When a loved one passes on, the burial is the last sign of respect that relatives can give. Thus, family members would often want the burial to be as memorable as possible. And with that, many alternatives to the traditional funeral has come fourth.

One of the biggest changes that has been going on in recent years is the way the funeral ceremony itself is conducted. Traditionally, the funeral ceremony is often conducted in a solemn manner, with all the relatives dressed in black. Also, the gloomy funeral music is often considered an integral part of the entire ceremony.

However, with the changing belief of many with regards to the significance of death, also came the change in the view on how the funeral should be conducted,. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people to see a loved one's death, not as a sorrowful event, but instead as a celebration of his or her living days. With that in mind, relatives would want this to reflect in the funeral services.

Here, a personalized funeral service is often a common choice for a lot of people. In this one, the details of the service is chosen by the deceased before their death or by their relatives according to their wishes. Often, omission of one or more parts of the ceremony is a common requested granted, unlike before, where the ceremony is observed strictly as it is.

The choice of funeral music has also grown considerably. In the last few years. Aside from the traditional funeral march, which is still common today, the bereaved party can also choose the songs to be played on the march that better reflect the deceased. Though solemn music are still a common option, it is not uncommon to hear such sounds as rap and rock music for the dead.

Even the coffin can actually be customized to suit the wants of the deceased. Aside from the common white or black colored coffins, many funeral homes now offer other different colors for their customers. There are also coffins that can be embellished with personalized notes coming from the loved ones of the dead.

And of course, there's the final ceremony. Here, aside from the traditional burial and cremation services, there are several new methods available. One of the fastest growing today is burial at the sea, where one's remains is disposed of in the ocean. People can also choose to go with the so called “green funeral”, were one is buried in a biodegradable casket and a tree is planted to mark hos or her grave.