Dispersing ashes after a cremation is depicted as families gathered by the seaside or at a location that had some significance to the deceased and allowing the ashes to fly with the breeze or flow freely with the current. A crematorium in Sydney may be close to the ocean or a national park and therefore dispersing the ashes on the day of the service might be considered to be an extension of the ceremony and a good time to do it while all your family and friends are gathered.

Following on from our previous blog which discussed The Benefits of Cremation Over Burial Services, at some point you will need to decide what you are going to do. Having them close to you or dispersed in a resting spot that you know would have significance to them is really about a sense of connection. You may decide in advance of the service or make the decision some time after. Either way, there are many personal and significant choices that you can make.

Many choose a burial because they have the benefit of visiting the gravesite of their loved one. The point to both choices is one of ongoing connection. We want to have a connection to the people we love.

As cremations and cremation burial services have increased in popularity, families and friends of the deceased have come up with some imaginative and meaningful ways to remember someone who has died.

BIG PERSONAL STATEMENTS

Bespoke jewellers and artisans are producing pendants, bracelets, lockets and rings that allow your loved one to be with you wherever you go. A high end option for a jewellery statement is using your loved one’s ashes to create a beautiful diamond ring.

And now that tattoos are nothing short of ubiquitous, it is becoming popular to create tattoo ink from the deceased’s ashes and having the deceased’s name engraved onto a person’s body. If you like the idea of art, just not body art, then a portrait that incorporates the cremated ashes into the materials is a less painful alternative. If pottery is important to you or was a part of your loved one’s life, then cremated ashes into the glaze is another creative option.

For a far more spectacular statement but one that won’t have the same longevity as a piece of jewellery, companies are able to turn cremated ashes into a fireworks display and have them dispersed into the atmosphere in style.

AT ONE WITH NATURE

Here’s an option that maintains your loved one’s connection to the ocean while providing an artificial, yet sustainable underwater structure that encourages underwater microorganisms to take hold and create life. Pyramid shaped solace stones, are made up of environmentally safe cast concrete that replicates nature’s designs. Cremated ashes are integrated into these artificial structures or reefs and laid to rest on the ocean.

On the theme of sustainable tributes, biodegradable urns can be buried and your loved one returned to nature without harming the environment. Sometime down the track, that same soil could be turned and a tree planted or the soil transferred to a pot and placed inside as an indoor plant.

AT HOME

If you’re not inclined towards dispersing ashes into the ocean or a special place you might want to store the cremation urn at home. You can purchase a beautiful urn in which to store your loved one’s remains. You might be thinking about what to do with the ashes so this option might be a comforting way to come to terms with your loss while considering a meaningful tribute.