The Beauty of Cremation

Walking The Line

There are so many reasons that more and more people are now choosing cremation. Here are some of the main reasons that half of all deaths now elect cremation as the final disposition.

  • More Economical
  • A Greener Earth Friendly Option
  • Less Time Sensitive (Freedom of Time)
  • Easier, No Cemetery Required
  • Endless Memorialization Options
  • Don’t Want To Take Up Space (Land)
  • Like The Idea Of Scattering Ashes
  • Religious Freedom
    Cremation Growth Rate

Funeral CostCOST: When you get down to the basic cost of a funeral, cremation can be significantly cheaper. The average traditional funeral these days can cost $8,000.00 to $15,000.00 or more. And a basic cremation is $1,000.00 to $2,000.00. Why such a broad range in price? Simple, it depends on who you call! And of course the choices that you make. Over the years, I have noticed something about how the general public describes the cost of a funeral that I would like to clear up right now. I noticed that when people quote the cost of a traditional funeral they tend to group all of the related costs together! For example “Mom’s Funeral Cost $18,00.00”… but the actual funeral costs might have been $8,000.00 and included the cost of a cemetery plot, digging the grave, flying in certain relatives, putting aunt Millie up at the Hilton and a $6,000.00 reception at a catering hall. But when quoting the cost of cremation people tend to just quote the basic cost “Instead of having a funeral Dad was cremated and it only cost $995.00”. They don’t mention the $10,000.00 memorial catering cost at the country club, the band and the travel costs! So this is one reason the difference in Cremation versus a Traditional Funeral seems like a huge difference in cost. In actuality Cremation is just a disposition like burial is a disposition and all the related costs depends on the CHOICES THAT WE MAKE. “The cremation cost $995.00”. The burial including the purchase of the plot and digging the grave might only cost $2,000.00 but people never just quote this cost, they lump it all together with the choices that they make. These are the conversations that really annoy funeral directors and instantly put them on the defense of the funeral costs.

What really annoys this particular funeral director is the general consensus that cremation means there isn’t a funeral. “There’s no funeral…he’s being cremated”! The truth is just the opposite. With cremation you can have any kind of funeral you want, even a traditional funeral! The only real difference is that instead of the body going to the cemetery, it goes to the crematory. Remember that cremation like burial is just the final disposition. The word “Funeral” simply means that the body is present at the funeral service. If you have a service without the body present because it was already buried or cremated then we use the term “Memorial Service” or other phrases like a Celebration of Life or a Going Home Ceremony. But if the body is not there it’s not a funeral.

Green AshesGREEN: The general public perceives cremation as a greener alternative to burial. A traditional burial takes up land permanently. And the chemicals that are used for embalming are cancerous and could leak into the water table. Here in the US an outer concrete burial vault is used and requires the manufacture of 1.6 tons of concrete and steel, leaving a large carbon footprint through the process of manufacturing. The caskets are often made of steel and many are shipped here from China (not green). Wooden caskets that are made from unsustainable sources like mahogany destroy the rain forest. BUT cremation isn’t exactly green either! Cremation involves burning fossil fuels (not green) and can release mercury from dental fillings into the air. What’s really green is called “Green Burial” and is only permitted in a natural burial site. More and more of these types of cemeteries are becoming available. Green burial is a burial in a naturally biodegradable casket or shroud with no embalming and no burial vault in a shallow grave. Green burial is the most natural and greenest disposition of all.

TIME: Because we usually want to get people buried in the ground before they rapidly begin to decompose, a burial requires a time frame of urgency that demands some fast leg work and usually having the funeral with in a week! And if you are Jewish then you’re supposed to have the burial by sundown of the day after death! With cremation you have nothing but time. Of course if you’re going to have public visitation with the body present you are back on a time line. But once the cremation is complete the ashes have no “shelf life” and you can plan a memorial celebration of life at your convenience. (WARNING) There is still such thing as waiting too long. Sometimes to meet the schedules of so many, the services are put off for months. For example, when someone dies in the Fall and the family elects to wait until the Spring and make the services part of the family reunion at the club. TOOOO Long! Remember that funerals are to support the living in their grief and loss. A proper memorial services lays the foundation for the healing to begin, just like a wedding provides a platform of support to the joining of a couple for life. With too much time in-between, the months leading up to the service can create more unnecessary grief for the survivors due to a lack of support.

