service fees.

Eligibility for burial is similar to the criteria used by the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. 

However, the cemetery is responsible for verifying eligibility and should be contacted directly for specifics:

 Northern Nevada Call:  775-575-4441

 Southern Nevada Call:  702-486-5920

For Reserve Component: 

Any member of a reserve component who has attained 20 years of service for retirement is eligible for burial at the cemetery. 

Any member of a reserve component, to include the Reserve Officer Training Corps who dies under honorable conditions while serving on active duty or training is also eligible for burial at the cemetery.

For Pre-Registration: 

There are no advance plot assignments at the cemetery; however, you can pre-register for a future need. Pre-registration allows the cemetery to make an advance determination as to eligibility. To pre-register you will fill out the Online Registration Form and upload a picture of your discharge documents, and a copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable).   There are no fees charged for Pre-Registration.

Unlike burial, cremation is irreversible. This requires us to be "extra diligent" in obtaining cremation authorization from the legally identified next-of-kin, as well as those from any necessary agencies (such as the medical examiner). During these 48-72 hours (depending on state mandated requirements); the deceased will be held in a secure, refrigerated environment.

When you enter into a discussion with us about the cost of your loved one's cremation, whether on the phone or in-person, we are legally obligated to share our General Price List, or GPL, with you. That list details the actual cost of our cremation services, which is a combination of our basic professional services fee, the fee charged by the crematory for the use of their facilities, and any additional charges related to the transportation and safekeeping of the deceased prior to the cremation. It is impossible for us to quote an accurate cost for cremation here; we urge you to speak candidly about cremation costs with your funeral professional.

The answer to this question is dependent on the specific crematory responsible for the care of your loved one, but generally speaking, the answer to this question is "yes". The degree to which you can participate may differ from crematory to crematory (depending on their facilities); please speak with your funeral director if this is an issue for you, or another family member.

The FTC's Funeral Rule guides funeral directors in the ethical and fair presentation of funeral service options. The purchase of a cremation urn (or a casket, for that matter) from a second or third party sources is one of the rights it guarantees. Your funeral director cannot prevent you from, nor can they charge you an extra fee for, the purchase of a third-party cremation urn. And they cannot demand you are present for its delivery to the funeral home

Again, as we've said elsewhere, the word "should" need not be part of our conversation. There are many things you can do with their ashes–including simply taking them home with you for safekeeping. There may come a time when you know exactly what you'd like to do with them, but it may not be right now. Be patient; the right way to care for them will surface in time. After all, there are a lot of options: scattering them on land or sea is one of the most common; but you can also use the cremated remains in keepsake jewelry or to create meaningful pieces of art. As we said, there is no have-to-do; there's only a want-to-do (and you are in complete control of it). If you're curious about your options, just give us a call. We'll share what we know.

The short answer is "no", but there are exceptions. Let's say you want to have a viewing or visitation. If that's the case, it may be prudent to embalm your loved one, so they look their best for the event; so much so that the funeral home may require that you purchase the service. However, with that said, under the FTC's Funeral Rule, we cannot: provide embalming services without your permission, and may not lead you to believe embalming is required by law. In addition, we must provide you with written disclosures related to the embalming of your loved one.

Naturally, this question is best answered when we talk specifics: why type of cremator will be used? How large an individual was your loved one? Usually it takes 2 - 2 1/2 hours for the process. A cool-down period follows, and then the cremated remains are processed for a uniform appearance. Certainly, if the issue is important to you, we urge you to speak to your funeral director.

Most cremators use natural or L.P. gas, or in some cases diesel oil; a fact which troubles some who want to see cremation as an "environmentally-friendly" alternative to burial. If you're concerned about the impact of cremation on the environment, speak with your funeral director. There are alternatives, such as burial in a "green" or environmentally-pristine cemetery.

You'd be surprised how often we hear this question! Some people might choose to be undressed so as to 'go out' the same way they 'came in' to the world; but most of the time, the deceased is dressed in the clothing they've selected prior to their death, or chosen by family members after their passing.

