Our Affordable Burial & Graveside Services in Northridge, CA

First of all, what is a burial or graveside service? That might seem like a trivial question, but we find that even now there are people that come to us and do not know how a burial service is structured, or what it’s true purpose is. If you are considering a burial service for either yourself or a loved one, it is important that you read the information provided. This page covers the different burial services that we offer and gives you a breakdown of the various options for each.

Burial services are simple ceremonies that fulfill the religious requirements valued by some people as well as the environmental preferences of others. We are happy to assist families in arranging burial services in Northridge, CA, and are available to talk about burial and graveside services at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss burial services.

Our burial service packages differ based on the type of ceremony you would like to have along with the actual burial. We are fairly flexible in terms of the type of funeral ceremony you can have with the burial. Below we highlight our most popular burial packages.

Understanding Burial Services

The earliest human burial dates back 100,000 years making it one of the longest-lived and most widespread of traditions.

We have the deepest respect for this traditional practice. If you are interested in learning more about the burial services we offer, please review the following information. Should you have questions about anything, please call us .

There are many things to consider when deciding whether to bury a recently-deceased loved one, or when selecting burial during funeral pre-planning . One of the first decisions you'll need to make involves choosing both the cemetery and the specific place of burial within its grounds. You'll then need to select a casket and possibly a burial vault, as many modern cemeteries require their use. At some point, and this does not have to take place right away, the decision becomes one of selecting the headstone or marker and writing the inscription. A member of our professional staff will be available should you wish to have assistance in making each of these decisions.

Our 3 Funeral Options

Listed below are the three burial packages we offer.

01 Direct Burial

This is the simplest type of burial service we offer. It does not involve any type of funeral service or ceremony. Essentially, the fees cover the transportation of the body, casketing of the body, the actual burial, and the completion of the appropriate paperwork.

02 Graveside Service

This burial package includes everything that comes with the direct burial package plus the arrangement of a ceremony at the cemetery which can be supervised by our funeral directors if you would like.

03 Traditional Funeral

This burial service package involves the most components. It includes a wake/visitation, a traditional funeral that usually takes place at a church, and a procession to the cemetery where the deceased is given a final goodbye. Also, sometimes families choose to hold a reception as a final stage of the funeral service. Click here for a more detailed breakdown of traditional funeral services.

The above information is just a quick overview of what we can provide in terms of burial services. Contact us so we can give you a full breakdown. We allow for customization and will likely be able to meet any of your specific needs and wishes.

View Our Service Pricing

7 Reasons to Choose a Burial Service

One of the most common questions we get asked is “why choose burial over cremation?”. If you are undecided we have provided a list of benefits of choosing burial to help simplify your decision. There is a wide variety of reasons why someone would choose burial, however the reasons listed below are what we have found to be the most common.

1. Permanent Gravesite to Visit

One of the main benefits of choosing burial is that it p rovides a permanent gravesite or mausoleum for families to visit. For many people, having an allotted space at a cemetery where they can physically go to visit their loved one helps with their grieving process. Visiting the grave at the cemetery is considered by some to be a sacred event and allows them to feel a connection to their loved one. For some families, this is a major advantage of burial over cremation.

2. Traditional

Burial services tend to be the more traditional choice, and if you or your loved one are more conventional, then this would likely be the choice for you. It is very common for people to consider burial the default method of saying goodbye, and honoring their loved one. For most people, when they think of a funeral they generally envision a casketed burial service following the ceremony.

3. Follows Religious Requirements

Another strong reason why people choose burial over cremation is due to the religious beliefs of their loved one. For example, the Christian concept of resurrection of the body is deeply held by many and makes burial a religious act. Jewish families and those practicing Islamic traditions also have strong religious and social commitments to burial.

4. Natural & Peaceful Setting

Many people find cemeteries peaceful, beautiful, and are just a natural fit as a final resting place. What better place to celebrate the life of a loved one than under the open sky, beneath trees, or beside flowers? No matter the cemetery that your loved one's burial service is held at, the emotional and spiritual comforts of the natural surroundings will be keenly felt.

5. Body is More Respected

Some people get uncomfortable when thinking about cremation. There is a common misconception that the body is put to fire that makes them feel uneasy. Many do not feel the body gets the respect it deserves through cremation. On the other hand, with burial the body is placed in a beautiful casket, the loved one can be dressed in their nicest attire, and family members can add in special mementos into the casket.

6. Allows for a Proper Goodbye

For many, a full funeral with a burial service provides the most effective way to mourn the loss of a loved one, get closure, and deal with their grief. Witnessing the coffin being lowered into the ground often gives people the closure they need during that time and is seen by many as a proper goodbye.

