Burial Services
Service We Provide
At Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, we believe a traditional funeral is more than a ceremony, it is a way of honoring a life with dignity, meaning, and respect. For many families, the familiarity of tradition brings comfort and peace during a difficult time. Others may choose to blend timeless customs with personal touches that reflect the unique life of their loved one. Whatever your wishes, we are here to guide you with compassion and care.
Overview of Funeral Services
While many Southern Maryland families still choose more traditional funeral and burial services, others prefer to create new and unique experiences.
Regardless of your needs, we promise to help arrange a truly meaningful celebration of your loved one’s life.
Gathering, Visitation and Viewing
A gathering of family and friends — often referred to as a viewing or visitation — provides an important opportunity to come together in remembrance. Traditionally, the casket is present, either open or closed.
The gathering may be held at the funeral home, a church or place of worship, or another appropriate venue.
Beyond tradition, these moments serve a deeper purpose. They initiate the healing process by providing a social, supportive space that gently forces the acknowledgment of death’s reality. In coming together, family and friends offer comfort, share memories, and surround one another with the strength of community. This collective presence validates the loss and helps begin the difficult transition from a relationship of physical presence to one of cherished memory. A visitation or viewing also offers a meaningful time for personal reflection and closure — an opportunity to say goodbye, express love, and honor a life that will continue to shape the hearts of those left behind.
Explore Your Options
Here are some common examples of funeral and burial services chosen most often by the Southern Maryland families that we serve. These services can be held over multiple days or can be accomplished on the same day if desired. We can tailor any of these options to meet your individual needs.
- Viewing or visitation hours, followed by the funeral service at church
- Viewing or visitation hours, followed by the funeral service in the
funeral home chapel - Viewing or visitation hours, followed by the graveside ceremony
- Church or chapel service, followed by graveside ceremony
- Graveside service, followed by memorial services
- Graveside service with no viewing or visitation
Service Venues
You can have funeral and burial services in Leonardtown and the surrounding areas at a variety of venues; most popular being at your church or place of worship, in one of our chapels or at the graveside (or mausoleum). Reception services are also becoming a popular choice for families.
Church Ceremony
The church has meant so much to your family and your community. Perhaps you were dedicated there as an infant, baptized there as a child or celebrated your marriage there surrounded by family and friends. It only makes sense to involve your church family in your final life event of a funeral.
We believe in supporting the church as much as you do. That’s why; we specialize in hosting your funeral at your local church where you’ll be surrounded by the ones you love in a place familiar and dear to your heart.
Church funerals are typically scheduled in the morning, and are followed by the graveside committal service.
Chapel Service
Chapel Services are popular with families whose loved one was not affiliated with a church at the time of their passing, families who are located outside of our area or those who may not be able to attend a church service.
When you choose to hold a service in our chapel, our dedicated rooms feature seating for over 100 guests, the latest in audio and video equipment and a welcoming décor.
Our beautiful, inviting chapel provides the perfect setting for services of any type.
Graveside Ceremony
A Graveside Service can be anything from a small, casual gathering of family and close friends, to a larger grouping with a formal schedule of events. Many times, the graveside ceremony will follow a time of visitation at the funeral home, a funeral service in church or place of worship, or one of our chapels. Some families choose to have burial services, followed by a memorial service in the future. You may also choose to only have a service at the graveside. Family and friends would simply gather at the cemetery for the committal service of the casket.
Clergy, friends or loved ones may take an active part in the graveside ceremony. Poems may be read or a special song can be sung.
Memorial Services and Life Celebrations
Some families are forgoing traditional services for more contemporary ones. A memorial service or life celebration service may be the perfect option to share memories of that special loved one. Typically, the casket is not present for these services and the service is held before or after the deceased is buried or entombed.
These services can be performed at a local restaurant, reception center, country club, hotel banquet facility, a family member’s home or even in a park. The possibilities are endless.
On and off-site reception services are becoming increasingly popular with the families we serve.
Memory Tables and Memory Collages
Remember your loved one with a memory table display. You can include significant items from your loved one’s life, including a bicycle, golf clubs, gardening tools, hunting and fishing gear, a musical instrument, a motorcycle helmet or jacket, knitting or sewing equipment…the possibilities are endless. Display special photos, certificates, achievement awards and other significant items in a customized memory collage.
Life Tribute Memorial Videos
There is no better way to remember your loved one than with a special personalized tribute. Our Life Tribute video program incorporates your family’s pictures with music into a presentation that can be played at the visitation, during the service or at the conclusion of the service. You can post the video online for family and friends around the world to see and share with generations to come.
