The Viewing
The Viewing
The viewing is usually the first of three general
services discussed in chapter four. The viewing is the
opportunity for family and friends to physically see the
deceased one more time before their loved one is placed
in his or her final resting place. The body is displayed for
those who want to come and pay their last respects. The
viewing may be of an open or closed casket.
Open Caskets and Embalming
If you decide to have an open casket then you will
want your loved one to be embalmed because you and
your family and friends will be viewing the actual deceased
body. When somebody is embalmed, the blood is
removed from the body and replaced with a special fluid
that slows down the process of decomposition.
30 The Debt-Free Funeral
There isn’t a law that says you have to embalm,
but it will sure be more pleasant for everybody if the
body is embalmed. Without getting into the details, you
should know that if you choose NOT to do an embalming,
the natural process of decomposition could be visible.
The embalming may cost $300–$500.
Closed Casket Viewing
The alternative to an open casket is the closed
casket. If you decide to do a closed casket, you can eliminate
the embalming process all together. Many people
will simply put photos and memorabilia of the loved one
on top of or around the casket of the deceased. This may
have a more comfortable feel than an open casket for
those attending the viewing and will also save you money.
$$$ $avings Tip #14
Select a closed casket funeral
and eliminate embalming fees.
Instead of having an open casket viewing, elect a
closed casket viewing. By doing so you won’t have to
pay for the embalming or flashy clothing that also comes
with it. Place photos of your loved one around the room
to help people remember the life of the deceased.
If an open casket funeral is selected, the deceased
will need to be dressed and have makeup applied. You
will need to choose what you want him or her to wear
and how you want them to look. Do you want them to
have curled hair, glasses, makeup, a baseball hat, or
gelled hair? All these questions need to be answered.
The Viewing 31
The planning guide following this chapter will help you
make each one of these decisions.
$$$ $avings Tip #15
Bring in your own makeup artist.
There will be a small degree of makeup work that
the mortician will have to do on all corpses. If you or one
of your family members feels comfortable, try to do the
makeup and hair of the deceased yourselves instead of the
mortician. Doing so will save on body preparation fees.
$$$ $avings Tip #16
Don’t buy new cloths just to bury
them in the ground.
Don’t purchase new clothing for the diseased to
be buried in. Instead, bury your loved one in his or her
favorite outfit, even if it is a pair of torn jeans and a
flannel shirt. It will mean so much more to those who
knew the desceased, and it will save money.
Viewing Location
The next decision to be made is the location of the
viewing. This can be performed anywhere. Most people
will use the funeral home, their church, or home.
Many churches and other organizations will offer
their building for the viewing of their passed members.
Many of them do it at little or no cost. It will benefit you to
check with the organizations you associate with to see what
they have to offer. For example, the church I attend allows
its members to use their building for all funeral services.
This cuts out the cost of renting the funeral home rooms.
32 The Debt-Free Funeral
If your church or organization doesn’t allow the
use of their facilities for funeral services, feel free to have
the viewing in the privacy of your own home. Surrounding
your loved one with the things of this world that he or
she loved can give a beautiful and personal touch.
I’d like to offer a point of caution. Sometimes the
mortuary will charge you the same amount to hold the
viewing at a private residence or church as they do to
hold it at the mortuary. Make sure you specifically ask the
mortuary if they charge the same fee for viewings held at
the mortuary as they do for those held at a private residence
or church.
$$$ $avings Tip #17
Hold viewing services at a home or
at a church.
If you hold the viewing at your church or home,
you can sometimes avoid having to pay for use of the
funeral home for the viewing service.
Viewing Alternative
Don’t feel like you have to have a viewing. In fact,
for some it’s the most uncomfortable part of the whole
funeral. Your loved one never looks as you remember,
and somebody inevitably seems to make an awkward
comment about the current appearance of the deceased.
To avoid possibly awkward feelings, expensive
body preparation fees, embalming fees, and hall rental
fees, you may choose to eliminate the viewing. You may
read more about this in chapter seven.
The Viewing 33
$$$ $avings Tip #18
Eliminate the viewing.
Save money by eliminating the viewing. You
won’t have to pay for the mortician’s viewing services,
embalming, or building rental. Instead of having the
viewing, you could get together and have a quick memorial
service with photos.
