Glossary · Services and ceremonies

Graveside service

A short ceremony held at the cemetery plot, before or during burial. Often the only service when families want something simple but in-person.

A graveside service typically lasts 15–30 minutes and is led by clergy, a celebrant, or a family member. It can be the entire ceremony, or it can follow a longer service held earlier at a funeral home or place of worship.

Graveside-only is one of the lowest-cost ways to have an in-person ceremony. It skips the rental of the funeral home's viewing or chapel space, and limits the use of a hearse to the cemetery trip itself.

Related
  • Traditional funeralA funeral with embalming, viewing, a formal service at a funeral home or place of worship, and burial in a cemetery. The most expensive of the common options.
  • Memorial serviceA service to honor the person held without the body present — typically after cremation, direct burial, or body donation.

This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.

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