While not technically a part of the actual funeral process, this meeting between you and the funeral director serves as the foundation for creating a meaningful funeral. During this conference, the funeral director will gather important information about the person who died and help you make funeral choices.

Sometimes called the "wake," "calling hours" or "viewing," the visitation is a time for family and friends to support one another in their grief. Often the body is present in an open or unopened casket, allowing those who loved the person who died to acknowledge the reality of the death and to have the privilege of saying goodbye. Receiving friends through a visitation activates the family's support system and allows people to express their concern and love for each other.

Also called the "remembrance" or the "homily," the eulogy acknowledges the unique life of the person who died and affirms the significance of that life for all who shared in it. The eulogy can be delivered by a clergy person, a family member or a friend of the person who died. Instead of a traditional eulogy delivered by one person, the family may choose to ask several people to speak and share memories.

Also called the cortege, this is the funeral procession from the service to the gravesite. It is usually led by the hearse containing the casket. The procession is a symbol of mutual support and a public honoring of the death. Mourners accompany one another to the final resting place of the person who died.

Whether the body will be buried in a casket or the cremated body will be buried in an urn or scattered, the gravesite or scattering ceremony is the final opportunity to say goodbye. Accompanying a body to its final resting place and saying a few last words brings a necessary feeling of finality to the funeral process. Families are often deeply touched by this ceremony and its memory resonates for years to come.

Most funerals are followed by a gathering of friends and family. This informal time allows family and friends to tell stories about the person who died, to cry, to laugh, to support one another. It is an informal time of release after the more formal elements of the funeral ceremony. The gathering is also a transition, a rite of passage back to living again. It demonstrates the continuity of life, even in the face of death.