Trinity Memorial Gardens

“I don’t know if I should go.” It’s something that many people say to themselves when it comes to attending a funeral. It’s a sensitive subject that must be treated delicately, and the rules of etiquette around funeral attendance can be confusing. Not only must your personal relationship to the deceased and their family be considered, but given the current state of the world and the ongoing pandemic, the state of your current health and the potential risk you pose to others must also be considered. Your friends at Trinity Memorial Gardens have come up with a quick reference guide for you to use if you are asking yourself “Should I go?” before an upcoming funeral.    When You Should Attend the Funeral  According to Funeral Wise , a general rule of thumb is that you should attend a funeral if the deceased is a close friend or family member, the bereaved is a close friend or family member, or you want to show support for the person’s loved ones. You should also attend the fu...

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult parts of life, and planning a funeral for a loved one can be extremely stressful. On top of dealing with grief, funeral planning can be anxiety inducing for both first-time and longtime funeral planners. Whether you’re planning a funeral for a close friend or a family member, it’s likely that at some point you will have to plan a funeral for someone you know, and it’s important that you know what goes into that.  Generally speaking, there are 3 major parts to planning a funeral: preparing the body, planning the ceremony, and making interment plans. But what does that entail exactly, and what kind of planning goes into that? Here are some of the most important steps you need to take when making funeral arrangements:  Pre-Arrangements. Before you start making any decisions yourself, you should see if the deceased made any pre-arrangements for their funeral. This could include what they want to happen to their body, their final res...

  Whether you are making burial arrangements for yourself or a loved one, choosing a cemetery and plot can be a difficult decision. If you’re planning for yourself, you may have already considered that you’d like to be buried in your home town, in a plot with other family members, etc. But what if you’re making burial plans for a loved one who passed away without making their wishes known? How do you choose the right cemetery and plot? Here are some important things to consider: Cemetery Location If the person who died will be buried in a cemetery , the first thing to figure out is where. Many people purchase cemetery plots while they’re alive, in which case the cemetery has already been chosen. If the person who died did not purchase or choose a cemetery plot, consider where he or she would have liked to have been buried. While many people want to be buried in the place they lived, others prefer to be buried in the place they grew up, or in the place they were born. Also, cons...

When it comes to our afterlife, there is no easy answer. While you may have indicated your wishes before your death, the ultimate decision comes down to your family. The decision is also affected by your budget, religious and personal beliefs, and other intangible factors.  The decision to cremate is on the rise. According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) , the rate has grown from 48.6 in 2015, expecting to rise to 54.3 by 2021. A recent study by Harris Poll, commissioned by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council (FAMIC,) reported that 65% of Americans were definitely or likely to choose to be cremated. The rise in popularity is often thought of because cremation cost is considered less expensive. While this is most likely the case, other “ala carte” options often increase the price, where it’s higher than a traditional burial cost. Both cremation and burial have pros and cons. We’ve narrowed down the pros and cons for you to make an informed decision:...

Funerals are a tricky business for everyone involved, especially if you’ve never been to a funeral or experienced a loss before. Many people deal with loss differently and expressing your feelings about death may be something you’ve never had to deal with before. Similarly, you may not know the right things to say or do when attending a funeral.  Though the guidelines for etiquette at a funeral are different in every culture and country, there are some general rules you should follow when attending a funeral in the U.S. Before you do anything you may regret, here are some of the biggest etiquette rules to follow when attending a funeral:  Do: Dress modestly. When attending a funeral, try to dress as conservatively as possible. A funeral isn’t the place to make a fashion statement, and you shouldn’t be trying to attract any attention to yourself. The dress code for funerals is typically business casual, so dress nicely and respectably, without going over the top. No sweats or f...

Losing a loved one is always hard, and the unexpected grief and loss can be extremely difficult to cope with. On top of that, the mounting costs of a funeral can also be surprising, and unfortunately, sometimes with hardship. The average cost of a funeral in the U.S. adds up to a whopping $9,000, with American funeral costs coming to a total of $1.6 billion in 2017 alone. So how do you plan for unexpected funeral costs? Even if you’re not planning on losing a loved one, there are ways to make the costs of a funeral less of a burden. Here are some tips and tricks to consider when planning a funeral to help you keep funeral expenses down:  Insurance. Look into insurance options to help you pay for the final cost of the funeral. If the deceased has purchased life insurance with a death benefit, you’ll have a significant amount of money to help you pay for funeral costs. You can also invest in burial insurance, which is designed to help you pay for funeral expenses, however, different...

  A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, honoring, and remembering the life of a person who has passed away. While specific customs, traditions, and practices differ across different cultures and religions, all funerals serve the key purpose of giving the bereaved a special time and place to say goodbye and find comfort and healing in one another. It’s natural to have a lot of questions about funerals. Here are answers to some of the more common questions relating to funerals, funeral services, and funeral homes: What Does a Funeral Director Do? A funeral director is trained to anticipate your needs and help you decide on the details of your service. Directors can be caregivers, planners, organizers, and advisors all at once. They are trained to answer questions about grief, recognize when a person’s having difficulty coping, and recommend sources of professional help. Funeral directors can also link survivors with support groups at the funeral home or in the community.  C...

  If you have ever experienced the loss of a family member or loved one, then you are probably well aware of the emotional toll grief can do to you. But believe it or not, grief can also have several physical effects on your body that you may not recognize. Experiencing physical symptoms is common, and can have an enormous impact on your health if not recognized. Fortunately, just as quickly as physical problems caused by grief can come, they can also be treated and cured.  What are the Physical Symptoms of Grief? Though grief can impact your body in many ways, some of the most common physical symptoms of grief are:  Heart Problems. The heartbreak of grief can cause a literal heart problem known as “takotsubo cardiomyopathy,” or broken heart syndrome. This condition causes a disruption of blood pumped to a section of the heart, resulting in symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath, and mimicking the action of a heart attack. This can also increase your chances ...