Planning Cremation Services When Some Of Your Family Disapprove Of Cremation
When it comes to end-of-life options, cremation is more environmentally-conscious and certainly less expensive than bodily internment, but many religious groups prohibit cremation and some people hold personal reservations against it. If some members of your family do not approve of cremation services, it's important to clearly state your final wishes in writing so that there are no arguments over what to do with your remains once you pass away. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself when you wish to be cremated but have family members that are opposed to the process.
Should You Have A Funeral Service Before Cremation?
If members of your family are opposed to cremation, you may wish to have a funeral before the cremation process instead of holding a memorial service after cremation. Some religious groups, most notably the Roman Catholic Church, prefer services to be held in this manner. When you arrange to have a funeral done before cremation, your body will be prepared after you pass away and the funeral will be held as if your body was to be buried. However, instead of a procession and bodily internment in a cemetery after the funeral, your remains will be transported to a cremation facility. If you wish, you may choose to have an additional memorial service or a graveside service after your cremation. One of the reasons that you may wish to hold additional services is to give options to your family members who may not feel comfortable with cremation.
Do You Or Your Spouse Already Have A Burial Plot?
If you have previously made end-of-life arrangements with a cemetery and already own a burial plot, or if you own a joint burial plot with your spouse, you will need to know the cemetery's stance on ground burial of ashes. The cemetery has to follow state regulations, and some states have strict restrictions on the process of burying ashes in a cemetery. You may need to use a grave liner or even place your ashes into a casket in order to be buried. You should contact the funeral home you have made arrangements with and ask them about the cemetery's policy on ground burial of cremated remains so that your family members don't have to navigate this issue themselves after you pass away.
What Do You Want Done With Your Ashes?
Cremation services open up a number of possibilities that you do not have with a cemetery burial. You can scatter your ashes near your family home, be buried in a coral reef or use your ashes as fertilizer for a garden, for example. There's a wide variety of unique final resting places that you can choose from; writing down your final wishes now will make it easier for your family to follow them without arguing amongst themselves. One thing to note, though, is that you will need permission from the owner to scatter ashes on private property, and will need a permit to scatter ashes on public land, so ensure that you make a backup plan if the owners of the land are unwilling to let you scatter your ashes there. You may also wish to have your ashes stored in several different urns, so that each member of your family can keep them.
Share