It depends upon what you mean as "special", but we do our best to accommodate the wishes of surviving family members. Most commonly, families will ask to place notes, children's drawings, or other personal messages of love; but we've certainly had some unusual requests (such as the inclusion of a cherished pet's collar or treasured keepsake). We encourage you to speak with your funeral director to learn the regulations of the specific crematory responsible for your loved one's cremation.

Certainly not; cremation merely describes the type of physical end-of-life care you intend to provide your loved one. A commemoration service is for the living; the individuals emotionally impacted by the death deserve the same level of compassionate attention. And one of the benefits of cremation comes from the larger "window-of-opportunity" in which to plan a meaningful celebration-of-life it provides the surviving family members. Your funeral professional can guide you in making all the necessary service arrangements

Think of the Taj Mahal in India and you'll know exactly what a mausoleum is: it's free-standing building (in this case not in India but on the grounds of a local cemetery), which is intended as both a monument as well as the burial location for casketed individuals. A columbarium is the same in purpose, but not in design; instead of crypt spaces large enough for a full-size casket; it features smaller niche spaces, large enough for one (or maybe two) cremation urns.

We would never presume to tell you which service is best for your loved one. But your funeral director will be pleased to guide and advise; explain the differences between service formats (traditional funeral, memorial service and celebration-of-life), and share stories of meaningful services they've been a part of–all with the intention of empowering you to make the decision for yourselves.

When you enter into a discussion with us about the cost of your loved one's cremation, whether on the phone or in-person, we are legally obligated to share our General Price List, or GPL, with you. That list details the actual cost of our cremation services, which is a combination of our basic professional services fee, the fee charged by the crematory for the use of their facilities, and any additional charges related to the transportation and safekeeping of the deceased prior to the cremation.

It's difficult for us to answer this question without knowing the specifics of your proposed cremation arrangements. Yet with that said we can tell you there will most likely be extra charges for anything that involves a second-party purchase (such as the publication of your loved one's obituary in a local newspaper). If you select a decorative cremation urn and would like to personalize it with an engraved nameplate; there could be a small fee.

When you arrive to make the necessary cremation service arrangements on behalf of a loved one, we will furnish you with a copy of our General Price List; a section of which discloses the exact price (or a good-faith estimate) of the most commonly-requested "cash advance items". Cornell University Law School's Legal Information Institute (www.law.cornell.edu) defines a “cash advance item” as "any item of service or merchandise...obtained from a third party and paid for by the funeral provider on the purchaser's behalf. Cash advance items may include, but are not limited to: cemetery or crematory services; pallbearers; public transportation; clergy honoraria; flowers; musicians or singers; nurses; obituary notices; gratuities and death certificates."

The answer to this is simple: we have to pay for these second-party services or merchandise at the time we make the purchase on your behalf. This requires us to ask for payment for all cash advance items at the time the cremation service contract is agreed to, and signed by the responsible family member. For more specific information about our payment policies, please call us to speak with a member of our staff of cremation service professionals.

Yes, you can. The burial can be in-ground, or your loved one's cremation urn can be placed in a columbarium niche. Speak with your funeral director to learn more about your specific cremation burial options

You'll need to provide the documents/information required to complete your loved one's death certificate and obituary. If you are planning to have a service, you may also wish to bring in a collection of family photographs to be used in making a tribute video or in the decoration of the service location. Other items may be needed at some point, depending on the arrangements made. Your funeral director will provide you with an exact list of the things he or should would like you to bring along to the arrangement conference.

Of course you can; in fact any member of your family (or even a close friend) can "step up" to take care of this task. There are many valuable resources available in the Guidance section of this website, including tips on writing an obituary. And you can always turn to us for assistance.

Here's an interesting way to answer the question: a memorial service is not a funeral. Picture what you believe to be the traditional funeral, and then mentally tear up the image. Both ceremonies have structure; both are intended to bring community together in support and remembrance. But one is far more formal than the other; a memorial service is not lead by clergy, but guided by a celebrant or master-of-ceremonies. It provides all who attend the service an opportunity to participate on some level, not just to observe and reflect.

