As important as a funeral service is to appropriately and respectfully celebrate a life lived, it’s an equally important experience for family and friends who’ve lost their loved one. Funerals bring meaning to loss and offer people the support they need to begin the healing process—by giving them an outlet for grief, connecting them with others feeling the same emotional outpouring and offering a chance to come together with good, happy memories.

A DVD is included in our packages at no extra charge, we believe it is that important! Other funeral homes can charge $150.00 or more for this service. 

You’ve no doubt watched the shape of a standard funeral or memorial service evolve over the years. And today, funerals don’t need to be strictly somber events. In fact, funeral services unite people in love and comfort, and cheerful laughter is a key part of that!
A funeral service is one wonderful place to use this to our advantage, by sharing video memories of the life lived with the loved ones craving comfort. At Family-Funeral & Cremation we provide our family's with a state of the are memorial tribute on CD. This is just one of the extras we provide our families while providing cost effective funeral solutions. http://www.family-funeral.com/burial.html

Here are 5 reasons your funeral home’s services should include video:

1. Videos bring unheard stories to the surfaceFunerals tend to bring together people who normally wouldn’t spend a lot of time together, but who are all bound by a shared love of a person. Viewing a meaningful moment in time, whether or not you were there for it, can bridge a gap between relative strangers and encourage greater sharing, which encourages greater healing. Starting a conversation can be difficult at any time, but especially so with new people at a funeral service—but watching a video or slide show together is a built-in icebreaker that gives people a common ground to begin sharing and comforting. Sharing memories, trading stories, laughing together and uniting in grief all help begin and usher in the next phase of healing for the family and friends.
2. Videos bring you back to the moments that matter mostPhotos and videos trigger memories and emotions in a much stronger way than words alone can. The old adage goes “a picture is worth a thousand words” for a good reason: film captures nuance that a conversation can’t, shows expressions and movements that can’t be described. How often does it turn out that an unexpected trigger or cue jogs your memory of something you haven’t thought about in months or years? And then all of a sudden, you can remember every sound, smell and taste of that one day so long ago. We can even add a loved one’s favorite song alongside important photos, making the sharing of memories even more personal and special, since our brains naturally make strong connections between music and memories.
3. Videos bring together many stories of one single momentWe share our loved ones with others throughout the course of their lives, but we can’t always know or understand the connections, relationships and shared memories they have with others. When three people view one video of the same moment, they may in fact be seeing three different stories playing out. A birthday party, for example: the birthday boy or girl’s mom, best childhood friend, and grandfather may all remember the day differently—as a big event that took weeks to plan and pull together, a two-hour play date with cake and ice cream at the end, or the day a loved one began to grow up. Videos share the facts of an event or moment, which let the people involved share their personal connection and perspective of that moment. And as we know, sharing memories and remembering together is a crucial part of healing after loss.
4. Videos remind people of the good times on a hard dayMemories trigger emotions. Good memories trigger smiles, laughter, happiness—all of which are infectious and so necessary when dealing with loss. Laughing together helps family and friends form bonds and connections that can be really beneficial when making it through the grieving and healing processes. Used as an icebreaker, video tributes encourage people to discover what they have in common with other guests, and help people continue laughing and healing together long after the day of the funeral.
5. Videos help unite people around one simple actAt most funerals, there tends to be at least one person who is not intimately connected to their lost loved one’s family or core group of friends. Not everyone is comfortable extending condolences to relative strangers, or seeking support and comfort from people they don’t know. Having a station where people are invited to gather around a tribute video for laughter and sharing helps to break that barrier for all, giving a natural element of comfort and togetherness during a difficult time. And for the family who cannot greet everyone at once or share stories with every mourner as they walk through the door, our facility give guests a place to feel welcomed as the services begin, unfold or draw to a close.
With your help we create beautiful, moving, inspiring video tributes for funeral services. Family members and friends get to be a part of the creation process by sharing their photos and favorite songs which funeral professionals can then turn into Hollywood-style memorial reels. And, as an added bonus, you and guests can share the videos after the service so friends and family can remember and feel connected to their loved one long after the funeral.

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Why have a viewing?Everyone is different, therefore, everyone grieves differently.  Some people need the visual, one more time.  Also, many times a viewing gives back a peaceful vision of your loved one at rest depending on how the death occurred.  Also, it brings together family and friends which helps support each other through this difficult life changing time.​

At Family-Funeral & Cremation we can customize the service to fit the needs of the family. We offer traditional burial services, with viewing and ceremony at our chapel, your religious facilities or if you prefer we can conduct a graveside ceremony at any cemetery.  On the other hand, if you prefer cremation we have services where visiting and viewing can occur prior to cremation, or perhaps you may prefer to hold a memorial service at our chapel after cremation. For pre-need or at-need information please call 850-466.5440 or email us at info@family-funeral.com

February 4, 2016
Provided by: Family-Funeral & Cremation - Pensacola, FL 850-466-5440The Veteran’s Administration (VA) provides benefits to Veterans who are “discharged or separated from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable, and have completed the required period of service”.

Through the Veterans Administration (VA), Veterans may be eligible for benefits such as: free headstones or markers, and presidential memorial certificates.
United States Veterans may also be entitled to space in any National Cemetery, should they choose to be buried or have their ashes interred there. The VA operates 125 national cemeteries. Burial options are limited to those available at a specific cemetery but may include in-ground casket, or interment of cremated remains in a columbarium, in ground or in a scatter garden. It’s important to note that he government runs these programs and benefits may change at any time.
The VA can also provide an American flag to drape the casket of a veteran and to a person entitled to retired military pay. After the funeral service, the flag may be given to the next of kin or a close associate. VA also will issue a flag on behalf of a service member who was missing in action and later presumed dead. Flags are issued at VA regional offices, national cemeteries, and at some post offices.
Veterans benefits are not paid automatically. It is your responsibility to contact the Veterans Administration.

​We can assist you with the process as well.
If you have any questions on veteran’s benefits or would like assistance planning a funeral for a veteran, please contact us at 850-466-5440. Please visit our veteran’s benefits page for more details: http://www.family-funeral.com/veterans.html

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