Monthly Archives: November 2022

What You Need to Know About Cremation Urns

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re thinking of getting some information about cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH, and cremation urns. Maybe your loved one is cremated and you’re tasked with buying a cremation urn, or maybe you want to understand more about cremation and its related services.

Either way, knowing about cremation urns always comes in handy given that more and more families are choosing cremation as the final disposition method in the last few years. Keep reading and find out!

Cremation Urn Facts

Here are some amazing facts about cremation urns.

1. A cremation urn is a container

The primary purpose of a cremation urn is to hold the remains (also called “ashes”) after cremation. Consider it as a small box or vessel which can be made of anything, but mostly decorative wood or ceramic.

You can also get an urn made of metal, paper, sand, and even cornstarch. The bereaved family has got tons of options to choose an urn of any shape, style, or design.

2. It’s not compulsory to buy a cremation urn from the funeral home

You don’t necessarily have to buy the urn from the funeral home where you plan to have the cremation service performed. Hit the local market and go through different designs and styles, in varying price ranges, to choose the best cremation urn to hold the remains of the lost loved one.

Many families choose to buy cremation urns online via their smartphones. But lately, funeral homes have become more competitive in their pricing of funeral products. Still, the choice rests with the bereaved family.

3. Renting an urn is an option

Want to save some bucks? Consider renting your preferable urn. The good thing is many most funeral homes offer a selection of nice cremation urns which you can “rent” for use during the memorial service.

4. Capacity, not size is what matters for urn size

The size of the urn is very important to make sure it can accommodate the remains of the departed soul easily. But often, the customer is thinking about the outside measurements of the urn.

Remember that urns are generally decorative and can have visible accents or edges. So, the exterior dimensions are not the best way to figure out if the urn is the right size to hold the ashes. What you really want to know is the capacity. Urn capacity is measured in cubic inches. A 200 cubic inch urn can hold the remains of an individual weighing roughly 200 lbs.

But exterior measurements also play a key role in deciding where the urn is going. For instance, an urn that fits onto a mantle or shelf or some other specific location needs different external dimensions than the one you would like to place into a columbarium niche.

But the main catch is that unless you have a particular placement in mind for displaying the urn, you need not worry about the exterior dimensions of the memorial. The capacity of the urn should be the determining factor for sizing.

These tips can help you find the right urn for cremation services Willoughby Hills, OH.

Positive Ways to Accept Death

Are you arranging a loved one’s service at funeral homes Mentor, OH? Agree or not, we all come across a time when you have to face the inevitable – the loss of a loved one. Someone close to your heart, like a part of your body. Whether the person is your spouse, parent, or close friend, the event hit pretty hard and what comes naturally is the grief journey.

For most people, grief is a complicated process. It comes in stages. There may be a denial, there may be anger, and these feelings may come separately or all at once. But sooner or later, it will lead to acceptance.

If you’re coping with the loss of a loved one, here are some proven tips to better navigate through the grief journey.

1. Don’t Rush, Take Your Time to Mourn

No two person grieves in the same way. Just because someone you know has gotten over the death of the loved one quickly implies you have to replicate it. Grief has a variety of variables including age, duration of the relationship, and the type of death – like tragic or sudden – that play into how one processes death.

It’s ok if you take a while to accept that the beloved soul has gone forever. This doesn’t make you appear vulnerable or weak. Not putting a time limit is always helpful when you find yourself dealing with a loss.

2. Remember the Positive Memories

Take comfort in knowing that the loved one has impacted your life and made you what you’re today. They taught you to face the harsh realities of the world positively and never let go of yourself.

Be grateful for their influence and know that you have the opportunity to pass their legacy to future generations. Knowing that you can’t bring the loved one back, but they’ll never truly leave you is comforting.

3. Give Them a Memorable Funeral

Arrange a funeral worthy of their personality and upright character. It should honor their memory in the best possible way. Arrange small events to make the guests know how good of a person the loved one was. Get unique funeral ideas from your funeral director.

Not only do they deserve a perfect farewell, but it also helps you seek solace and comfort to do whatever in your capacity to commemorate the memory of the departed soul.

4. Continue to Speak About Them

Don’t shy from talking about the loved one, and how much you miss them. And tell your good memories of that person to your close family and friends. Just because you can’t see your loved ones after they’ve died, doesn’t mean you can’t speak of them at a family gathering.

6. Know When to Get Help

Lastly and most importantly, know the signs that you need help. Coping with loss can be challenging, particularly if you had a deep bonding with your loved one. For those with a history of depression, the grieving process may be more challenging.

If you need help, reach out to friends, family, or professionals who can provide you with options. There’s no shame in getting the assistance you need. Understand the needs of your body and make a decision sooner than later about funeral homes Mentor, OH.

