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Visitation Options And Details

funeral home in Des Moines, IA

When planning services with a funeral home in Des Moines, IA for a loved one who passed on, there are always going to be options. There are also options around visitations and whether you are the person planning, or just someone who wants to attend, there are things you can consider about that part of the service. Here are some of the options you can choose between:

Items To Wear

You might feel like there is a certain dress code that is appropriate for a funeral, and that’s really the case. With a visitation, you have a lot more wiggle room and options. You don’t have to wear dark colors, for example. You don’t even have to dress in a formal manner. You might stop by the visitation on a break from work and just wear your work attire. You want to be respectful and should probably change if you have on a dirty t-shirt or ripped jeans, but there’s a lot of options of what you can wear to a visitation. You can always talk to a family member or the funeral home professionals to get deeper ideas.

The Arrival Time

For a funeral or even a memorial service, you want to be there a little before the start time so you are respectful to the family and don’t disrupt anything. For a visitation, it’s completely different. There are hours set and they are more of an open house. You can come any time between those hours and leave whenever you please. You don’t have to get there right at the beginning or stay all the way until the end. You come and go as you’d like, visit with the family, and move on with your day.

How Long It Lasts

Funeral services are usually around an hour in length and then, the family and friend group processes to the burial site for a short service there. Then, there’s sometimes a reception after that. Visitations are different. They are anywhere from 2-4 hours in length, normally, but you don’t have to stay that whole time. Only the immediate family will likely be present for the whole thing. You can come halfway through and stay for half an hour and that works just fine. In fact, you don’t want to overstay and burden the family.

Viewing The Person

funeral home in Des Moines, IA

When you get to the visitation, you will likely see the person at the front of the space. That doesn’t mean you have to go up any closer to them if you don’t want to. The decision as to whether or not you want to approach the casket is completely yours. Go over if you want to see them or need closure. If you don’t know them and came to support the family, or feel uncomfortable with the idea of getting closure for any reason, you can stay back and that’s just fine as well. Your presence there is what’s important.

Funeral homes in Des Moines, IA can answer more questions. Call Iles Funeral Home at any time.

Pre-Planning Direct Cremation Has Benefits

cremation services in Des Moines, IA

It can be hard to plan a final service for a family member who has passed on. You might not know what they wanted and you have to guess. You are emotional, at the same time. If you have ever been in that position, you might understand all that much better that planning your own cremation services in Des Moines, IA can be a real benefit to a lot of people. If you want to think about heading in that direction and planning your own direct cremation, here are some of the benefits you need to think about.

No More Planning Burden

Think about the time you lost that loved one and had to plan their final services. There was a lot of pressure on you. You were grieving and you had to make plans that met their needs and made the rest of your family happy, too. It’s a lot for anyone to handle. When you plan your own direct cremation ahead of time, you don’t have to worry about placing that burden on anyone else. You take the burden in advance and make the plans you want. Then, there’s no more burden for anyone when the time comes to use the plans.

Pre-Payment Becomes Possible

Some people will put funds into place for their own final services so family doesn’t have to worry about costs and that’s a very nice thing to do. But they don’t really have an exact idea as to what things are going to cost. When you plan out your direct cremation ahead of time, you know exactly what the costs are and you can take care of those costs in advance as well, if you want to. While it’s not required that you pay ahead, it takes that burden from your families as well and it also gives you today’s prices, which can be much lower than what they might be in the future.

Get What You Want

cremation services in Des Moines, IA

As you look through the options, you might know what you want for yourself at the time of your death. Direct cremation is simple, straightforward, and easy and it might sound like the ideal route to you. If you know that’s what you want, you can tell your family as much and they will likely want to follow your wishes. But planning things out means you will for sure get what you want. Your family will just call the cremation provider and the plans you put into place will take action. By planning ahead, you have peace of mind that whatever it is that you want will be what happens.

Direct cremation services in Des Moines, IA, are permanent once they take place, but if you plan now and then decide a few years down the road that you want something else, that’s okay. The plans can be changes up until the moment you pass on. The professionals at Iles Funeral Home are here to help you make the plans you want to have in place for your future whenever you are ready.

