After the funeral ceremony – in either a place of worship, the cemetery chapel or, in a minority of cases, before the funeral ceremony – the coffin is transported to the graveside for burial and lowering into the grave.

The minister/funeral celebrant will say some appropriate words at this point and afterwards the family and mourners may throw soil/roses into the grave before they depart, or doves/balloons may be released.

When family and mourners have eventually left the graveside, it is then back-filled before floral tributes are placed on top and a temporary marker put in position until a permanent memorial can be erected.