When your family is scattered throughout the country, arranging a funeral for a loved one can be difficult. Virtual funerals offer one way to bring the whole family together without requiring everyone to travel to the funeral. If you are considering this option, here are a few things you should know.

Live Streaming And Recording

Hosting a virtual funeral means that the funeral services are streamed online for friends and relatives around the world to see. People can choose to watch the funeral service live on their computers, but they don't have to. If you have family members who live overseas, watching live might not be possible. Your funeral home should be able to offer a secure link that people can use to watch a recording of the services. This provides flexible viewing options for everyone grieving the loss of your loved one.

Providing Access

Before the funeral service, reach out to those loved ones living out of state or overseas. Be sure to get an email address for each person if you don't have it already, and supply the list to your funeral home director. He or she will then send out the link to the virtual funeral to those people interested in attending online. You can also make an announcement in the online guestbook so people can contact the funeral home directly to request access.

Purchasing A Copy Of The Service

An added benefit of hosting a virtual funeral is that you can opt to purchase a copy of the services. Having a copy gives you the option to watch again later, and it also provides children and grandchildren the opportunity to view the services of the dearly departed when they are older. Ask your funeral home director about options to purchase a DVD of the service, and consider purchasing copies to pass out to your loved one's children or spouse as a condolence gift. 

Hosting a virtual funeral doesn't mean you have to change the way you approach the funeral. Your funeral home director will have cameras in place for the services to provide people with a clear view of the room, and he or she may place a microphone in the podium to pick up the audio for eulogies. You can proceed with the funeral as you normally would, and still give family around the world a way to pay their respects without having to travel.