Planning A Beautiful Service

Two Major Cremation Advantages You Should Know About Before You Choose Burial

22 May 2015

Cherly Fox

When you are planning a funeral, one of the most essential things to decide will be whether you prefer casket burial or cremation. While burial might be the traditional choice, cremation is becoming more common every day. In fact, by the year 2018, the percentage of cremations is projected to be 50.6 percent - slightly more common than the projected burials. Read on to learn the two essential things you should know about cremation before you arrange for burial. You may just rethink the old traditional choice!

The Price

The price of cremation is considerably less than that of a casket burial. The average price for a basic funeral with cremation is $6,355 while the price for a casket funeral averages $12,198. If you want to stay as cost conscious as possible, cremation is usually the better choice.

The Choices

Cremation gives you more options for a final resting place than a casket burial will. The only option for burial in a casket is a cemetery. However, with a cremation urn, you can choose several different ways to lay loved ones to rest. These include:

• Placement in a Columbarium: Columbariums are spaces, typically at cemeteries or places of worship, that are set aside for cremation urns. There is a single dedicated area for each urn, and there is typically space for loved ones to leave items like flowers or cards.
• Placement in Your Home: Many people choose to keep the cremains of their loved one in their home. For example, the cremation urn could be kept in a special spot on a shelf. This can allow people to feel that their loved one is still very close by.
• In a Family Burial Plot: One thing that may deter people from cremation is the idea that they can't put their loved one at rest in a family burial plot, since there won't be a casket. In actuality, you can bury the urn containing the cremains in a plot, just as you could bury a casket.
• Scattering the Ashes: Cremation allows you to scatter your loved one's ashes in a special place, or to scatter the ashes in several different places if you wish. If you choose to scatter ashes, remember to check the local regulations about scattering cremains, as some areas may not allow it or may place restrictions on how it can be done.

As you can see, cremation gives you both a reasonable price and many choices. If you are interested in planning a funeral with cremation, contact a funeral home in your area.

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