What is the difference between a memorial service and a funeral service? You may have heard of these two terms intermixed if you have ever attended any type of service.
They are not one and the same.
In fact, they are quite different.
A memorial service typically occurs anytime after the deceased death, that could mean a week, a month, and even years after.
These type of ceremonies are focused on remembering the deceased and generally have a more upbeat tone and less structured than the traditional funeral service.
The body is not present and which can mean that the deceased pass away quite some time ago or has been cremated.
It can be informal or more formalized if the family desires.
A funeral service service is much more structured in form and presentation.
The officiant can be a pastor of a church, friend or relative.
Some also refer to this as a celebration service because there is hope in knowing the deceased has gone to a higher place such as heaven.
Typically, funeral services that are structured or formal are practiced in certain denominations such as the Catholic Church.
It also is done within a week of the death.
The body is present in these type of services and may or may not have an open casket for viewing.
Funeral services have a specific order that is followed for the funeral ritual.
The officiant is typically a member of the clergy of the church that is holding the service.