When planning a funeral, you will be working side by side with a funeral director to create a personalized funeral service in which to honor your loved one.

For many, the terminology associated with funerals and used by a funeral director can be confusing. Below is a glossary of the terms used in funeral planning.

Glossary of Funeral Terminology

Administrator: Any court appointed person or body put in charge of the estate.

Alternate Container: An unfinished wood box or other non-metal receptacle without ornamentation, generally lower in cost than caskets.

Arrangement Room: A room in the funeral home set aside for funeral staff and the family of the deceased to make funeral arrangements.

Autopsy: A pathologists medical examination of the organs of the deceased to determine the cause of death.

Attorney in Fact: Person granted power of attorney.

Beneficiary: Recipient of the proceeds of a will or insurance policy.

Bereaved: The immediate family of the deceased.

Casket/Coffin: A box or chest for burying remains.

Celebration of Life: An informal type of memorial service celebrating the deceased’s passing.

Catafalque: The stand on which the casket rests while in state and during the funeral service

Cortege: Funeral Procession.

Cremains: The remains which is left after cremation consisting of bone fragments.

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