Do we need to have a funeral if we select cremation?
Cremation does not limit the type of funeral service that may be chosen. The same options that apply to earth burial are available with cremation. Some of these choices include casket type, location of the service and visitation, music selection, open casket, and the display of personal mementos. Some families elect to have a complete service at the funeral home or place of worship. Others prefer to have a procession to the crematorium, similar to that often done to the cemetery for an earth burial.
If cremation:
- Would you like to use our chapel for a short service prior to the cremation?
- What type of urn would you prefer (metal, wood, marble, ceramic, etc.)?
- What type of final resting place would you prefer for your loved one (choice of burial, above ground niches, or scattering of cremated remains)?
- Would you like other members of the family to be with your loved one in the future? This determines the size of the resting place.
Decisions to be made regarding burial of an urn:
- What type of memorial do you prefer (bronze or granite marker set flush with the ground or an upright memorial)?
- Would you like to protect your loved one’s urn with a vault?
A few facts about cremation:
- Cremation cannot occur until there is a signed death certificate by a doctor.
- There is a 24-hour waiting period before cremation. This alleviates misidentification and allows time for the family to reconsider their choices.
- If you choose cremation for your loved one, you can still have a service.
- You have numerous options for the final resting place.
- You can place the cremated remains in a special urn to display at home.
- You can bury an urn in a cemetery, providing a permanent resting place where family and friends can visit.
- You can place a portion of cremated remains in an urn and a portion in a columbarium niche, providing a permanent location where you can pay your respects.
- You can scatter the cremated remains.
- You can keep the urn at home.