Funeral vs. Memorial Service: Is There Any Difference?

Several people think that the funeral service is the same as the memorial service because they have many similarities. For instance, both involve people gathering because of the death of a loved one. These people mourn and commemorate the life of the departed person. However, claims from funeral homes in Plainfield, IN are that there are differences between the two. 

Before outlining these differences, it is important to understand both services in detail. 

What is a Funeral Service? 

The funeral service is the event held before the burial of a departed person. Generally, there are four main parts of a funeral service, discussed below: 

• The Visitation 

Often held immediately before the funeral, a visitation is an event where the remains of the deceased are put open for guests to view. The purpose is for sympathizers to pay their final respects to the departed person. Some refer to it as "the viewing" or "lying-in-state." 

• The Funeral 

The funeral is the formal service or event with highlights such as music and hymns, poems, prayers, and readings by relatives and friends. 

There is also often the time for eulogies from persons who knew the deceased during their lifetime. 

• The Committee 

The committal is simply the process of disposing of the deceased's remains. It can be in the form of the traditional burial, in which case the body is interring in the ground. It may also be a cremation, where the body gets burned. 

• The Reception 

The family may choose to entertain guests after concluding all other events. The reception presents another opportunity to celebrate the loved one's life, and 

What is a Memorial Service? 

The memorial service also commemorates a dead person's life, but it often doesn't need to happen before the person's burial. In fact, most families plan it for after the burial or cremation. 

Find more differences between the funeral and memorial services. 

Funeral vs. Memorial Service: What are the Differences? 

Here, we point out the points of differences between both: 

1)  The Presence or Absence of the Body 

Generally, the deceased's remains are always absent at the memorial service. However, if the family opts for cremation, they may place the urn containing the ashes at the memorial service venue. 

On the other hand, the presence of the body is often a key feature of a traditional funeral service. In fact, viewing the body (that is, the Visitation) makes up a main part of the funeral. 

2)  Timing of Either Event 

It is somewhat a general rule for the funeral to hold before the disposal of the deceased's remains via burial or cremation. However, that is not the case with the memorial service, which the family can choose to organize anytime. Some families hold the memorial months or years after the death and disposal of the deceased's body. 

3)  Following a Structure 

The funeral service has some sort of standardized structure that it almost always follows. So, typically, you have the visitation, then the funeral service, followed by the committal, and then the reception. However, there is nothing like this with the memorial service. 

4)  The Nature of the Event 

The content and type of service of either event are also different. Funerals are often solemn and take a religious tone. However, memorial services are more upbeat and don't necessarily need to be religious in nature. 

Conclusion 

Referring to the funeral service and memorial service as the same is common, and this is due to their similarities. However, funeral homes in Plainfield, IN have made it clear that this is not the case. We have explained the differences here.