Understanding Funeral Home Procedures

When a beloved family member passes away, one of your tasks will be to select an outfit to have the funeral home staff dress the person in for the visitation and funeral. While many people automatically select formal attire, there's no harm in thinking a little outside the box, either. This is especially ideal if the person who has passed away wasn't one who loved getting dressed up. Thinking about who the person truly was, as well as his or her passions in life, can help you select the right outfit for the person to wear in the casket. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind.

The Sports Fan

If the person who has passed away was an avid supporter of a certain professional or college sports team, consider dressing him or her in those colors. There are numerous options to consider, such as having the person wear a jersey or draping a flag of the team's logo over part of the person's body. If you want to dress the person more traditionally but still pay homage to the team, a man could wear a team-themed tie, while a woman could wear team-themed earrings. These additions are subtle but still help to show the person's love of the team.

The Fisherman

Putting together a fishing outfit for a family member who loved fishing is simple and will create some knowing smiles from the people who attend the visitation and funeral. For pants, consider multi-pocket cargo pants, which are favored by many fishing enthusiasts. Or, think about hip waders if the person loved fly-fishing. Any sort of shirt is appropriate, as it will be covered with a fishing vest. The vest is the article of clothing that can really set the outfit off. Make sure that it has some lures hanging from it and that its pockets are filled with various fishing accessories.

The Traveler

For someone whose chief passion in life was traveling, it's the accessories you include with the person's body in the casket that will really stand out. After all, people can wear any number of outfits while traveling. Try to pick an outfit that was comfortable and that the person loved, and then think of accessories that he or she used. You might wish to put a camera in the chest pocket of a shirt, or slip a pair of ticket stubs from a recent trip between the person's hands.

For help with making funeral arrangements, contact a funeral home such as Maddox Funeral Home, Inc.