The family has made the decision to use cremation services for the loved one. That is a BIG decision, and a great starting point for the funeral preparations. For some families – that is it – issue closed. However, there are a few other factors that you may wish to consider. This event only happens once, so you want to be sure that you do what both your loved one and you would wish.
The following five points will provide you with some guidance when dealing with funeral arrangements that are specifically related to cremation services. Some you may have thought of, some you may not have considered.
1.) Select the Cremation Service – Funeral Provider
There are approximately 70 mortuary service providers in the San Diego area. Some are large corporate type funeral homes, and some are very small family run businesses. In general, the ones with the largest overhead are the organizations that are going to be more expensive. Almost all the funeral homes have the price lists on line, so it is easy to check on their prices. There are very large pricing differences amount providers for the same services, so do your research
2.) Do you wish have the loved one’s body present?
Having the physical body present is going to add a great deal to the cost. If is going to require embalming, a casket or at least a rental casket, clothes for the deceased, transportation to and then back from the location of the service, paper programs, organization of the event with speakers and music. It all adds up quickly. If the deceased is going to be present at the service, that is great. It is good for the healing process and moving forward, it however will cost more.
3.) Are you planning to keep the cremains at home?
4.) Are you going to scatter the cremations?
There are a myriad of ways to scatter the cremains both over land and at sea. Perhaps the deceased was fond of a particular location. Some cremains of a friend of mine were scattered on a golf course that she loved to play on. At Funerals Your Way, we specialize with burial at sea dispositions, and receive many requests for clients for this service. The notion of releasing ashes back to the ocean is a freeing and appealing one to many. Even with the spreading of ashes on the sea, there are many options and ways to perform the scattering.
5.) Did you wish to inter the cremains?
Having the cremains interred in a church or cemetery is also very common. Many veterans opt to be interred in a national cemetery – this is an option provided at no cost to the veteran’s family. We have two in San Diego, Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and Miramar National Cemetery. Fort Rosecrans is now closed to first interments, but Miramar is only a few years old and will be accepting for decades yet.
Hopefully the above points will help your family make informed decisions regarding the many options provided by the funeral industry for the disposition of your loved one. Your funeral provider will be able to provide you with lots of assistance with the many decisions that must be made – use their experience.