Getting Through A Death With The Funeral Home

funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA

When a loved one passes on, the grief can be immediate or it can sneak up on you. Either way, you are going to need help from the professionals in funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA to meet your loved one’s needs and to help you plan things out for their final services. These professionals are going to help you get through your loved one’s death and start the process of saying that final goodbye.

They Offer Support And Compassion

One of the first things you will notice about the funeral home is how supportive they are throughout the process. They know you need certain things, like compassion, as you work your way through the plans. That can be hard for some people to give, but it’s automatic for funeral directors. They are naturally compassionate people and they get a lot of practice at it, too. They are also going to support you through your decisions. They will give you the information you need to make choices and as you make them, they support you in them. You’ll feel good about the options you are putting together with their support.

They Cover Your Loved One’s Needs

It’s important to you, first and foremost, that your loved one’s needs are going to be met and that’s something you get right away with the right funeral home. Once you decide to use them, they are going to take care of transporting your loved one from the place of their death to their facilities. There, they can care for them with dignity as you decide what you want to do. You know your loved one’s needs are met and they are in good hands in the meantime while you plan.

They Have Grief Resources

Your primary concern right away might be caring for your loved one’s needs and getting your family what they need to get closure, say goodbye, and move forward. But at some point, you will need to focus on yourself and your own grief as well. The funeral home is going to be there for you through that also. They understand that every grieving process is unique and they have grief resources that might be suited to what you are going through. You can ask them for references for grief support groups, counselors, and other things to get through this hard time.

Get Tips For Self Care

funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA

The funeral home professionals are going to recommend that you care for yourself throughout this grieving and planning process. They want you to understand that while grief is never easy, it’s only going to be harder if you aren’t caring for yourself. They might recommend that you take breaks and rest, that you eat a good meal, and other things out of concern for your well being during this process.

There’s nothing easy about working with funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA on final services for a loved one, but the professionals at Iles Funeral Home promise to be there for you through it all.

Is Livestreaming Cremation Services For You?

cremation services in West Des Moines

While it might be hard to decide on cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for a loved one who has passed on, it can be even harder to decide what kind of memorial you want to have for that person. There are so many choices it might be overwhelming to choose what you want to do and get things planned out. In addition to the plans, you will want to consider the details on the outside, like whether or not you want to livestream the service. While that option can be very nice for some, it’s not for everyone. Here are a few ways to tell if it’s right for you:

You Have Family Far Away That Can’t Attend

You want your family to have the opportunity to honor your loved one in whatever way you see fit. While it would be nice if everyone was able to make it in person so you could all gather, that’s not always reality. You might have family that lives far away and just can’t make the trip at the right time. In order to include them in the services, you could consider livestreaming the services so they can be there, even from a far, to honor your loved one with you. This might be a benefit to them as well so they can get the closure they need and say that final goodbye in their own way.

You Want Small Services, But Don’t Like Leaving Others Out

There’s nothing wrong with having a memorial service that is on the small side. It can be very nice to be there with your small family group and have something intimate and lovely. However, you might feel bad about leaving certain people out of that mixture. Instead of feeling like you are excluding people who might want to be there, you may want to livestream the service to anyone outside the small group who might want to watch it. That way, everyone has a way to see what goes on and can attend virtually, if they choose.

You Have Vulnerable Family Members Who Need Safety

cremation services in West Des Moines

You might have a loved one who has cancer or an older individual in your family who just can’t handle getting sick. These people want to attend, but it’s just not safe right now. For them, livestreaming is a great option. You can have the service and ensure they are set up with the right options so they can watch things happen as they occur. They are safe, they get to ‘be there,’ and you aren’t worried about their health in the midst of the services.

If you are considering livestreaming your loved one’s cremation services in West Des Moines, IA, it might be a good fit for your family. The professionals at Iles Funeral Home can talk to you more about that option as well as other additions you might want to tack onto the cremation packages we have available. We are here to help you honor your loved one in whatever way you see fit on your timeline.