Funeral Home and Service: What Should You Wear?

Posted on October 4, 2017 by MayFuneral under Blog Posts
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Funeral Home and Service: What Should You Wear?

 

A funeral home is a place you must dress respectfully.

Many details are important for a funeral home to conduct a funeral service. You want to make sure you have completed any obituaries, scheduled services, paid the fees to the funeral home, filled out all forms, and depending on how close you are to the individual, you may have written a eulogy. Each one of these details are important to make a funeral service whole. However, many people focus so much on the preparation of the event itself, they forget they’re probably the most important aspect of funeral home services and they must dress the part wisely.

Although this article will mainly focus on funeral attire, upon entering a funeral home there are many things you must consider about your individual presentation that go beyond a simple dress code. Be mindful of your gestures, attitudes, and interactions- attire might help you get by initially, but these other aspects are paramount in determining your relationship with other guests after leaving the funeral service.

So, the question is: what should you wear? Let’s start with women. Always be conservative. Nothing flashy, nothing that sticks out. Funeral home services are for cremations and burials for the deceased, that must be the primary focus for all other guests. Avoid mini-skirts or short dresses at all costs. Make sure your dress or blouse is not low-cut, and you keep accessories simple. Avoid anything that accentuates the curves, this means no tight dresses, pants or skirts. The key is to blend with the other guests. As for shoes, make certain they are close-toed and comfortable because you may find yourself walking in grass or uneven ground. It’s hard to determine whether you’ll be standing or sitting during a funeral service, so make sure you are prepared for either one. As for makeup, keep it to a minimum if you expect to cry at the funeral, or make sure that it is waterproof.

Now men, leave the Red Sox hat at home and make sure your attire is free of any writing and phrases. Again, be conservative. Avoid ties that are vibrantly printed. Appropriate attire would be a blazer and tailored pants that are not flashy. As for shoes, wear closed-toed shoes that are not wild colors. Leave flip flops at home and make sure to show up in dress shoes or loafers.

Note to men and women: Make certain that if you have tattoos, you cover them up. Sunglasses are appropriate for an outdoors funeral service, but only if they don’t have flashy embellishments. Wearing cologne or perfume is not appropriate and may cause others to sneeze or cough during the service.

Dressing for a funeral, as you can see, is not an easy task and there are many things to consider. The next time you attend a funeral, be mindful of what is appropriate. Also, understand that people’s relationship and memories with the deceased extend far beyond the funeral home and service, so dressing appropriate is only one of the many things you can do to show your respect for the deceased and their loved ones.


May & Son funeral home has helped families and loved ones through the grieving process for more than a century. We have locations in Columbia, Boonville, Sedalia and serve the Fayette Missouri area. To find out about how to plan aheadcontact us today.

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The funeral business that became H.T. May & Son was founded in Boonville in 1911 by Riley Martin; great-great uncle of Tom May. Following the death of Riley Martin, his nephew; Holwell J. May took over the reins of the business and continued to operate it until his death in 1974. After the death of Holwell, his son H.T. May began to run the business. When H.T. died in 2005, son Thomas E. May began to run the business and is now the fourth generation to operate May Funeral Homes. The newest location, in Columbia, opened in April 2009. Thomas, was married in November 19 of 2011 to Pastor Jennifer Baker. Jennifer is a pre-need specialist for the business and currently pursing her funeral directors license. Thomas also has two sisters; Kathryn May who is a licensed funeral director and Melodia Whitmore. Thomas has three children; Holwell J. May II, who graduated from KCKCC with his Mortuary Science Degree, and is now a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Brittany N. May, and Jeremiah Baker. May and staff are are dedicated to serving families from all ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs in a personalized manner, with knowledgeable, caring, and professional staff.

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