Easier: Planning a funeral with the disposition of cremation can definitely be easier. You have the freedom of time on your side and don’t have to feel rushed about getting the person in the ground! You don’t have to select a casket, a vault, a cemetery plot, and other related items. You have the time to involve family members in the planning process and hopefully can create a memorable experience that will showcase a life well lived. Hire a certified celebrant and put some thought and time into this once in a lifetime event. You have one chance to do it right, so take your time and plan a Celebration of Life that people can connect with and relate to. This is why I promote Celebrant funerals and not some old 2,000 year old ceremony that an uninformed clergy member throws together! (Insert Name Here). Use the time to write down stories to share, collect pictures for display or better yet turn the pictures into a memorial video. Play the perfect music and serve the food that the deceased would be proud of! There are so many services available through your local funeral home that can add to the memorial ceremony experience, so use the time to learn about them. And do some research via the Internet on how to create a special and memorable memorial event.

Memorial Options: There are so many options available when you choose cremation. Like a Traditional Burial you can still have visitation with the body present for the final goodbyes and support for the family. You can also have an event in just about any public location that you desire. Consider a place that can handle the anticipated number of people who will attend. Choose a place where people are comfortable enough to join in and share a ceremony that will shine a spotlight on the life lived and the many ways that this person has affected the lives and the fabric of life. Use pictures, objects, belongings and stories to help those attending connect. The spirit of the deceased will often convey what would be appropriate for their personal celebration.

Cremation CasketThe money saved by choosing cremation can be used to purchase goods and services that will further personalize the experience of joining together to commemorate a life well lived. First, select a casket. This can be as simple as a cardboard box, a simple wooden box or an ornate cremation casket. They call these things alternative containers and by law you need one for cremation to take place.

If you are having a traditional viewing before the cremation then you should get a casket with a fabric interior that is suitable for public viewing. Most funeral homes rent caskets for this purpose and then a cardboard box is used for the actual cremation.

For the ceremony you can use things like memorial folders or prayer cards and custom programs that follow the services and can then be saved as a memory keepsake. Large photos, custom blankets and a video tribute can add to the memorial service. And a tree seedling or seeds that can be taken home and be planted in memory and will continue the circle of life.

Art Made With Ashes
Glass Art Made With Ashes

Cremation UrnIf an urn is used to hold the ashes, many put it on display at the service on a table or alter that is set with candles and flowers. When selecting an urn you should first know the final disposition of the ashes. Will they be kept at home on display, buried in the cemetery, placed in a niche, or scattered to the winds. Cremation urns are specially designed to suit all of these different destinations. Even floating biodegradable urns for scattering in lakes and oceans. One new style of urn converts into a birdhouse following the scattering of the ashes! With the new “Loved One Launcher” ashes can also be blasted 70 feet into the sky along with confetti and streamers. Talk about going out with a bang! When it comes to ashes there is no right or wrong way… just personal choices and family traditions. Often family members will use small keepsake urns to divide the ashes up between family and friends. These keepsake urns allow those who choose to scatter to retain a small amount of the ashes forever.

Ashes Jewelry
Jewelry To Hold Ashes

Cremation JeAshes inside Jewelrywelry serves a similar purpose and can be worn as a lasting tribute and close connection to the loved one. There is cremation jewelry that has an inner chamber to hold the ashes inside and also cremation jewelry that is custom made with the ashes.

Assorted Cremation Monuments

 

 

Even monuments are made that will hold the ashes inside as an alternative to burial. Some are styled like traditional monuments and many look like natural rocks and boulders that can blend right into the family garden. The advantage of cremation style monuments is that they can be moved as well as serve as a memorial focal point.

Scattering: The decision to scatter ashes is no longer unique. With more than half of all Americans and Canadians now choosing cremation.

Clem's Ash Scattering 2005.09.19 016Scattering is NOW the #1 disposition of cremated remains in the United States and Canada and continues to grow. Funeral professionals are the only ones that aren’t catching on. Most funeral professionals consider scattering a dirty and unprofitable choice of final disposition. They will help you get buried or interred. They will help you create funeral and memorial events. But when the choice is to scatter the ashes, they will help you as far as the door! Some of the more progressive funeral homes now offer special urns for families that choose to scatter the ashes, but that’s about as far as it goes.

Cremation can be an exciting and beautiful way to celebrate the deceased and bring together their friends and family for a positive and memorable experience. It provides an opportunity for the departed to bring together those that they leave behind and touched most during their life well lived. Cremation: it can be more economical; it can be greener; it allows for more time and planning; and it has infinite options only limited by the creativity of the living!

