Cremation services are held for deceased people who have chosen to be cremated. They are held as an alternative to a funeral, but they share many similarities. One way that cremation services sometimes differ is that they may be held weeks or even months after someone has passed away. Given this delicate issue, many people get confused on the etiquette for inviting people to cremation services. Here's the quick etiquette guide to avoiding hurting anyone's feelings and helping prevent stress during an already difficult time.

Announce the Service if You Want Many Guests

If the service is held close to the date of death, it's perfectly acceptable to announce the cremation service within the obituary that's placed in a newspaper. Whether you want many guests at the cremation service will likely depend greatly on the lifestyle of the deceased and what their final wishes may have been. Unless it would be upsetting to the family, it's best to invite all those who cared about the person who has passed away. There's no need to reserve a cremation service to close friends and family members unless the service is held in a remote location or their presence may have upset the deceased.

Customize the Invite for the Person

Whether the cremation service takes place within days of the death or much later on, you can invite people in a variety of ways to suit your relationship with the person. If the person was close with the deceased individual, yet you only speak to that person via Facebook, a private message is an okay way to communicate an invitation.

A call is the traditional way to invite your nearest and dearest to the services. For relatives and other loved ones who live far away, you may send an invitation through the mail and follow it up with an email. Alternately, an e-invite is perfectly acceptable on its own. As long as you provide details, speak of the deceased person in a respectful way, and show a respect for the invitee, most forms of invitations are perfectly fine for cremation services.

Don't Make a Facebook Event for a Cremation Service

Facebook events are increasingly a very popular way for people to make plans and get an idea of how many guests are going to a celebration. However, cremation services are quite different because of the serious nature of this ceremony. It will appear tacky at best if you create the social media event for the service, and it may cause people who see it to get very upset at inopportune moments. Being reminded of the death of a loved one while checking social media at work can create disruptions and hurt feelings, so it's best to just keep online planning away from social media feeds.

Finally, keep in mind that the best etiquette to serve your family and honor the lost loved one is keeping the deceased's wishes in mind. If in doubt, play it safe and err on the side of caution. Contact a company like Union Funeral Home-Lytwyn & Lytwyn for more information.