Forest Lawn: A Special Place for Your Loved Ones

By Susan Payne

Personal and meaningful: Two important words that should encompass the impact of a pre-planned end-of-life funeral arrangement for your loved one.

One of the most important decisions is whether to choose traditional burial or cremation. For some people – because of religion, family tradition, or personal preferences – there is no question. For others, this can be quite difficult, especially when making it on behalf of a loved one that is unable to communicate a preference.

For over 100 years, Forest Lawn has been a trusted funeral service provider in Southern California with locations across Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties, assisting you in choosing the right burial style for your loved one. No matter your faith, culture or language, Forest Lawn is committed to helping you create a personal and meaningful final resting place, one that will be visited time after time for years to come.

Forest Lawn funeral homes offer the convenience of mortuary, crematory, memorial services, flowers and traditional and cremation cemetery property all in one special place; everything from traditional funeral services to customized celebrations of life in stained-glass churches and/or elegant visitation/reception rooms and personalized with special tributes such as horse-drawn carriages, dove releases or online memorials. They have a variety of cemetery properties to choose from — ground, crypt, family spaces, beautifullylandscaped single or double cemetery properties, private, semi-private gardens, walled courtyards, and a wide selection of cremation properties, like indoor or outdoor, wall or in-ground, granite or glass-front niches, as well as outdoor gardens with rock niches and tree bases. Cremation services through Forest Lawn are respectful, dignified and affordable with funeral and memorial service packages designed to fit every budget.

In Southern California, Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks are landmarks for important community events such as Memorial and Veterans Day ceremonies, Black History Month, Easter Sunrise Services, Día de los Muertos, Ching Ming and several educational artistic presentations through the world-renowned Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, which houses a permanent classical collection, as well as a periodic rotation of contemporary exhibits.

Deciding which memorial park is the right location can be influenced by family considerations such as proximity and tradition, as well as religious and cultural considerations. Beyond the rolling hills and world-famous art and architecture, any Forest Lawn six scenic parks chosen to lay rest your loved ones are special and uniquely cared for by Forest Lawn and the community, a place where friends might take a walk or where one may read a book under a tree. It’s also a place for those who have lost a loved one to receive continued grief support through Journeys Through Grief and Corazones en Duelo programs and resources.

Much like you have life insurance, a college fund, or even a retirement plan, pre-planning your cemetery and funeral arrangements is another way you can protect your loved ones:

• Pre-planning helps alleviate some confusion and stress on your family during an already very trying time since you would have already stipulated your final wishes ahead of time.

• Your traditional or cremation cemetery property will be locked in at current prices, protecting you and your loved ones from future price increases.

• Financial plans are also available and can be financed in a way that’s comfortable for you

• The average cost of traditional or cremation service varies depending on selections and personal preferences. Forest Lawn is proud to provide honest pricing during a one on one appointment.

• Forest Lawn welcomes all faiths, culture, and languages. They can help you in any language you’re comfortable with, for example, Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino and several more.

Consider highest quality, most personal caring service and a trusted reputation when making this very important decision of choosing a funeral provider.

For more information, visit Forest Lawn’s pre-planning page or call 800-2 FOREST with any questions you may have.