39 thoughts on “The Beauty of Cremation”

  1. I know a man who wants to be cremated when he dies. He is older and is starting to make plans with a crematory. He likes it because it is easier and his family won’t have to plan a huge funeral with a viewing. Good post, thanks.

  2. I like that cremation doesn’t require a cemetery. It makes it easier to have a more personalized memorial. I also like that my ashes could be scattered somewhere that I love. Do you have to have a special permit to scatter ashes? Thanks for all this information!

    1. It is actually illegal to just scatter ashes or bury them in your yard. You CAN NOT just take remains cremated or otherwise and put them where ever you want. Check your state for the laws that govern what you can do in your state.

  3. It may sound a bit gruesome, but I have decided that I want to plan my funeral while I am still young, so that it is exactly the way I want it when I’ve passed. I like how you point out that cremation is a burial method that is more economical and gives lots of options for the loved ones left behind. I imagine that it would be important to talk to a reputable funeral home and director to hear the options for the best funeral possible. Thanks for sharing this!

  4. I’ve been trying to decide what I want to have done with me when I pass on. I didn’t even think about how earth friendly cremation is. I like the idea that my ashes are spread around as well. Thank you for sharing!

  5. I thought it was interesting that cremation can be the greener alternative to burial. That makes sense since there are so many chemicals that go into preparing the body for the funeral. Another thing that I have realized is that there just isn’t a whole lot of space to put a body. The cemeteries are pretty full everywhere and to have to put your loved one next to strangers may be hard for some families.

  6. I think it would be so nice to have an alternative to a traditional burial. There are a number of reasons why cremation would be helpful. It might be easier and it would also be nice to not have to worry about getting a headstone for the cemetery.

  7. A close friend of mine has often talked about how she wants to be cremated after she passes on. I wanted to know more about this. It is interesting to learn that this option is actually more economical. I think that it has sentimental value as well for the person’s ashes to be dispersed in desired areas.

  8. That’s amazing that you can make glass art with ashes. That’s a creative way to remember someone. It’s interesting to note that ‘scattering’ the ashes is the number one method. I would prefer to be cremated to save my family trouble.

  9. I like that you point out that one of the benefits of going with cremation is that it is a lot more cost efficient. I can see why someone might consider doing this instead of a burial to save money. When I was two years old we got a dog who ended up living for 18 years. When he finally passed away, my mom decided that cremation was the best way to go to save money.

  10. I did not realize that cremation was more economical than a normal burial. It would be nice to save money and help the planet. When dealing with a cremation, it is also a good idea to decide on which container the ashes will be placed in.

  11. I love the idea of cremation. If nothing else, the cost is what sold me. It’s crazy that you can save anywhere from $6,000 to $14,000 on funeral costs! I know how expensive funerals can be, since my grandpa just died a few weeks ago, so cremation is pretty attractive.

  12. My parents have been working on their will and arranging their funeral before they pass away and want to do cremation. I had no idea that cremation was better for the environment than a burial. It is important to remember that choosing a good funeral home can help this process move along smoothly and make sure the services held are the best ones around.

  13. Wow, I didn’t realize that cremation services costed so much less than a funeral! According to the article, it can cost as much as 15 times less than a traditional funeral service. This is really good to know as I am about to plan out my own will in advance and will be including parts about how I want my funeral. I know I’d feel much more comfortable saving my loved ones the financial stress of a traditional funeral service instead of saving them money through cremation.

  14. I do agree that being green really is one of the better options for why someone might choose to be cremated. It just leaves behind a lot less refuse than burying a body and a big metal or wooden coffin in the ground. Not to mention that, if you bury the ashes, they can be used as nutrients for plants around the cemetery to grow.

  15. I like that you mentioned that cremation is actually a more environmentally friendly option. It makes sense that you would want to minimize how much damage you do to the earth. I have been considering whether or not I want to include cremation in my funeral plans. I will have to look into it a little further.

  16. I like how you pointed out that planning a funeral via cremation is a lot easier than a traditional one. I’d definitely want to make my passing easier on others so as to relieve them of any un-needed stress. If getting cremated can accomplish this, then I’d definitely consider it as my choice of burial method.

  17. I had no idea that cremation was a more earth friendly option than burials. It makes sense that since you would not be exposing the ground to the type of decomposition your body goes through, it would be better for the environment. My aunt passes away a few days ago and we want to make sure we choose the best type of funeral for her, so I’m glad I found your post.

