Itemized
$4,415
 
Package Price
$3,995

Same Day Traditional Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming
  • Other Preparation of the Body
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Same Day Visitation and Funeral Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle
 
Itemized
$4,115
 
Package Price
$3,695

Full Traditional Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming
  • Other Preparation of the Body
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Visitation
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Funeral Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle
 
Itemized
$4,315
 
Package Price
$3,695

Graveside Burial Service

  • Basic Services of Funeral Director & Staff
  • Embalming
  • Other Preparation of the Body
  • Transfer of remains to funeral home
  • Use of Facilities, Staff & Equipment for Same Day Visitation and Graveside Service
  • Casket Coach (Hearse)
  • Utility Vehicle

Traditional Funeral Services in Van Nuys, CA

A funeral service, whether traditional or more modern (memorial service or celebration-of-life), has two functions: to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and to bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time.


One of our main mission is giving your loved one a final tribute they deserve. Contrary to common belief, funeral services are not all the same. They can take on many different formats and styles. We can plan and execute funeral ceremonies that follow very traditional practices to those that take on less formal, more unique styles. We work with you to create the funeral service that best honors your loved one’s life, allows the best way for you to say goodbye, meets your family's specific wishes, and fits within your financial budget. 


We have years of experience in this industry, and we take pride in offering families quality and affordable funeral services in Van Nuys, CA. We hope to help as many families in need as we can as their Van Nuys funeral service provider, and we promise to help each and every family member heal as they embark on their journey with grief. On this page, we have provided a breakdown of the traditional funeral process included in the services we offer as well as a brief history and overview of what a funeral is.


If you have any questions about our Van Nuys funeral services, please feel free to contact us.


What is a Funeral?

No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.


Anthropologists label a funeral as a rite of passage , which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors—the immediate family most especially—has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral—no matter where, no matter when—lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.

4 Components of a Traditional Funeral Service

1. Visitation

This is often called a viewing or a wake. Guests come to pay their respects to the deceased by viewing their casketed body and spending time with the grieving family. A visitation can occur at any time before the funeral service.

2. Funeral Service

This event commonly takes place at the funeral home, a church, or at the graveside. It can include music, the reading of literary or religious passages, a eulogy, prayer, and the singing of hymns.

3. Committal Service

 If the family plans to bury the deceased, this stage involves the vehicle procession to the cemetery.

4. Funeral Reception

Many choose to host this post-service gathering (or repast) at a reception hall. This is considered a time to share memories, laughter, and support.

1. Wake or Visitation

The purpose of a wake or visitation is to give people the opportunity to pay their respects to the deceased and the family. You often do not have this chance during the funeral service. The body is placed in a casket, and is either open or closed based on family preference. Often people say a short prayer by the casket then proceed to say their condolences to each family member. A good suggestion is to just say something simple to each family member such as "I am sorry for your loss", especially if there are a lot guests waiting to pay their respects. 

2. Funeral Service

As opposed to the visitation, the purpose of the funeral service is to honor the life of the deceased, remember what he/she contributed to our lives, and to say a final goodbye to their presence. The funeral service can take place at the funeral home chapel, a church, or at the graveside/cemetery. Often prayers are said, hymns are sung, liturgy or religious passages are read, and the eulogy is given. 

3. Committal Service

After the funeral service has concluded, there is a vehicle procession to either the cemetery or the crematory depending on the type of disposition that has been chosen. If burial has been chosen, the family and guests will congregate at the open plot or mausoleum. The Rite of Committal, the final set of prayers are given for the deceased, is said at this component of a traditional funeral service. 

4. Funeral Reception

Many families choose to have a social gathering after the committal service with food and refreshments. It is a chance for the family to thank guests for attending, and it is a chance for everyone to share memories and provide support to each other.

The funeral service component is the biggest and most important component that we mentioned above. A traditional funeral service has long been associated with religion. For the most part when people think about a traditional funeral service, people imagine or have a Christian style funeral in mind. To further illustrate the funeral service component, we will examine it through the lens of a Christian style funeral. However, please remember that you can still have a traditional funeral that is not Christian.

Breakdown of a Christian Funeral

The funeral service component is the biggest and most important component that we mentioned above. A traditional funeral service has long been associated with religion. For the most part when people think about a traditional funeral service, people imagine or have a Christian style funeral in mind. To further illustrate the funeral service component, we will examine it through the lens of a Christian style funeral. However, please remember that you can still have a traditional funeral that is not Christian.

Learn More About Our Los Angeles Funeral Services

For families and individuals living in this region (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals.
Source:
Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979
Rostad, Curtis, "The Basics of Funeral Service", Indiana Funeral Directors Association, 2014