Visualize a memorial service as a mid-point on the spectrum of service format possibilities. On one end is the more formally-structured, clergy-led funeral service (often with three component parts: the visitation, funeral and a committal service held at the cemetery). At the other end is the celebration-of-life; an event where the life of the deceased–their passions, intellectual pursuits and personal accomplishments–are the focus of attention. A funeral isn't truly celebratory, where a celebration-of-life is all about celebration. A memorial service could be said to be a gentle mix of the two; but in all honesty, each memorial service is unique. Speak with your funeral professional for further insights.

There's really no way we can tell you which service would be the best in your situation. In fact, we don't believe it's even part of our job to tell you; instead, our work is in showing you the spectrum of possibilities. We can explain your options, make suggestions; all with the goal of empowering you to arrive at the best possible decision.

This is a lot like asking "how much will it cost to buy a car?" The answer is totally dependent upon the 'bells & whistles'–the special features–you've selected during the arrangement conference. When you sit down with a funeral director to discuss service costs, you'll receive a copy of the firm's General Price List which will detail all the basic professional services included in the price of your loved one's memorial service, as well as the cost of any ancillary products or services you've purchased. Call us to get a better idea of what your loved one's memorial service will do for you, as well as what it will cost.

Some of the things you'll discuss with your funeral director involve purchases made from outside vendors, and you will be asked to pay for those items at the time of the arrangement conference.  One of the most common is the fee charged by a newspaper to print your loved one's obituary. Another cash advance charge could be for clergy or musician's fees, floral arrangements, reception necessities, such as food/beverage or facility rental. Your funeral director will provide you with a detailed invoice for all cash advance items.

Some of the things you'll discuss with your funeral director involve purchases made from outside vendors, and you will be asked to pay for those items at the time of the arrangement conference.  One of the most common is the fee charged by a newspaper to print your loved one's obituary. Another cash advance charge could be for clergy or musician's fees, floral arrangements, reception necessities, such as food/beverage or facility rental. Your funeral director will provide you with a detailed invoice for all cash advance items.

The vendors we work with the newspapers, florists, caterers and musicians, all require us to pay for goods and services when ordered or at the time of delivery. Our "good faith" relationship with them requires us to charge you for them at the close of the arrangement conference. Your funeral director will take time to explain any and all of the necessary cash advance expenses incurred as part of your service planning.

A good rule of thumb is to expect to pay at the time the service contract is signed (at the time of the arrangement conference, or soon afterwards). Speak with your funeral director to learn more.

We've actually written a number of pages on memorial service planning, but the short answer would include the tasks of selecting the location, date and time of the service. You'll be asked to identify the specific readings, musical selections, food or beverages, and/or the activities you'd like to feature, as well as the people you would like to participate in the service itself. Memorial service planning isn't difficult; it's empowering. After all, you've got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the world how much your loved one meant to you. We invite you to speak with one of our service planning professionals to learn more.

How much would you like to be involved? Certainly, your funeral director will need you to specify certain details: the where and when, for example. Together you'll make important decisions about other specifics, but once those decisions are made, you can "step back" and let us handle everything or have as much input as you please.

You'll need to provide the documents/information required to complete your loved one's death certificate and obituary. You may also wish to bring in a collection of family photographs to be used in making a tribute video or in the decoration of the service location. Other items may be needed at some point, depending on the arrangements made. Your funeral director will provide you with an exact list of the things he or should would like you to bring along to the arrangement conference.

A celebrant is a person who has been trained to conduct formal ceremonies, such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. They are not clergy; instead they are experienced masters-of-ceremony and story-tellers. A celebrant works closely with surviving family to create a ceremony which reflects the beliefs, cultural background, values and aspirations of your deceased loved one, and your family. If you think you would be best served by a celebrant, please speak with your funeral director.

Commonly the funeral director who met with you during the arrangement conference will assume the responsibility of writing the obituary. You will support them in doing so by providing them with the necessary legal documents (birth certificates, military records, and marriage or divorce decrees) and other important details about your loved one's life. If you, or another family member or friend, wish to write the obituary, we can help to guide you through the process.