What are some alternatives to a traditional funeral service?
A traditional funeral is one option among many. Families increasingly choose services that fit the person, the family's schedule and the budget.
Key points
- The service and the disposition are separate choices: you can pair almost any kind of gathering with burial or cremation.
- Memorial services and celebrations of life can be held weeks or months later, anywhere.
- Some alternatives, such as natural organic reduction and alkaline hydrolysis, are legal only in certain states.
Alternatives for the service
Memorial service
A service without the body present, often after cremation. It can follow a familiar format — music, readings, a eulogy — in a funeral home, place of worship or other venue, on a date that lets family travel.
Celebration of life
Usually less formal and focused on the person's personality: stories, favorite music, photos, food, and sometimes an activity the person loved. It can be held at a home, park, restaurant, club or event space. See personalizing a funeral.
Graveside or committal service only
A short service at the cemetery, sometimes followed by a gathering elsewhere. Works well for small groups and modest budgets.
Scattering ceremony
Family gathers to scatter cremated remains at a meaningful place — at sea, on private land with permission, or in a cemetery scattering garden. See scattering ashes at sea.
Living funeral
Some people with a terminal illness choose to hold a gathering while they are still alive, so they can hear what people want to say.
Online or hybrid gatherings
Livestreaming a service, or holding a memorial online, lets distant relatives take part. Many funeral homes offer streaming.
Home funeral
In most states families can care for the person at home for a short time and hold a gathering there. Some states require a funeral director for certain steps; check local rules.
Alternatives for disposition
Direct cremation
Cremation without a funeral beforehand — the most common pairing with a later memorial. See direct vs. traditional cremation.
Green or natural burial
Burial without embalming, in a biodegradable casket or shroud, typically without a concrete vault. See the burial guide.
Alkaline hydrolysis
Sometimes called "water cremation," this process uses water, alkali and heat instead of flame, and returns remains to the family similar to cremation. It is legal in a growing number of states but not all, and not every area has a provider.
Natural organic reduction
Sometimes called "human composting," this converts the body to soil over several weeks. It is legal only in certain states and offered by a small number of providers.
Whole-body donation
Donation to a medical school or research program, which usually returns cremated remains later. Programs can decline a donation at the time of death, so a backup plan is needed.
Burial at sea
Both cremated remains and, under stricter conditions, bodies can be buried at sea under EPA rules.
Ways to remember someone afterward
- Memorial trees, benches or plaques in a park (often arranged through the local parks department)
- Keepsake urns and memorial jewelry holding a small portion of ashes — see memorial keepsakes
- Online memorial pages where friends can share stories and photos
- Charitable donations, scholarships or volunteer days in the person's name
- Annual gatherings on a birthday or anniversary
Choosing what fits
Start with what the person wanted, then consider family expectations, faith traditions, budget and timing. The memorial service planner can help you shape the gathering itself, and the cost calculator shows how choices affect cost.
Sources and references
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Burial at Sea
- Green Burial Council (nonprofit): Green Burial Council
- Federal Trade Commission: Shopping for Funeral Services
Rules, benefit amounts and prices change. Where a source is a government agency, check it directly for current figures. See our sources and fact-checking policy.
This guide is general educational information from Serene Farewells, an independent publisher. It is not legal, medical, financial or tax advice, and Serene Farewells is not a funeral provider. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. Spot an error? Tell us.