Two tips for first-time funeral guests

If you have been asked to attend a funeral and you have never been to this type of event before, you might find the advice here helpful.

Do not send a bouquet to the funeral home without first checking if this is ok to do this

It is very common for people to give bouquets of flowers to the family of a person who has died. In most cases, people send these flowers directly to the funeral home. However, if you're thinking about sending this type of gift, you should check if the deceased's partner or family members are okay with you doing so.

The reason for this is as follows; if a lot of people are going to be at the funeral and all of them decide to send flowers, the front of the room in the funeral home, where the casket, the flowers and photos of the deceased are usually placed, may end up swamped by a mountain of large floral arrangements. Aside from potentially distracting from the casket and the images of the person who died, the presence of an excessive amount of flowers could also leave this individual's family stuck with the rather mammoth task of having to squeeze all of these arrangements into their vehicles and then having to find space for them in their homes after the funeral.

As such, it is best to check if the family actually want more flowers before you send any to the funeral home. If they tell you that they have enough flowers, and you still want to give them some type of gift, you could make a donation to a relevant charity. For example, if the deceased died as a result of heart disease, you could make a donation to a health organisation that is searching for a cure for this disease.

Make sure you prearrange your transportation to the cemetery

It is important to decide in advance how you will get to the cemetery after you leave the funeral home. If you don't have your own car, this might mean booking a taxi or arranging to travel in one of the other guest's cars. If you don't sort this out in advance, and the cemetery is not within walking distance of the funeral home, you may have to ask someone else at the funeral for a lift at the last minute.

Asking someone for this favour, without giving them any notice, could be viewed as quite rude, especially if you do not know any of the other guests very well. Furthermore, if no one has space for you in their vehicle, you may not be able to go to the burial at the cemetery. This could be quite upsetting. Additionally, the deceased's partner or family who invited you might be offended if you don't attend this part of the funeral.

For more tips on attending funerals, reach out to a local funeral home.