  18. Thanks for mentioning the different options you can choose from for a memorial and how you can have it basically anywhere that suits the number of people attending. My father wants to have his service in the woods, and he’s considering being cremated. I think being cremated would make it easier to have the memorial in his desired location.

  19. Cremation is something I’ve been pondering over for a while now. I’m a bit reserved since my family would probably prefer me not to do that. However, I think we could come to a compromise since you mentioned how you can still end up something similar to a traditional burial. I think they’d appreciate that.

  20. I appreciate that you pointed out how Jewish people need to be buried by sundown the day after the person died. My in-laws are trying to decide how they will bury my husband’s father because he’s currently going through chemo, and they’re having difficulty figuring out how to bury him quickly. Maybe they should consider cremation services instead.

  21. It’s interesting that cremation is a green option for funerals. My husband and I are planning out our funerals now so we don’t have to worry about it later. We like to do what we can for the environment, so maybe cremation would be good for us.

  22. I had no idea that traditional funerals could cost up to $15,000 or more. I can see why someone would want to be cremated so the price doesn’t affect the family. Maybe I’ll write in my will that I want this to be done. Thanks for sharing!

  23. It’s quite interesting to learn that with cremation services there is a lot of ways you can keep or lay to rest your loved one’s ashes, such as keeping apart of them in a cremation jewelry or scattering all of their ashes to their favorite spot. That’s perfect to learn since if I do perish I would definitely want myself to be cremated to minimize the expenses my family would have to go through and to be able to keep my ashes near them for guidance is a great added benefit. Thanks for the informative article about the beauty of cremation!

  24. Cremation sounds like it’d be pretty great. I love the fact that it allows you to have a ton of time after death to prepare. That way, there isn’t as much stress. I think I’ll elect cremation when I go.

  25. if I am cremated do I still get burried at Jefferson Baracks as I am a combat veteran & would like to be interned with my brothers in arms.

  26. That’s so cool that if you do cremation for your loved one, you can get cremation jewelry which will allow you to have a lasting tribute to the one you loved. My mom was my best friend, and she recently passed away because of cancer. I’d really like to keep her close, and I need to figure out parts of her funeral service. I think that I’ll find someone who could cremate her so that i could get some of that jewelry to remember her by.

  27. I like what you said about being able to use monuments that hold the ashes as an alternative to burial. I’ve only ever seen people use urns and there’s a part of me that is uncomfortable with that. I think that this would be a good compromise between a traditional burial and cremation.

  28. I appreciate how you mentioned that the ashes from a cremation can be scattered into lakes or oceans, creating a biodegradable and green form of burial. My friend wants to really celebrate the life of her brother that recently passed away, in a meaningful way. I’m sure she’d really benefit from hiring a cremation service so that she can scatter his ashes in a garden or a pond to help new things grow and gain life even after his death. Thank you.

  29. Thanks for pointing out that planning a funeral with the disposition of cremation can definitely be easier. My dad has asked to be cremated when he dies because he wants everything about his funeral to be more laid back and easy going. I think since that would definitely represent his life it’s fitting and it’s nice for him that he won’t have to plan as much before he passes away.

  30. I never knew that cremation is greener and a traditional burial takes up land permanently. My grandpa said that when he passes away he wants to get cremated and he wanted to know if there were any benefits of it and if he would make an impact even when he’s gone. I appreciate you helping me learn more about the benefits of cremation!

  31. You make a good point stating that if you cremate your loved one you have more time to plan the funeral and have the memorial. My mother is very sick and we’ve started planning for her death. She says she wants to be cremated so we can scatter her ashed near our country house. We’ll respect her wishes and this way, we can also have more time to plan the memorial afterward.

  32. I love how you talked about cremation being green and how it allows for less steel and other things to be used. My husband and I were asked by my mother to have her cremated when she passes, and we are looking for benefits and advantages. We will keep these tips in mind as we search for a professional that can help us figure out when my mother passes.

  33. It’s good that you point out that cremation is more economical than a traditional burial. I want my family to save money when I die, so I’m considering planning on having myself cremated. I’m going to look for a good funeral home in my area that offers cremation services.

  34. I have noticed that cremation is starting to get more popular, and I wanted to know what benefits it has. It’s great that cremation allows every family member to participate in the scattering. Personally, I think that cremation is a very unique and emotional way to say goodbye to your loved one.

  35. It’s interesting that you mention that being cremated after you die is more economical than being buried. I don’t want my family to spend a lot of money on my funeral arrangements, so I’m considering opting for cremation. I’m going to look for a good funeral home in the area that offers cremation services.

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