Funeral vs. Memorial Service: What’s the Difference?

These days, it’s increasingly common to run across the term “memorial service” in an obituary or death notice, or when speaking to someone following the death of a close loved one, but many people do not realize there is a difference between this form of service and a traditional funeral. This article explains the similarities and differences between a funeral and a memorial service.

Funeral vs. Memorial Service

In general, a funeral service includes/incorporates the body of the deceased individual. Most often, the person who died rests in a casket during a “traditional funeral,” which usually offers a wake/visitation. During this time, mourners can view the embalmed (or refrigerated) body and pay their final respects before the start of the formal funeral service itself.

On the other hand, a memorial service typically does not include/incorporate the body of the deceased person. Families selecting cremation, direct cremation, whole-body donation to a medical or research facility, alkaline hydrolysis or some other non-traditional form of body disposition often choose to hold a memorial service days, weeks or months after the actual physical disposition occurs. This flexibility in scheduling a meaningful ceremony is one of the many reasons why U.S. consumers increasingly select cremation services for a loved one — particularly when the deceased’s family members and friends live far apart and need time to make their travel arrangements.

Despite the significant difference (the presence of the deceased) between the two funeral forms, both a funeral and a memorial serve the same function, i.e., to help survivors confront and accept the reality that a death has occurred; honor and remember someone significant in their lives; and help those grieving begin adjusting to life after the loss, among other reasons.