Call now for immediate attention: (813) 237-1134

Burial Options

Let us explain all of your options if you decide on a burial for your loved one.

Types of Burial Services

Traditional Burial

A traditional funeral reflects cultural and religious customs, providing a structured way to honor and remember the deceased.

Memorial Service

A memorial service is a gathering held to honor and remember someone who has passed away.

Immediate Burial

Immediate burial refers to the practice of interring a deceased person's body shortly after death, without a funeral service or viewing.

Graveside Burial

A graveside service is a ceremony held at the burial site where the deceased is interred.

Traditional Funeral

A traditional funeral typically involves several key elements that reflect cultural and religious customs, providing a structured way to honor and remember the deceased. While specific practices can vary widely depending on cultural, religious, and regional traditions, here are some common components of a traditional funeral: Wake or visitation, funeral service, memorialization and burial or cremation.

These elements provide a structured way to process grief, offer support to the family, and celebrate the life of the deceased. The exact details can vary greatly based on personal, cultural, and religious preferences.

Necessary forms to complete arrangements

 

Memorial Service

A memorial service is a gathering held to honor and remember someone who has passed away. Unlike a traditional funeral, which often takes place with the body present, a memorial service is typically held after the body has been buried or cremated.

 

Immediate Burial

Immediate burial refers to the practice of interring a deceased person’s body shortly after death, without a preceding formal funeral service or viewing. This approach is often chosen for practical, religious, or personal reasons.

Immediate burial can be a respectful and practical option, particularly when combined with other forms of honoring the deceased, such as memorial services or gatherings held at a later date.

 

Graveside Service

A graveside service is a ceremony held at the burial site where the deceased is interred. It’s typically a short, focused service that takes place at the cemetery or burial location. This type of service offers a way for family and friends to gather and pay their respects at the actual site of the burial.

Graveside services provide a meaningful and personal way to say farewell, offering a moment of closure and reflection at the final resting place of the deceased.

We Are Here For You

The Aaron A. Cooper Mortuary staff genuinely cares when a family experiences a death and have positioned ourselves to guide familes during this time, with the highest level of integrity and service. We are honored to serve our community in Tampa and surrounding cities.

I Need Help

Frequently asked questions

What options are available besides ground burial?

Besides ground burial, some cemeteries offer interment in lawn crypts or entombment in mausoleums. In addition, most cemeteries provide choices for those who have selected cremation. These often include placement of cremated remains in a niche of a columbarium or interment in an urn space.

Does a body have to be embalmed before it is buried?

No. Embalming is a choice which depends on factors like if there is to be an open casket viewing of the body or if there is to be an extended time between death and internment. Public health laws may require embalming if the body is going to be transported by air or rail.

When do I have to pay for the funeral service?

Payment for services are required before the day of the service.  If special consideration is needed, contact our funeral director and he will be able to determine case by case if other plans can be made..

How can we personalize our loved one’s funeral?

Personalizing a funeral allows you to celebrate and honor your loved one in a way that reflects their unique personality, values, and the impact they had on others. Here are some meaningful ways to personalize a funeral:

1. Customized Ceremony Elements:

  • Personal Music Choices: Select music that was special to your loved one, whether it’s their favorite songs, live performances, or specific genres. You can have a family member or friend play an instrument or sing a song during the service.
  • Tailored Readings or Poems: Choose poems, religious texts, or written tributes that resonate with your loved one’s beliefs, values, or interests. You could also write a custom eulogy or invite family and friends to share personal stories.
  • Unique Rituals or Cultural Traditions: Include any meaningful religious, cultural, or family traditions to reflect their heritage. You could light candles, perform a symbolic release of balloons or doves, or incorporate ceremonies from their cultural background.

2. Personalized Memorial Display:

  • Memory Tables or Collages: Set up a table with photographs, mementos, or items that reflect your loved one’s hobbies, achievements, or things that were meaningful to them. This could include items like sports memorabilia, artwork, or collections.
  • Slideshow or Video Tribute: Compile a photo and video montage showcasing special moments in your loved one’s life, from childhood to their last days, accompanied by their favorite songs.
  • Customized Casket, Urn, or Memorial: Choose a casket or urn that reflects their personality, or even customize one with personal images, symbols, or quotes.

3. Location Choices:

  • Non-Traditional Venues: Instead of holding the service in a funeral home, consider a location that was meaningful to your loved one. This could be a favorite park, garden, beach, or their home.
  • Outdoor Memorials: Plan an outdoor service, particularly if your loved one enjoyed nature. You could hold it in a place where they spent a lot of time or enjoyed visiting.

4. Symbolic Acts:

  • Planting a Tree or Flowering Bush: Planting something in memory of your loved one can be a symbolic way to honor them. Guests can participate by planting seeds or bulbs that will bloom in remembrance.
  • Memory Book or Tribute Cards: Offer attendees the opportunity to write down their memories or thoughts about your loved one in a book or on cards, which can be read during the service or kept as a keepsake.
  • Personalized Keepsakes: Offer small keepsakes to guests, such as custom candles, seed packets, or memory stones that reflect your loved one’s personality and life.

5. Incorporate Their Passions or Interests:

  • Hobby or Career-Based Themes: If they had a passion or hobby (e.g., gardening, music, sports), reflect that in the ceremony. You could display related objects or decorate the service with elements connected to that interest.
  • Charity Contributions: If your loved one was passionate about a cause, you could ask guests to make donations in their honor instead of sending flowers. Some families also organize a charity event or fundraiser in their name.

6. Personalized Memorial Activities:

  • Release Balloons, Lanterns, or Butterflies: Organize a symbolic release of something like balloons, lanterns, or butterflies to honor their memory. Guests can also write messages on the items being released.
  • Potluck Reception: Host a gathering where guests bring dishes that were special to your loved one or that reflect their heritage.
  • Memory Sharing or Open Mic: Allow attendees to share personal stories, anecdotes, or memories during or after the service in an open mic format.

These personalized elements can create a meaningful and intimate way to say goodbye and celebrate the unique life of your loved one.

How soon after or how long after a death must an individual be buried?

There is no law that states a specific time frame for burial. Considerations that will affect timeline include the need to secure all permits and authorizations, notification of family and friends, preparation of cemetery site, and religious considerations. Public heath laws may have limitations on the maximum length of time allowed to pass prior to final disposition. Contact your local funeral provider for more details.

What is opening and closing and why is it so expensive?

Opening and closing fees can include up to and beyond 50 separate services provided by the cemetery. Typically, the opening and closing fee include administration and permanent record keeping (determining ownership, obtaining permission and the completion of other documentation which may be required, entering the interment particulars in the interment register, maintaining all legal files); opening and closing the grave (locating the grave and laying out the boundaries, excavating, and filling the interment space); installation and removal of the lowering device; placement and removal of artificial grass dressing and coco-matting at the grave site, leveling, tamping, re-grading, and sodding the grave site and leveling and re-sodding the grave if the earth settles.