The viewing is usually the first of three general
services discussed in chapter four. The viewing is the
opportunity for family and friends to physically see the
deceased one more time before their loved one is placed
in his or her final resting place. The body is displayed for
those who want to come and pay their last respects. The
viewing may be of an open or closed casket.
Open Caskets and Embalming
If you decide to have an open casket then you will
want your loved one to be embalmed because you and
your family and friends will be viewing the actual deceased
body. When somebody is embalmed, the blood is
removed from the body and replaced with a special fluid
that slows down the process of decomposition.
30 The Debt-Free Funeral
There isn’t a law that says you have to embalm,
but it will sure be more pleasant for everybody if the
body is embalmed. Without getting into the details, you
should know that if you choose NOT to do an embalming,
the natural process of decomposition could be visible.
The embalming may cost $300–$500.
Closed Casket Viewing
The alternative to an open casket is the closed
casket. If you decide to do a closed casket, you can eliminate
the embalming process all together. Many people
will simply put photos and memorabilia of the loved one
on top of or around the casket of the deceased. This may
have a more comfortable feel than an open casket for
those attending the viewing and will also save you money.
$$$ $avings Tip #14
Select a closed casket funeral
and eliminate embalming fees.
Instead of having an open casket viewing, elect a
closed casket viewing. By doing so you won’t have to
pay for the embalming or flashy clothing that also comes
with it. Place photos of your loved one around the room
to help people remember the life of the deceased.
If an open casket funeral is selected, the deceased
will need to be dressed and have makeup applied. You
will need to choose what you want him or her to wear
and how you want them to look. Do you want them to
have curled hair, glasses, makeup, a baseball hat, or
gelled hair? All these questions need to be answered.
The Viewing 31
The planning guide following this chapter will help you
make each one of these decisions.
$$$ $avings Tip #15
Bring in your own makeup artist.
There will be a small degree of makeup work that
the mortician will have to do on all corpses. If you or one
of your family members feels comfortable, try to do the
makeup and hair of the deceased yourselves instead of the
mortician. Doing so will save on body preparation fees.
$$$ $avings Tip #16
Don’t buy new cloths just to bury
them in the ground.
Don’t purchase new clothing for the diseased to
be buried in. Instead, bury your loved one in his or her
favorite outfit, even if it is a pair of torn jeans and a
flannel shirt. It will mean so much more to those who
knew the desceased, and it will save money.
Viewing Location
The next decision to be made is the location of the
viewing. This can be performed anywhere. Most people
will use the funeral home, their church, or home.
Many churches and other organizations will offer
their building for the viewing of their passed members.
Many of them do it at little or no cost. It will benefit you to
check with the organizations you associate with to see what
they have to offer. For example, the church I attend allows
its members to use their building for all funeral services.
This cuts out the cost of renting the funeral home rooms.
32 The Debt-Free Funeral
If your church or organization doesn’t allow the
use of their facilities for funeral services, feel free to have
the viewing in the privacy of your own home. Surrounding
your loved one with the things of this world that he or
she loved can give a beautiful and personal touch.
I’d like to offer a point of caution. Sometimes the
mortuary will charge you the same amount to hold the
viewing at a private residence or church as they do to
hold it at the mortuary. Make sure you specifically ask the
mortuary if they charge the same fee for viewings held at
the mortuary as they do for those held at a private residence
or church.
$$$ $avings Tip #17
Hold viewing services at a home or
at a church.
If you hold the viewing at your church or home,
you can sometimes avoid having to pay for use of the
funeral home for the viewing service.
Viewing Alternative
Don’t feel like you have to have a viewing. In fact,
for some it’s the most uncomfortable part of the whole
funeral. Your loved one never looks as you remember,
and somebody inevitably seems to make an awkward
comment about the current appearance of the deceased.
To avoid possibly awkward feelings, expensive
body preparation fees, embalming fees, and hall rental
fees, you may choose to eliminate the viewing. You may
read more about this in chapter seven.
The Viewing 33
$$$ $avings Tip #18
Eliminate the viewing.
Save money by eliminating the viewing. You
won’t have to pay for the mortician’s viewing services,
embalming, or building rental. Instead of having the
viewing, you could get together and have a quick memorial
service with photos.