The hearse will take the coffin to the funeral service. This can be via the family home with a limousine if requested. This will take the family to the funeral, or the family follow in their private cars. Alternatively, the family can meet the hearse at the location of the funeral service.
Service in Church
Once at the church, mourners will be seated. Some families wish to follow their loved one in. Alternatively, the coffin may be brought into the church prior to people taking their seats.
The officiant will lead the procession of the coffin into church. The funeral director sometimes with the assistance of the family will place the coffin onto the trestles. Music of the family’s choice will be played as the coffin is brought in. The music will be faded out and the service begins.
The service will normally take 30 minutes. During the service, hymns can be sung, music played, religious readings and poems recited, and stories or memories of the person relayed.
Near the end of the service. The funeral director and his or her staff will return to the front of the church to carry the coffin out. The coffin will be returned to the hearse to begin the journey to the crematorium, churchyard, or cemetery. Music of the family’s choice will be played as the coffin leaves. The immediate family will follow the coffin out of the church with other mourners following. The committal service is usually for the immediate family.
Service at a Crematorium
once at the crematorium, the funeral director will invite the mourners to take their seats in the chapel. Some families wish to follow their loved one in. Alternatively, the coffin can be carried into the chapel prior to the people taking their seats.
The officiant will lead the procession of the coffin. The funeral director sometimes with the assistance of the family will place the coffin on the catafalque (raised platform). Music of the family’s choice will be played, as people enter, and the coffin is brought in. The music will be faded out and the service begins.
If all the funeral service is taking place at the crematorium there are a couple of options. The service can be either a religious, or non-religious or a mixture of both. The service will normally take 30 minutes. During the service, hymns can be sung, music played, religious readings and poems recited, and stories or memories of the person relayed. If a service has been held in church, the service at the crematorium will be shorter. (10-15 minutes)
Towards the end of the service the final farewells will be said (the committal). This is when the curtains are closed around the coffin, or the coffin is lowered (this will all depend on the crematorium). Some families prefer the coffin to remain in view until everyone has left.
At the end of the service, music normally chosen by the family will be played. The funeral director will lead the close family out to the floral courtyard, followed by the other mourners to see the floral tributes on display.
