Etiquette to Keep in Mind at a Funeral Home

When someone you care about passes away, it can be difficult to know what or what not to say to those who were closest to them. When going to a funeral home near College Park, MD, we often want to offer encouragement and sympathy, but finding the right words is not always easy. It’s always good to offer your condolences to the family and even share a memory of their loved one. Letting the family know how their loved one positively impacted your life can be incredibly comforting during their time of need. On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to downplay or minimize their loss. It is also not appropriate to bring up the cause of death unless they have mentioned it first.

Deciding what to wear to a funeral doesn’t need to be a difficult task. It’s a good idea to wear subtle, neutral, or dark clothing that doesn’t draw too much attention. Men will often wear a suit, and women often will don a suit or a dress. The basic idea is to keep it simple and conservative, so that attention can be focused on remembering the deceased.

When you go to a visitation prior to the funeral, there is often a line leading up to the casket, flanked by family members of the departed. It can easily become emotional to greet those closest to the person who has passed but try to keep the line moving. If you want to further continue your conversation, you may step to the side or wait until later on when they aren’t occupied as such. It’s also important when attending a funeral to arrive on time. Being late can cause a distraction, and may take attention away from the funeral or memorial service. Close family and friends generally sit in the first couple rows of seats, with acquaintances and more distant family being seated in the middle or towards the back.

If you are close to the family, it may be appreciated to offer help with childcare, cooking, or any other needs that they may have during this difficult time. If you aren’t particularly close to them, the best time to visit and reach them will be at the visitation or funeral. You may also offer to make a meal afterward, as keeping everyone fed during a time of grieving is not always an easy task. If you’d like to send flowers as a gesture of sympathy, they may be sent either to the funeral home or to the home of the family directly.

These are some of the most important things to remember when attending a visitation or funeral. Helping the family through this difficult time can be done either with gestures of service or by giving them space and time to grieve. Use your best judgment to determine what you should do, and when you attend a funeral home near College Park, MD, keep these suggestions in mind. If you want to know more, or you need help planning a funeral, contact us at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. We can help you and your family get through your time of need.