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Ashes To Dust | Answering Common Questions About Graveside Funeral Services

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If you want to cut some of the costs from the funeral equation during your planning, you may choose to hold only a simple graveside service. A graveside service will cost you a fraction of the cost that a traditional funeral in a funeral home would. This eliminates a lot of the lengthy planning and makes it possible to still have a remembrance ceremony for your friends and family members as well. If you are considering having a graveside service instead of a funeral, you likely have several questions on your mind. Here are a few of the most common questions and the answers you will want to know.

How much money can you really save by doing a graveside service only?

According to a report by the National Funeral Directors Association, a funeral with a vault can cost you more than $8,000 on average. This price includes things like charges for using the funeral home for visitation and service, funeral music, and cosmetic preparation. If you choose a graveside service, a lot of these charges will be eliminated. The cost of an average graveside service can fall anywhere between $200 and $1700. Therefore, you can expect to save several thousand dollars if you choose only a graveside service.

What if the weather is bad when the service must be held?

Most funeral homes will set up a temporary shelter, canopy, or tent when the graveside service is held. Therefore, the service does not have to be completely out in the open. In the event of inclement weather, the graveside and burial service may have to be postponed temporarily, which can be an inconvenience to the service guests.

Can you still have an open casket for viewing at a graveside service?

It is not common for there to be an open casket for viewing at a graveside service for a few different reasons. For one, there are a lot of concerns about bodily preservation when you take a controlled climate out of the situation. Outdoors you never know what the temperatures may be or what humidity levels will be, which can both have negative impacts on the prepared body. Furthermore, it can be a concern for the deceased to be exposed to direct sunlight.

If you think that holding a graveside service instead of a funeral is the right option for you, be sure to talk to a funeral home director about any concerns you have. Even though this is a logical financial option, it is not always a good choice for all people. 


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