Three Things You May Not Know About Cremation Services

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Cremation has become a popular choice for funerals, but there are many misconceptions about cremation that prevent people from choosing this option. The following are a few things you may not know about cremation services.

You can have a viewing before cremation

Most people have the wrong impression of cremation versus a burial. They often think that cremation means that the your loved one's body is sent from the city or the county morgue directly to the funeral home and cremated. A funeral is held after cremation. However, you can have a traditional wake or viewing of your loved one before cremation. The body is simply preserved long enough to delay the cremation. You can also combine this viewing with a funeral instead of a ceremony that is often held in the cemetery prior to burial.

You can have the cremated remains shipped to you

You can have a loved one's body cremated, and then have the ashes transported to you. If your loved one has died in another area of the country, you don't have to have the body shipped to you for cremation. You can have the remains cremated in the town where the person died, and then have the ashes shipped to you. They can be shipped by commercial airlines, but they can also be sent by mail. If this latter option is acceptable to you, it saves a lot of money. The United States Postal Service is the only legal way to ship these remains by mail. The USPS has certain rules associated with shipping cremated remains. For example, the ashes must be shipped via Priority Mail Express.

There are several options for the ashes

Some people like to take the remains of their loved one and sprinkle the ashes in a place that has a lot of meaning to him or her. Ashes can also be buried, so there is a permanent place for the cremated remains. Others like to purchase an urn and keep the ashes close to them in their home. But you can also can keep the ashes at the cemetery in a special vault, often called a columbarium. This option gives people a place where they can visit and remember your loved one. This can be a good choice when there are many people who may want to visit your loved one's remains in the same way a person might visit a grave.

Although there are people who have religious objections to cremation, if this is not an issue for you, it should be given some thought. There are many options associated with cremation, and it is something that may provide a lower cost compared to a traditional burial without sacrificing many of the important aspects of traditional funeral arrangements.


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