Planning a Committal Service

Whether you’re arranging or attending a committal after the service at funeral homes Willoughby Hills, OH, you’ll want to know what it is, what to say, and what to expect. To help you out, we have outlined a detailed guideline on everything you should know about a committal service.

What Is a Committal Service?

A committal service is simply a graveside service. This is a brief memorial service at the time you commit the body to the ground. Consider it as the final goodbye for the family and should be treated with dignity and respect. Mostly, this service is no longer than 15 to 20 minutes.

Many families choose to have a committal immediately following a funeral service. You can also choose to have a committal with no separate funeral or memorial at all. These details are up to the bereaved family.

Remember that a committal service for cremated remains would be planned the same as for a full casket with slight changes. The urn will be set on a table or an urn bier. Flower arrangements or the deceased’s pictures are made to place around the urn.

How to Plan a Committal

Before making all the decisions, be sure to discuss the service with your funeral director. He is the person you have to hire because he knows the best. Get his or her recommendations to ensure everything goes as planned.

1. Choose a cemetery or burial site

First of all, choose a burial site for the lost loved one. Usually, you will need to decide on a cemetery and buy a plot. You could check with cemetery offices to see if someone is trying to sell a plot. You should be able to purchase it for less from an individual.

2. Talk to the cemetery sexton

The sexton or caretaker runs the cemetery and knows its daily operations. He or she is responsible for managing all the arrangements of the gravesite.

From having the grave dug to filling it, they will make sure the casket gets to the grave and set on the lowering device. Also, the ground around the site needs to be set up for mourners. If needed, ask to set up the tents and chairs for the guests.

If you would like any décor, such as flowers or a photo memorial. You will need to pay the cemetery for these services.

3. Find an officiant & plan the service

The next step is to choose a pastor/minister/priest to lead the service. You will need to talk with the officiant, so he/she knows what Scriptures you want to have read. The officiant will also want some information so that he can write a short eulogy.

Want to customize the event and make it more meaningful? Have singing or specific reading at the committal service. This is where you can take suggestions from the officiant. Note that, if there isn’t a church affiliation, you can ask a family member to lead the service after funeral homes Willoughby Hills, OH.

How to Choose Between Burial or Cremation

Today, choosing a final disposition method for the lost loved one boils down to either cremation services Mentor, OH, or burial. What option you select depends on many factors, including the deceased’s preferences, beliefs, priorities, finances, family situation, and so on.

Still confused?

Let’s look at the two options in detail to give you a great start on deciding whether burial or cremation is best for you.

What is Burial?

Burial is considered the “traditional” option in the United States and much of the Western world. A body can be buried in the ground at a cemetery or on private property.

Most families decide to bury their loved ones in a cemetery or other designated burial grounds. But some choose to place the body in a mausoleum – also called above-ground burial.

The last few years have also witnessed the resurgence of green burial or natural burial. This is the practice of returning the human body to the earth in the most natural, eco-friendly way possible. It doesn’t involve the use of embalming fluid and metallic or wooden casket.

Pros of Burial

It provides a burial place the family can visit. A graveside funeral can be very comforting and emotionally satisfying for family and friends.

It gives enough time to the family to plan and execute a perfect plan that speaks to the personality of the deceased.

With the availability of eco-friendly and sustainable options, such as the “natural burial” methods, you have plenty of choices.

Many religious traditions prescribe full-body burial.

Cons of Burial

Generally, burial costs more than cremation. Casket/coffin costs are much higher than cremation urns. Similarly, the costs include a cemetery plot, digging expenses, grave liner, and headstones.

Traditional burial is not an eco-friendly option. Involves expensive and environmentally harmful chemicals used in embalming.

Moving a body after burial is very difficult or even impossible due to laws, regulations, and logistics costs

What is Cremation

In simple terms, cremation is a final disposition method where a dead body is turned to ashes through burning. Compared to burial, it takes significantly less time and thus, it doesn’t need any embalming or the use of caskets.

The fact that the cremated remains are returned to the family gives much more flexibility and a variety of options for memorial services after the cremation. The family can scatter the remains in whatever way they like, be it scattering on land or at sea, burying them in the garden or the deceased’s favorite place, turning it into jewelry, or keeping some of the ashes in a locket near your heart, and so on.

Even with cremation, you can choose just about all of the services and options offered by the funeral home. But the simplest and cheapest option is direct cremation in which the person’s body is cremated “directly” after death without viewing services.

Pros of Cremation

The biggest advantage is the lower cost associated with cremation.

Flexibility in disposition options, personalization choices, and the ability to move the ashes.

No additional shopping aside from buying the urn.

Schedule the memorial or scattering service anytime you want.

Cons of Cremation

Cremation is permanent. The process cannot be undone.

Some religions or cultures do not approve of cremation.

With this information, you’re in a better position to decide what’s best for you, a burial or cremation services Mentor, OH.

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