Personalized Music
You are not limited to traditional funeral music during your loved one’s service. Customize the visitation or service with your loved one’s favorite tunes. We are happy to help your family compile special music selections to play during the services from a CD or iPod.
We can hire a wide variety of musicians, including pianists, harpists, violinists and others to play special music for your visitation or service.
Certified Celebrant
A Celebrant is a professional who is trained and certified to meet the needs of families during their time of loss. This expert can help your family create a personalized tribute service to celebrate your loved one’s unique life. You may choose to use a Celebrant alone or in conjunction with clergy. If you want an uplifting service that pays tribute to your loved one’s life or if you are not affiliated with a church, a Celebrant service may be the perfect option.
Bagpiper
The bagpipe provides a solemn, powerful song, making it the ideal instrument for funerals and memorials. For hundreds of years, people far and wide have bid farewell to their dearly departed with the music of the pipes. We can help you commemorate a loved one with this noble music tribute.
Pallbearers
Friends, relatives, church members, teammates, or business associates may serve as pallbearers, offering a meaningful and personal tribute through their participation. To further honor the life of the deceased, pallbearers may choose to wear boutonnieres, a team jersey, matching ties in a special color, or other personalized attire that reflects shared memories or connections. These thoughtful details not only add a distinctive and heartfelt touch to the service, but also make those serving in this important role easily identifiable.
Military Honors
We can help you honor your military member or veteran with a flag presentation ceremony and other military honors, as available. We work with all branches of the military and can make all the proper arrangements easily and efficiently.
Wildflower Keepsakes
We can distribute ornaments or pouches of wildflower seeds during or after the service. Because wildflowers are perpetual, they can provide an ongoing tribute to your loved one’s life. Guests can choose to plant their wildflower seeds in a garden, planter, meadow or any other special location.
Receptions
We can assist arranging an off-site reception at any venue of your choosing. Whether it be a restaurant, banquet center or golf club. This gives your family and friends an opportunity to gather, reminisce, and share a favorite meal after your loved one’s service.
Leave Behind an Honorable Legacy and a Sustainable Future
We strive to help families remember a life more ways than you can imagine. That’s why we offer earth-friendly funerals. Because it maintains the most natural form of burial, a green funeral (also known as earth-friendly or eco-friendly) is the ideal choice for those who are mindful of the environment.
Go Green with Our Firm
Our staff specializes in a range of environmentally conscious funeral options, designed to honor your loved one while minimizing impact on the earth. These services include:
- Burials with no preparation or embalming
- Private viewings without embalming or the use of toxic chemicals
- Eco-friendly shrouds and clothing
- Eco-friendly caskets
Burials without grave liners or burial vaults
A green burial can take place in nearly any cemetery that permits eco-friendly practices. We offer several options to help ensure that your final resting place is both environmentally responsible and dignified.
Cemeteries that accommodate green burials typically follow these practices:
- Designate exclusive green burial sections
- Prohibit the use of grave liners or burial vaults
- Dig graves by hand rather than using heavy machinery
- Plant trees or shrubs in lieu of traditional headstones
- These thoughtful choices allow families to celebrate life while supporting the health of our planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are my options for a traditional burial service?
We offer a variety of traditional and customized burial services in Southern Maryland. This may include a viewing or visitation, a formal service at your church or our chapel, and a graveside committal. These elements can be arranged individually or together, depending on your family’s preferences and traditions.
Can I personalize a burial service?
Absolutely. We believe every life deserves to be remembered in a meaningful way. From custom casket choices and music to memory tables, photo collages, and tribute videos, we’ll help you create a ceremony that truly reflects your loved one’s life and legacy.
Where can we hold the service?
Burial services in Southern Maryland can be held in a variety of venues, including your place of worship, our chapel, or directly from a cemetery. We will work with you to find the space that’s most comfortable and meaningful.
Do you offer green or eco-friendly burials?
Yes. We offer environmentally conscious options such as biodegradable caskets, natural preparation methods, and burial without vaults or grave liners. These services honor both your loved one and the planet.
Do we have to be affiliated with a church?
Not at all. Our certified celebrants are available to lead meaningful, non-religious services, and our chapel provides a welcoming space for all types of memorials and funerals.
We’re also willing to assist in arranging a service at a hall, park, lodge, golf course or other venue that may have special meaning to your family.
How do we begin planning a burial?
You can start by calling us at (301) 475-8500 or contact us online to speak with one of our compassionate professionals. We’ll walk you through every detail and help you design a service that fits your family’s needs and wishes.
