After my father passed away suddenly, my mother, siblings and I all struggled with planning his funeral. We were already in a state of shock and sorrow, and then we were overwhelmed with the options and decisions we had to make in regards to the funeral. Luckily for us, we worked with an amazing funeral home and funeral director who helped guide us through the process. I know how hard it is to plan a funeral and how many decisions need to be made. This website was created in order to give families preparing to lay a loved one to rest a guide of sorts that will help them determine what decisions will need to be made and information about those decisions. I extend my sympathies to you if you are in this position and hope my website helps to make things a little bit easier for you.
Planning your own funeral allows you to not only ensure that the proceedings will meet your wishes, but also prevents your surviving family from being saddled with the burden of handling challenging decisions and unexpected expenses after your passing. Although you have a variety of options at your disposal, it's always ideal to consider the method of cremation. This approach presents a multitude of benefits that can be appealing and, while the process of planning your own funeral can often be emotionally taxing to some degree, you'll feel better knowing you've put a definitive plan in place. Here are three benefits to cremation.
Financial Benefits
Regardless of the specifics of your funeral, opting for cremation provides a significant reduction in cost. A traditional burial has many expensive elements, including the purchase of the casket, which can cost several thousand dollars. According to an NBC News article, a traditional funeral averages about $6,500. However, going the route of cremation is significantly cheaper; Caring.com reports that, in 2015, a cremation can often cost as little as $1,500 if you arrange the cremation directly through a crematorium -- although around the $3,000 range for a cremation through a funeral home, like Lawry Brothers Funeral Home, is more common.
Versatility
Choosing cremation gives you a wide range of options for deciding the type of service that will honor your wishes and suit the needs of your family. The traditional approach of a funeral and burial typically requires the service to be held within a few days of an individual's passing, but cremation provides the option of holding a memorial service at a later date. The National Funeral Directors Association notes that cremation and memorial services can go hand-in-hand. Advantages of having a memorial service include the fact that the event doesn't need to take place soon after the death and that this type of service can often serve as a celebration of life.
Environmental Concerns
If you're someone who is passionate about the environment, choosing cremation can sit well with your conscience. A traditional burial not only takes up land space, but some people have concerns about chemicals from the embalming process and elements of the casket leaching into the earth. Although the solid liners of many caskets address these concerns, cremation doesn't carry the same environmental issues. With this approach, your loved ones can keep your ashes in an urn in their home or scatter the ashes in an outdoor location of your choosing.
Share17 June 2015
