Published · Morgan Oaks Eternal Preserve
If you’ve never attended a green burial, it’s natural to wonder what the day will look like. Will it feel like a traditional funeral? What happens at the graveside? Can there be a…
If you’ve never attended a green burial, it’s natural to wonder what the day will look like. Will it feel like a traditional funeral? What happens at the graveside? Can there be a viewing, music, or a eulogy?
The short answer is that a green burial service can be as personal, as spiritual, and as meaningful as any other farewell. The main differences are in the setting and the materials. This guide walks through what families can generally expect, from the moment you arrive to the time you leave.
What Makes a Green Burial Service Different?
A green burial returns a loved one to the earth without embalming chemicals, concrete vaults, or non-biodegradable materials. Your loved one rests in a natural setting in a simple shroud or biodegradable casket.
That doesn’t mean the service has to be stripped down. As we like to say at Morgan Oaks Eternal Preserve, green burial never limits the ways you can honor a life. It only opens up possibilities.
Before the Service: Preparing the Day
Most of the practical details are settled in the days before the service. Your cemetery team and your funeral provider usually coordinate these together.
Confirming the burial container. Families choose between a cloth shroud and an untreated, biodegradable casket. Our guide to shroud vs. casket can help you decide.
Caring for the body without embalming. Embalming isn’t legally required in California, and green cemeteries don’t permit it. Instead, the body is typically kept cold until the service. Families who want a viewing can still have one. It simply takes a little coordination with your funeral home, so raise it early.
Choosing the setting. Services can be held at a place of worship, a funeral home, a private home, or on site. Gathering at the preserve means the ceremony and the burial happen in the same place, surrounded by oaks, wildflowers, and open sky.
The Day of the Service: A Typical Flow
Every family’s service is different, but many follow a rhythm like this.
1. Arrival and Gathering
Guests arrive and are greeted by the team. Because a natural burial ground isn’t a traditional cemetery with manicured rows, it helps to tell guests to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Trails and uneven ground are part of the experience.
2. A Moment to Settle
Many families begin with a few quiet minutes. Some start with a welcome from a family member, a celebrant, or a faith leader. Others let the stillness and the setting set the tone.
3. Words, Music, and Readings
This is where a green burial service becomes yours. Common choices include:
- A eulogy or shared memories from friends and family
- Poetry, scripture, or readings that held meaning for your loved one
- Live or recorded music, from hymns to a favorite folk song
- A moment of silence or a group blessing
If you’d like to build a longer gathering, our post on planning a celebration of life offers more ideas.
4. The Committal
The committal is the moment of laying your loved one to rest. In a green burial, the grave is simple, and nothing stands between the burial container and the soil. Families often find this part quietly powerful because it is so direct.
Many families also choose to take part in some way. Options may include placing flowers, a handful of soil, or a personal keepsake that is biodegradable. Ask the Morgan Oaks team what’s possible, as practices vary by cemetery.
5. Closing and Reflection
After the committal, guests often linger. Some walk the trails. Some sit on a bench beneath an oak. Others gather for a shared meal or a fire pit remembrance, which is one reason families look into a fire pit celebration of life.
Questions Families Often Ask
Can we have an open-casket viewing? Yes, a viewing is still possible without embalming. Because the body isn’t chemically preserved, timing matters, and your funeral provider can advise you on what works best.
Can we bring flowers? Often yes, though most green burial grounds ask that flowers be fresh and free of plastic, wire, or foil. Confirm with the team beforehand.
Is the service religious or secular? Either. Green burial is compatible with virtually any faith tradition or none at all. You decide the tone.
Will there be a headstone? Natural burial grounds typically use flush markers or other low-impact memorials so the landscape stays natural. Ask about the options available at your chosen preserve.
How long does a service last? There’s no set rule. Some families keep it to thirty minutes, and others spend an afternoon. Let the day unfold at your pace.
Tips for Guests Attending Their First Green Burial
- Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes
- Dress for the weather, since many gatherings are outdoors
- Bring water and sun protection in warmer months
- Give yourself a little extra travel time
- Let the setting do some of the work, because there’s no need to rush
You Don’t Have to Plan It Alone
Planning a service while grieving is hard. Having a team that has done this many times can make the day feel calmer and more manageable. At Morgan Oaks Eternal Preserve in Lincoln, California, our staff will walk you through every option so the day feels like your family’s.
If you’d like to see the setting in person, we invite you to request a tour or call us at (833) 667-4266. You can also use our pre-planning guide to start the conversation with your family now.
Morgan Oaks Eternal Preserve, 421 Fleming Rd, Lincoln, CA 95648. Serving families across California.
