Planning a Memorial Service

Closed Casket Funeral Services: Basic Understanding For Funeral Guests

by Wade Watkins

It is something that many people do not want to face but does happen to everyone, so there is a pretty good chance that you will attend many funerals or cremation services throughout your life when someone you know passes away. As you attend the funerals for different individuals, it is only human to find yourself with questions about certain differences in services. This is especially true when it comes to open or closed casket funeral services. You will notice not every funeral you go to will have an open casket, but why is that the case? Take a look at these three reasons some funeral planners opt for a closed casket funeral service.

Closed casket services can be simply an effort to save money.

If you choose not to have an open casket when planning a funeral, it does mean that certain aspects of preparing the deceased can be skipped. For example, there will be no need to do hair and makeup if the casket will be closed for the service and really no need for a special outfit. In some situations, closed casket funerals are simply a way for the person who planned the funeral to keep costs as low as possible.

Closed casket funerals can be due to religious views and beliefs or personal preferences.

Some religions do have specific outlooks on how funerals should be performed, especially when it comes to the viewing of the deceased by onlooking friends and family members. Therefore, if you go to a funeral and the casket is closed, it could easily be because the person or their family members have religious affiliations or beliefs that are related to that particular part of the service. Likewise, some funeral planners just have their own personal preferences and wish to not be viewed once they have passed away, so they will opt for a closed casket service.

Closed casket funeral services can be relative to the physical condition of the deceased.

It is not at all uncommon for there to be a closed casket when there really is no option to make the deceased look recognizable or presentable for the service. This can sometimes be the case if the person has been deceased for some time before the funeral or has had severe injury or trauma to the head or face. In these situations, most funeral goers will know the reasoning why there could not be an open casket at the service.

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