How to Plan a Funeral Procession

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Although experiencing the loss of a loved one can be devastating, planning a tasteful funeral procession can be an appropriate way to commemorate their life. Here’s how to approach the process.

Components of a Funeral Procession

The funeral procession is the process of transporting the deceased from the memorial site to the burial site. Components of the procession vary by time period and culture, but the transportation time is generally used to give more honor and respect to the departed. Although processions were once performed by male family members who would transport the coffin on a movable frame called a bier, processions are now traditionally performed with use of a funeral limo rental.

Benefits of Processions

The first step in planning a funeral procession is deciding whether it’s appropriate for the funeral services at hand. However, processions offer many benefits. Opting for a procession can help ensure that everyone follows a planned timeline of events throughout the day, and since the entire family will follow the stretch limo or other vehicle, it reduces the chances that family members will fall behind as the day proceeds. It also means that family members will know where to go and the fastest route to the gravesite.

Selecting the Procession Vehicle

Because the procession focuses on transportation, selecting the procession vehicle is an important step. Historically, these vehicles would be horse-drawn carriages or biers carried by hand, but now they are most commonly motor vehicles. The deceased are transported in a hearse with a procession of vehicles following behind, beginning with the spouse and family members.  Booking a stretch limo offers the benefit of allowing immediate family members to ride together to the burial site.

Procession Etiquette

While planning a funeral procession, it’s important for all involved parties to be familiar with proper procession etiquette. This means that the funeral limo rental should be marked with a flag or another designation from the funeral home. Generally, the hearse transporting the deceased is the first in line and is followed by immediate family, which may be riding in a stretch limo. All vehicles in the procession should have their headlights turned on, and while the leading vehicle should follow traffic rules, Illinois law gives subsequent vehicles right-of-way at intersections.

The core of a tasteful funeral procession is a trustworthy rental service. For more information or to learn about our vehicles and rates, call Echo Limousine for your funeral limousine service.