Things to Consider in Pre-Planning a Cremation
Losing a loved for whatever reason is oftentimes a very traumatic and stressful time for your family. To lessen the stress related to a death in the family, planning ahead on what to do in that event would surely help. When a person has decided to be cremated, careful planning needs to be done beforehand.
For most people, deciding whether to have a funeral service before the cremation is a big decision to make. Usually, a solemn funeral service can be held before the actual cremation takes place. It’s the time for the departed person’s loved ones to receive comfort from family and friends. It is also a time to celebrate the life and lasting legacy of that person through funeral songs and special funeral readings.
In cases where a funeral service takes place before a cremation, you will need a casket. A choice has to be made whether you would like to purchase a casket from the funeral home, or to rent one for the service and transfer the remains in another container for the cremation, which could lessen cremation costs.
People can also opt for direct cremation and plan a memorial service at a later time. This will allow the family to prepare themselves financially and emotionally before the service takes place.
Another thing to consider is the coordination of the cremation services with a crematorium. If you’re planning to have funeral service before the cremation, you will need to work with a funeral director from a funeral home, since he will be the one to coordinate with the crematorium for you. In case of a direct cremation, some states have laws limiting the people who can coordinate with a crematorium, and they would still require a funeral director to arrange that. However, you may approach your local crematoriums and find out about the laws and regulations in your area if you would like to work directly with them.
The last thing to consider is where the cremains are going to be placed. If you’re planning to bury the cremains, you would need to plan on purchasing a space in the columbarium niche at a cemetery. You would also have to find out the cemetery’s requirements about outer burial containers.
Some families would also like to keep the ashes in a cremation urn, and place it in their own homes. In this case, a suitable urn has to be selected. This would all depend on your preference for the style and design. A good option would be keepsake urns and cremation jewelries for those who would like to have their loved ones ashes with them always.
