A funeral service may be combined with any form of disposition. A funeral service simply refers to an observance of someone’s passing where the remains are present, usually in a casket (though another possibility is to have the ashes present in an urn).

The funeral service provides an opportunity for friends and family to gather in mutual support and sorrow to observe the passing of one who has been important in their lives. This observance may be held in a church, funeral home or other venue, such as a natural setting. Depending on religious or cultural customs, the service may sometimes continue at the cemetery.