The shock and grief associated with the loss of a loved one is often compounded by the number of decisions that need to be made when organising a funeral service. One decision that needs to be made is whether you choose to have a burial or a cremation.
Perhaps your loved one has made his or her intentions clear in advance. You may have philosophical, cultural or religious beliefs that sway you in one direction over the other. But if none of those issues apply, then you may be interested to learn that there are definite benefits to having a cremation rather than a burial service.
For starters, a cremation is a less expensive option to a burial services. A full service funeral with cremation comes in at about half the cost of a full service funeral and burial. And there are options you can choose, such a memorial service at home or in a community centre, for example, that keep could costs even lower.
Following a cremation, there are far more options for a resting place. Your loved one’s remains can be close to you or they can be scattered in a resting spot that you know would have had great significance to them. Retaining your loved one’s remains in an urn in an appropriate part of the home gives you a sense of connection but so would the location that you choose as their final resting place.
The cremation process in Australia is encouraged because there are no land requirements for a cremation, land sustainability and conservation are genuine and good reasons to choose a cremation over a burial. This also brings into question the use of formaldehyde to preserve a body. Using formaldehyde is bad for the environment. You are more able to avoid formaldehyde in preparation for a cremation than a burial.
When you choose your funeral directors to make arrangements for you, ask them to provide you with all of the reasons why you should choose cremation vs burial. The first thing to discuss is where and when you would like the service to take place and to check the location’s availability. Once that is done you can begin to make arrangements for the funeral service. Everything from the type of service and the choice of a minister or celebrant, to whether you would like a coffin or casket and the types of flowers and choice of music will be discussed. The benefits of having a cremation will be discussed at this time as well.
Funeral Directors post funeral notices in publications appropriate to the location of the church and or crematorium, on your behalf. Once you have decided where and when the funeral will take place, you should go ahead and inform your friends and relatives.
