Cremation pre-planning is part of the end of life planning choices many adults make. You will speak to your funeral director, discuss cremation and look at various packages and prices available. Though many of the choices can be made easily, there are some you may not think of. Here are a few of those choices, what to know about them and what personalizations you can make to these choices.

Casket options

When you begin planning the cremation services, you may be surprised to hear the word casket mentioned. Caskets are generally available for cremation as a way of housing the body and giving a suitable option for the attended memorial service. In some cases, you may go with an economically friendly choice. You can also consider other options during your pre-planning.

If you plan on having your ashes buried, you may want to choose a casket that is suitable for both the memorial and graveside services. If you want a viewing service, and one is available at the time of your passing, then a deluxe casket could be ideal. Keep in mind, some people choose a casket that has deluxe options for other reasons.

For example, some deluxe caskets offer an area to house a waterproof vile that contains your death information. This is ideal if there are issues with your cemetery or burial site and identifying the casket becomes necessary.

Attended services

Starting the cremation pre-planning process means discussing the type of service you want. Your two main choices are attended and unattended services. The unattended simply means the cremation is done with no service and your cremains will be given to the designated individuals following the process.

Attended services allow you to have a more traditional service that you normally see with traditional burials. You can have a chapel service, an attending celebrant or minister, and have a gathering of your choice from friends and family. This is the type of service that may give your family and friends more closure and a time to properly say goodbye.

When you choose an attended service, you will have other features available to you. These choices include not only a casket, but also a flower spread and video footage or web streaming of the service.

Keepsake urns

If you are choosing cremation, then you already know you will need an urn. Though traditional urns are available as part of many pre-planning packages, you may want something more. You can choose from several unique keepsake urns, especially if you are separating your cremains between family members or friends.

You can choose to have your cremains placed in pieces of cremation jewellery. These are usually lockets that hold your cremains within the chamber of the locket itself. You can also choose to have picture memorials or to have your cremains placed in hourglasses and other forms of pottery or figurines. If you are unsure of what options are available, talk to your planning service representatives.

In addition to these options, you can also have eco-friendly options used. These urns will biodegrade and allow your cremains to become part of a garden or tree. You can also find ones that biodegrade and become part of a lake, ocean or coral reef, depending on your particular choices.

When you are ready to discuss the full range of options and packages we have available, contact Cremations Only. We can help you discuss your plans, the services you want and if you have any special requests you want us to consider. We can also discuss payments and other available assistance that may apply to your specific plans.