7. Being Alongside Your Loved Ones

Another benefit of burial is that it offers the ability to lay to rest alongside your spouse, family members, or other significant loved ones. For example, if a husband passes away and is buried, his wife will likely be buried beside him so they can be alongside each other for eternity.

Quite often families choose to prepay for a set of plots so they can all be laid to rest beside each other. When purchasing a burial plot in advance, you can usually purchase a single plot, companion plots, which are typically meant for a married couple, or family plots, which is when a small area of the cemetery is dedicated to one family. This sense of being alongside your loved ones is a strong benefit of choosing burial for some.

Types of Burial Services

After choosing a burial and a service package, it’s time to think about the different methods of burial. We break down your burial options below.

Traditional In-ground Burial
In-ground burial is the most traditional burial option. Often, the body is first embalmed because the family wants to hold a visitation where the casket is open. However, embalming is not required.

In-ground burial consists of 5 components:

1) Casket - Holds the body of the deceased.

2) Gravesite - The plot or space where your loved one will be buried.

3) Headstone and Grave Marker - These two burial monuments generally contains:
- The deceased’s name
- Date of birth and death
- Words of identification such as mother, son, brother, friend, etc.
- A quote of importance to the deceased
- Religious or philosophical sayings
- Burial headstones are upright granite monuments usually found at cemeteries, where grave markers are flat bronze plaques placed on a granite stone base usually found at memorial parks.
4) Burial Vault - Used to support the soil above and around the casket. Often they are made out of concrete and lined with plastic.

5) Gravesite Preparation & Maintenance - A plot needs to be dug into the ground and later back-filled. Some landscaping work may also be needed to restore the gravesite’s original appearance.

Four Types of Burial Plots:

With traditional in-ground burial, cemeteries generally allow you to buy these types of burial plots:
1. Single Burial Plot - This type of plot accommodates the burial of one individual.
2. Companion Plots - This is the purchase of two burial plots right beside each other. Generally, married couples choose to purchase their burial plots in this manner.
3. Double Depth Plots - This is a type of companion plot. In this scenario individuals are buried one atop of another in a single space. This is another option married couples often choose. Double depth plots are often cheaper than side-by-side plots because generally only one burial vault is needed.
4. Family Plots - At some cemeteries, a family can purchase a small area of the cemetery that will be dedicated to the burial of all family members. The area could simply be a row of single plots.
Green Burial

Green burial which is also referred to as “natural burial” does not use embalming fluid, a casket, or a vault. Alternatively, the remains are placed directly into the ground, allowing them to decompose naturally and leave less impact on the environment. In some cases, the remains are buried in simple burial shroud or a biodegradable casket to protect the body from the earth until natural decomposition occurs. Another distinguishable element of a green burial is the absence of equipment or machinery to dig the burial site, instead the gravesite is dug by hand. The only real hurdle to natural burial is finding cemeteries that allow for the practice.
Mausoleum Burial

Mausoleum burial is a method associated with more privacy and a sense of prestige. Mausoleum burials see the internment of the deceased within a free-standing building. A mausoleum is a building that memorializes deceased individuals and provides a secure enclosure. When choosing to place your loved one in a mausoleum their casket or vault will never come in contact with the earth, as they are within an above-ground structure. This also ensures that the burial site will always remain clean and dry, allowing you to visit your loved one in any weather conditions.

A mausoleum can be of two kinds - A community mausoleum or a private mausoleum.

The main difference between the two is that a community mausoleum includes multiple deceased individuals that are not necessarily related, whereas a private mausoleum is built by request for a single family. Private mausoleums are typically for larger families that wish to remain together and are much more costly.
Lawn Crypt Burial

Essentially, a lawn crypt is an underground mausoleum that has no entry. A crypt is a chamber made of concrete and reinforced steel. The biggest benefit of lawn crypts is that they do a great job of protecting the casket while also still allowing for a traditional looking in-ground burial. Grass is planted above the crypt and often times a drainage system exists below.
Burial at Sea

A burial at sea involves the disposal of a deceased corpse into a body of water, typically off of some form of ship. The ceremony may involve burial in a casket or sailcloth. Today, burial at sea is mostly done for Navy personnel, however anyone can technically apply for burial at sea. Going through the application process and receiving the proper permits can be rather difficult. Sea Services is one company that performs burial at sea. Different religions and countries each have their own unique methods of burial at sea and may follow a slightly different process.
Home Burial

Some cities allow for a burial to take place on your own private land. Your municipal government or funeral director will let you know if your community permits home burial.