Can I Have a Visitation If I Choose Cremation?

The simple answer is yes. Cremation, like burial, is a form of disposition that can occur after all other services. Just like the decedent can be buried after services, they can be cremated after any visitation and/or funeral services.

A visitation, also called a viewing or a gathering, is a time for families to come together with friends and other relatives to pay their respects. Typically, during a visitation, the body is dressed and placed in a casket that stays open.

A visitation typically occurs before a funeral service. Holding the visitation and funeral on the same day is often beneficial to those who have traveled from out of the area and must get back home promptly. Families can choose the amount of time they gather as well. The visitation may be a couple of hours over several days or one or two hours before or following the funeral service.

Most funeral homes will require that the body be embalmed before the visitation. This can be due to the amount of time the deceased will be in the funeral home’s care before the cremation or to ensure the best presentation possible.

Although most visitations occur at the funeral home, the family’s place of worship or their own home can often be a suitable location for this gathering. There may be added logistics to consider if the visitation occurs at a location other than the funeral home. It is always best to check with a funeral director about these details and any current regulations regarding COVID-19 that may still be in place.

Funeral Matters Arrangement Builder

Funeral Matters funeral homes allow consumers to plan a funeral before even stepping foot inside the funeral home. With the Funeral Matters build-and-price tool, a free online arrangement builder, families can build and price funeral services before the intended funeral recipient’s death or when a person has already died.

Building a cremation with a visitation with the build-and-price tool lets consumers review the options available from the comfort of their own home, at their own pace, anonymously.

Consumers may also choose to save their selections, print them out, send them to family or friends to review or send them to a Funeral Matters funeral home in their area.