Cremation is widely accepted funeral across different cultures and religions. A cremation funeral is more affordable, convenient, and eco-friendly than a burial service. If you are pre-planning a cremation or executing the final wishes of a loved one, there are vital decisions to make. The following tips can make the cremation process less stressful.
Select a Funeral Home
A funeral home handles the paperwork, offers logistical support, and grief management resources. Essentially, engage a funeral home with a crematorium. If a funeral home has to outsource creation facilities, they may not have control over the process. Also, ensure that the funeral home has a reputation of reliability, efficiency, and excellent customer care. It is important to prepare questions related to the process, gatherings, and products. Ultimately, work with a capable funeral home that will treat your loved one with dignity.
Decide on the Type of Cremation Service
There are different types of cremation services depending on your needs. The most basic and affordable service is a direct cremation without ceremonies. Then, you can choose cremation with a traditional service. In this option, the mourners have an opportunity to visit and view the body before cremation. Thus, you will need a casket and embalming services for the ceremony. Finally, you can opt for cremation with a memorial service. In this case, you may have the memorial service before or after the cremation.
Decide Whether to Witness the Cremation
A witnessed cremation allows family members to observe the cremation process. Typically, a few select people enter the cremation room. Then, the crematory operator or funeral home director explains the process. There may be a short service before the cremation. Next, a staff or a designated family member presses the button that pushes the casket into the cremation enclosure. The duration of the cremation process varies depending on various factors, such as the type of crematorium or size of the body. The family may choose to witness the whole process or part of it. Seeing the cremation gives the family another opportunity to say goodbye to a loved one and calm their fears.
Decide on the Final Resting Place
There are various ways of disposing of the ashes after cremation. For instance, the loved ones can keep the ashes in the urn. Besides, they can have the ashes transformed into a piece of jewelry for memorialization. Then, there is the option of burying the remains in a cemetery or keeping them in a columbarium. Alternatively, the family can scatter the ashes at a particular place depending on their loved one's final wishes.
Cremation is an ideal and respectful way of honoring the memory of a loved one. If you are organizing a cremation service, be prepared to deal with the where and how of the process.
