Viewing Information
How do I decide whether to have a viewing?
Viewing is a personal decision that may be right for one family but not for another. For centuries, people have decided to have a viewing of a loved one for many reasons, and some of these may resonate with you.
In some cultures, viewing was done for people attending a funeral to allow them to show respect for the person who had died. In some cases, viewing can provide comfort and closure, assuring people that a person has indeed passed away. It can also give people a sense of finality to see the person at peace, especially if the person suffered from an illness or injury.
However, viewing isn’t right for everyone. In cases of prolonged illness or death caused by an accident, a family may not want themselves or anyone else to remember their loved one that way. They may want to have people remember the person as he or she was in life.
Different types of viewing are available, from a brief period of time for identification or for family members to spend time with their loved one to say goodbye to viewing during any memorial services or celebrations of life.
Experts on grief agree that viewing can help survivors take the first step toward a healthy adjustment toward their loss. It can provide a positive final image of the deceased while confirming the reality of the death. Viewing with family and friends can even encourage social support, as people gather to tell stories or share remembrances of the deceased.
Relatives should be encouraged if they feel strongly about viewing, but reluctance to view the deceased should always be respected as well.
Whether or not embalming is necessary should be determined by the type of services and the type of viewing that is chosen. There are times when any viewing without embalming may be difficult or impossible. But decide carefully regarding viewing before making any decisions about embalming. This is your time to say goodbye in your own way; there won’t be a second chance.
If you are unsure about either decision, our caring funeral directors, who have decades of experience caring for the deceased, and their families and loved ones, will be glad to help you with your choice.
Why would I have a viewing?
- To give comfort and closure to family members and friends
- To allow people to say goodbye to a loved one
- To allow people to adjust to or accept a death
- Religious or personal reasons, which you don’t necessarily have to share with anyone
- To provide a positive or peaceful last image for those who knew the deceased
Why would I not have a viewing?
- The deceased was ill for some time or died from some trauma, and that would give people a negative final image
- Religious or personal reasons, which you don’t necessarily have to share with anyone
- Financial reasons, including the need/cost to be embalmed
Does my loved one have to be embalmed?
State law requires funeral homes to refrigerate the deceased immediately after he or she arrives at the funeral home or embalm the deceased immediately with the permission from the next of kin. Embalming is also generally required is the deceased is to be shipped out of state by airlines.
If your loved one is to be viewed, embalming is suggested. First, it makes it possible for your loved one to be available for viewing for several days. That can allow family and friends time to arrive for the funeral. Embalming can also give you more time to make decisions regarding memorial and funeral arrangements.
Another thing to be considered is whether the deceased was immediately refrigerated upon death. Natural processes proceed quickly without refrigeration. If there is an autopsy, we strongly recommend autopsy repair before a viewing. Some families are able to have a viewing in a hospital before an autopsy, but that isn’t always the case. Embalming and autopsy repair can make the difference between an acceptable and a less than acceptable goodbye.
A time of visitation can be done with or without the casket being open. It is often helpful for people to get together to remember a loved one in a quiet, informal atmosphere. Although people can get together at a celebration of life or a funeral service, a less formal visitation where people can talk with each other can assist people in adjusting to the death of a loved one.