As more people are choosing cremation, funeral service professionals are striving to give consumers a true sense of what their many options are for a funeral service. Often funeral directors find that people have a preconception that they have fewer choices for a ceremony when selecting cremation for themselves or a loved one. Therefore, they request direct cremation and deny the surviving friends and family an opportunity to honor them with a memorial service. In actuality, cremation is only part of the commemorative experience. In fact, cremation can actually increase your options when planning a funeral. The following information is meant to help you build an understanding of what cremation is, allowing you to make an informed decision when arranging a funeral for yourself or a loved one.
Cremation is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst the baby boomer generation. Among the many reasons for this growing trend is the breadth of options cremation provides for a final memorial service.
Cremation gives people the flexibility to search for types of tributes that reflect the life being honored. But this doesn’t mean that aspects of traditional funeral services have to be discarded. Even with cremation, a meaningful memorial that is personalized to reflect the life of the deceased could include:
- A visitation prior to the service;
- An open or closed casket;
- Special music;
- A ceremony at the funeral chapel, your place of worship or other special location; and
- Participation by friends and family.
Commonly, cremated remains are placed in an urn and committed to an indoor or outdoor mausoleum or columbarium; interred in a family burial plot; or included in a special urn garden. Cremation also gives families the option to scatter the remains. This can be done in a designated cemetery garden or at a place that was special to the person. Today, cremated remains can even become part of an ocean reef or made into diamonds.
If you choose cremation, you can use an alternative container. Alternative containers encase the body and can be made of materials like fiberboard or composition materials with or without an outside covering. The container that we provide is a wooden tray with a heavy cardboard covering.
A. Intimate Goodbye
An informal identification is an opportunity for family members to say goodbye in a private setting. Includes minimum services of funeral director and staff, transfer of deceased to funeral home, limited preparation of remains (does not include embalming, dressing or cosmetology), cremation charges, basic cremation container or container provided by purchaser, and Hartley urn.
B. Modest Memorial
A time for family and friends to visit, share memories, remember their loved one. Includes services of funeral director and staff, use of facilities and staff services for memorial service, transfer of deceased to funeral home, limited preparation of remains (does not include embalming, dressing or cosmetology), limited family viewing, memorial folders, cremation charges, basic cremation container, and Hartley urn.
C. Time of Tribute
An opportunity for family and friends to come together and celebrate a life lived. Includes services of funeral director and staff, transfer of deceased to funeral home, embalming, other preparation of body, use of facilities and staff for gathering, memorial folders, cremation charges, use of rental oak casket, and Monroe oak urn.
D. Celebrating a Lifetime
Allows for flexibility in ceremony design and unique personalization. Includes services of funeral director and staff, transfer of deceased to funeral home, embalming, other preparation of body, use of facilities and staff for gathering, use of facilities and staff for funeral service, hearse, flower vehicle, standard memorial folders, books and cards, cremation charges, use of rental oak casket, and Ebony Capsule urn. |
