A Look at Funeral Home Services: Visitations and Funerals

When you have a friend of family member pass away you will most likely attend some sort of service either at a church or funeral home in Milan, TN. These services could include a funeral , wake, visitation or viewing. While this may be your first time having to attend any such service, you may be unsure the difference in these events. Today we are going to talk about a visitation as well as a funeral service a little more in depth so that you feel comfortable attending either.  

What is a Visitation?

If you are attending a visitation, it will be held prior to the funeral service. Typically it is the day before the funeral and will be held in the afternoon or evening hours.  It is a more casual event in that there is no set order of service. Instead, the guests come and go and mingle with one another at their own pace.

The purpose of this service is to allow guests to come and offer their condolences to the grieving family as well as show support to the deceased as well as one another. There might be light refreshments served such as punch and cookies.  

When dressing to attend a visitation, you can choose clothes that are slightly more casual than that for the funeral. Still, you should look nice and avoid things such as ripped or frayed jeans, flip flops, and baseball caps.  

You might also hear this service being referred to as a “viewing”.  With a viewing, the format of the event is the same but the body of the deceased will be present in the room displayed in a casket. With a visitation, the body of the deceased may or may not be present.  

What is a Funeral Service?

The funeral service is a much more formal and longer affair than a visitation. This service will have a set time to start and a specific order of service. This service will begin with a procession where the casket will be carried in and placed in the front of the room. The officiant will begin the service with a welcome/introduction and then move into prayers, readings, etc. Family members and/or close friends will take turns with things such as reading the obituary and delivering eulogies.  

The purpose of the funeral is to honor the deceased and help those who attend make peace with the transition of their loved one from this word to the next. Funerals are typically religious in nature and may include times of audience participation. This could be in the singing of hymns or the reciting in prayers.  

When dressing for the funeral you want to dress more formally than the visitation. This means for men a suit or slacks, dress shirt and a tie is appropriate. For women, a pant or skirt suit, nice dress (make sure it’s an appropriate length), or pants and blouse. Also, while black is the typical color chosen for the attire, any darker color such as deep plum, dark blue, etc. is appropriate.

We hope this information helps you understand these services and helps you feel more comfortable when attending services from funeral homes in Milan, TN. And of course if you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime.