There are many factors that will determine the cost of a funeral. Just as with other life rituals such as weddings, the cost will depend on how elaborate or how simple a ceremony the family or the individual chooses.

The cost of a wedding held in the mid-Atlantic region now averages $27,289 according to a recent report in the Washington Post.

The average national funeral home cost for a funeral is $6,642.

Funerals and the personalized rituals which a family or individual choose to memorialize a life are arranged and conducted by specially trained, licensed funeral directors. The funeral director will provide a description of the options available and what they cost during the first family meeting or when an individual is preplanning a funeral. It is entirely up to the family or individual to make the selections that will best meet their expectations.

In addition to the basic elements of removing the deceased from the place of death and caring for the body, the funeral director arranges all details of the funeral service:

• helping families tailor the services to meet their emotional and economic needs
• contacting clergy and arranging an appropriate time and place for the services
• writing and distributing obituaries
• contacting the cemetery/crematory, sexton, florists, fraternal organizations, memorial gift organizations
• working cooperatively with organ donation teams
• preparing all legal documents (death certificates, burial transit/cremation permits, medical examiner certificates, reports of death, social security and all Veterans Administration benefits, and in some instances filing insurance paperwork)
• providing an emotionally and spiritually comforting environment for visitation and life celebration services
• transporting of family and friends in a funeral procession to the place of final disposition

The funeral director provides quiet support to the family during a time of great emotional stress, and attends to all aspects of the funeral service in a professional and caring way. In fact for one of the most important events in life, a funeral is a remarkable bargain, particularly when you consider the services that the funeral director provides.