10 Ways to Dispose of a Loved One’s Ashes

April 10th, 2014
Loved one's ashes in a delicate urnCremation is gaining traction as the funeral planning method of choice, with over a third of Americans opting to be cremated over being buried. These numbers are only expected to continue rising, and estimates suggest that over half of all deaths will end in cremation by the year 2020. Of course, just because cremation is becoming more popular doesn’t mean everyone will have to dispose of the ashes in the same way. One of the best things about cremation is how creative you can get with the remains. Here are ten unique and not-so-unique ways to say goodbye to your loved one.
  1. Display the Urn: Although some people find it macabre to keep a loved one’s ashes displayed on the mantle, this is a traditional option for anyone who wants to stay near their dear and departed. A decorative urn can be placed in the home or in a columbarium for regular visitations.
  1. Ash Scattering Ceremony: Most people opt to scatter the cremated remains of a loved one. Whether you go out back in the garden or stand on the bow of a boat and send the ashes off to sea, scattering the ashes is a great way to say goodbye (just make sure you have the right permits first) (more…)

Best Places to Scatter Ashes

April 7th, 2014
Peaceful nature sceneIf you’ve recently cremated a loved one and are looking for creative yet respectful ways to dispose of the ashes, an ash scattering ceremony is a good choice. Although not every public or private area allows for this kind of option, these locations are some of the favorites for scattering ashes and saying goodbye.
  • Garden or Flowerbed: There’s no reason why you have to travel to the ocean or far away to send the proper respects to the deceased. One of the most popular places to scatter ashes is in the deceased’s garden, orchard, or flowerbed. Because it’s your own land, you don’t have to worry about getting permission, and you can erect any kind of monument you want afterwards.

How Much Does Burial Insurance Cost?

April 5th, 2014
People at funeral consoling each otherOne of the easiest ways to pre-pay for a funeral is to buy burial insurance (also known as funeral insurance). Instead of picking out details like caskets or cemeteries now, you simply set aside a lump sum that is payable out to your beneficiary upon your death. They can then use the money to fund your funeral in a way that fits with your wishes and their grieving needs. Because burial insurance is a “guaranteed” payout (unlike car insurance, which will only pay out in the event of an accident, everyone will eventually die and collect on their burial policy), most of the costs are fixed. Your policy provider will take into account your age, your desired method of payment, and how large your payout is. From there, you will choose a policy that fits with your needs. This means that while one person (say, a 50-year-old in good health) might pay a fairly small monthly charge, another person (someone in their 70s who is a smoker) can expect larger monthly fees and even big upfront costs. (more…)

Funeral Etiquette for Thank You Notes

March 26th, 2014
Funeral Etiquette for Thank You NotesThe loss of a loved one and the planning of an entire funeral from start to finish is an exhausting affair. It’s not uncommon for those undergoing bereavement to feel both physically and mentally exhausted, and emotions can run through a course of highs and lows in a matter of minutes. Among all the chaos of guests arriving from out of town and navigating the financial side effects of death, it can seem impossible to find time to write funeral thank you notes. Funeral etiquette dictates that the family of the deceased send out thank you cards in the days and weeks following the funeral. Fortunately, this isn’t the time-consuming, tedious task it sounds like. Not only can you purchase pre-prepared thank you cards and send them out, but you can recruit the help of others and make it a chance to bond and share your grief. (more…)

How to Plan a Belated Funeral

March 22nd, 2014
How to Plan a Belated FuneralThere are many reasons to delay a funeral. Maybe it’s a difficult time of year for family members to get time off work or to make travel arrangements. Perhaps the deceased wished for a springtime service. Maybe you don’t currently have the money to cover funeral costs. Whatever the reasons, it’s becoming more common to opt for direct cremation or direct burial immediately following death—and to hold a formal “funeral” or memorial service sometime in the future. You can wait weeks, months, or even years to do this, which gives you greater flexibility and more options when it comes to saying goodbye. (more…)

Selecting Grave Flowers

March 19th, 2014
Selecting Grave FlowersWhen it comes to funeral flowers, arrangements for the service itself tend to be the main focus. Casket flowers, wreaths in the shape of a circle or cross, and elaborate funeral sprays sent from relatives fill the mourning space with the fresh scent and sight of nature. However, these aren’t the only funeral flowers to choose from. If your loved one opted for burial, you will also want to consider what type of flowers you want present at the cemetery and placed on the gravesite—both during the service and in the weeks, months, and years that follow. Types of Grave Flowers Because cemeteries tend to have strict beautification rules, grave flowers (or any type of decorative arrangement you put on a grave or near a headstone) come with greater restrictions than most other types of funeral flowers. Depending on (more…)

Funeral Transportation

March 16th, 2014
Funeral TransportationAlthough you can plan an entire funeral service from start to finish without hiring special vehicles or making arrangements for a procession, elegant transportation provides a nice touch to the day. Whether you opt for a fleet of limousines to take you from the funeral home to the cemetery, or if everyone hauls out a bicycle and takes one last ride in honor of the deceased, there are plenty of ways to make a funeral unique with these transportation ideas. Traditional Funeral Escorts (more…)

Can I Hold a Funeral before Cremation?

March 14th, 2014
Can I Hold a Funeral Before Cremation?One of the nice things about funeral options today is that families have choices when it comes to how they want to take care of a loved one’s final remains. Burial, cremation, body donation, sending your body into space—with enough money, you can do almost anything to make your final farewell special. While most of us will probably skip the space step, burial and cremation remain the top choices across cultures and religions. Cremation is less expensive and generally comes with less fanfare than burial, but burial itself can also be streamlined thanks to options in DIY casketry and direct burial. (more…)

Sending Sympathy Notes for the Holidays

February 28th, 2014
Holiday card etiquette It’s common funeral etiquette to send funeral flowers or a sympathy card in the days surrounding a funeral. Few things bring comfort to a family as much as this visible show of support, and funeral card messages run the gamut from simple sentiments that acknowledge your shared loss to more elaborate letters that you write from the heart. For grieving families, however, mourning doesn’t stop after the funeral comes to a close. If anything, it’s the days, weeks, months, and years to follow that present the true challenge—and no time is more difficult than the holidays. As everyone else gets out the good cheer and holly, mourning families may be facing the most difficult time of their lives. (more…)

Managing Grief around the Holidays

February 24th, 2014
Holiday candlesIf you’ve done any funeral planning this past year or buried a loved one, the holidays are going to be a difficult time. No matter how well you might be handling your grief, there’s something about the holiday season that tends to throw people into a tailspin of bereavement. Memories tend to rise up in a big way, and it can be difficult amid all the hustle and bustle of good cheer to find the support you need to make it through. Among well-wishers pushing you to “move on,” the general stress that always arises this time of year, and the spirit of a season meant to bring joy (but which often does the exact opposite), it’s important to carve out a place for your grief.
  • Expect a Change in Your Feelings: Maybe you’ve been working through your grief and have come to a kind of acceptance lately. Maybe you’re still incredibly angry and spend part of every day in tears. No matter where you are on your journey, expect there to be a change. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are common this time of year, and it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the warning signs for depression. The important thing is to recognize that ALL feelings are okay, and that the increased intensity of them is only natural around the holidays. (more…)

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