Funerals

Will you be buried or cremated

Whether you are updating your will in preparation for your funeral or you are responsible for organising a funeral for a loved one, you have probably already discovered that there is more that goes into these arrangements than you expected.

One of the hardest decisions that you will need to make, is if you have a cremation or a traditional burial.

Flexibility

Traditional funerals, involving a burial, usually have a strict series of events that the bereaved follow and most funeral directors are not particularly flexible when it comes to altering the schedule or augmenting the service.

There are a number of benefits to such a regimented event. For one, no extra time or energy is spent on organising a unique event.

Cremation services are almost entirely do-it-yourself. Individuals can reserve their final wishes with trustworthy cremation providers so loved ones have guidelines regarding respectful rituals.

Loved ones can conduct ceremonies that feel comforting and considerate of their needs in mourning. A cremation service can look exactly like a traditional funeral, or it can look more like a party in one’s home (if this is the deceased’s request).

Time frame

Burials happen fast with some cultural and religious traditions requiring that the deceased is committed in their final resting place within a day of their passing, and most others expect not more than a week to go by before a proper burial takes place. The funeral ceremony must occur before the deceased is laid to rest, which means loved ones have precious little time to plan and prepare for their final goodbyes.

Cremation services, on the other hand, can occur before or any time after the immolation to better suit loved ones’ busy schedules. Since family and friends tend to spread far and wide, many are forced to forgo funerals due to difficulties associated with work and travel. A flexible timeline for cremation services allows all loved ones to attend and show their respect for the deceased.

Methods of resting

Whether funeral attendees watch or not, the deceased will be committed to a final resting place underground.

However, cremation services can incorporate one of any number of ways to lay the deceased’s ashes to rest. Unlike burials, cremations allow loved ones to hold onto their deceased while they conceive of the most reverential way to deposit their cremains.

Ways to grieve

Graves in cemeteries offer bereaved loved ones a place to visit their deceased during times of mourning. Many people assume that cremation prevents this outlet for grief and remembrance. However, cremated loved ones can be grieved and remembered wherever their ashes lie. Cremation does not prevent or obscure grief.

• Information obtained from www.agingcare.com.