The passing of a family member or loved one is often an emotionally difficult experience. Grief and overwhelm can sometimes overcome a family, making the support of a caring funeral home and cremations provider in Charleston, SC an important part of the planning process. With their help, families and individuals find themselves better able to manage the burden of their sorrow. They can successfully prepare and lay their loved one to the final rest.
But not all service providers are a good match for every family who grieves. Each family has their unique preferences, traditions, and culture around the care of their fallen. If you’re looking for a funeral home, how do you know which company will best meet your specific needs?
Points to Consider
Before you hire a funeral home and cremations firm in Charleston, SC, there are several things you’ll want to evaluate them. It’s best to do your homework as soon as possible so that you can choose the firm that best matches what you’re needing.
Experience: Service providers are well trained in mortuary school. When they enter practice, they are mentored and trained under expert funeral providers to ensure they master their craft and learn all of the finer points of care. As they go along, they will begin to learn the nuances of cultural beliefs, faith traditions, customs, etc. for the people that they serve. If they serve a particular subcommunity more often, they will become well versed in their death care practices. If your family or a deceased loved one has specific funeral care requirements, be sure to inquire whether the funeral care provider is competent in helping you to plan and conduct the funeral in the style you prefer.
Facilities: For those families that are considering the use of the funeral home as the place where funeral services will be held, it’s important to tour the building and be sure it will suit the needs of those who will attend. Make sure there are adequate seating and gathering space for a viewing, luncheon, or any other function that you may wish to hold on-site. Check into what support services are available such as video tributes, live streaming of the service, catering, and grief support, etc. The location is also important and should be reasonably nearby to the local community of family and friends that will be there.
Prices: The funeral industry is legally obligated to publish their service pricing for the public. Potential customers can request to see their general price list. This benefit helps to prevent discriminatory price gouging in a time of need. It also allows customers to shop for the best prices in the area for the services they wish to purchase. You can take advantage of this requirement to find out which funeral home is competitively priced for the value they offer the community.
Services: Most funeral providers are capable of providing a range of commonly requested services, such as funeral services, cremation care, celebrations of life, advance funeral planning, and more. If you’re looking for a unique service, such as pet cremations, or special Harley-Davidson or horse-drawn carriage services, you may need to ask the funeral home about their offerings. McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation James Island can offer our clients these specialty services.
Personalization: Funerals that are left to a basic meeting template without customized preparation or focus on the deceased are very impersonal. This canned approach to a funeral service can leave family and friends feeling hurt or disillusioned by the lack of connection with the person they are mourning. It’s important to find a funeral provider that takes this seriously and will work with families to customize the funeral experience.
Merchandise: Nearly all funeral homes will have memorial products available for purchase. Everything from caskets of differing quality and material to customized urn creation is available. You can even find other needful accessories, such as headstones, grave markers, vaults, flower arrangements, and other related products. Be sure you can find suitable funeral goods for your needs. You are not obligated to purchase merchandise from the funeral home, but it is convenient because you can avoid potential problems with shipping or delivery in shortened time frames that funerals often require.
Connection: The funeral director will be your main working point of contact with your chosen funeral home. Do you feel that they are a good match for you? Do you see yourself being able to work with them to create the best possible funeral or memorial service? Do they listen well? Are they interested to help you?
Quality Funeral Home and Cremations Support in Charleston, SC
McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation James Island is an established funeral home and cremations provider in Charleston, SC. As you’re evaluating your options, call on us for a caring conversation about how we can serve you. Find us at 347 Folly Rd, Charleston, SC 29412. Call for immediate support at (843) 614-8494.