Grief is one of the most painful emotions, but it’s also an inevitable part of the human condition. If you or a loved one needs to plan a memorial service in 2015, then you might be feeling overwhelmed with the dizzying number of things to do and plan.
Every year, 2.4 million funerals are planned in the U.S., and increasingly mourners choose to use cremation urns for ashes rather than traditional caskets. If you or someone you know is considering cremation urns, then it may be helpful to know what your options are.
There are four popular kinds of urns in use today:
- Display Urns: The type of cremation urns for ashes most Americans are familiar with are these tasteful, decorative urns used to store and display the remains of a loved one. There are almost as many varieties of display urns as there are personalities, and sometimes they are even hand made by artists. Common styles include marble, wood, jade, granite, bronze, onyx, and mother of pearl. Some people also choose urns with design features, such as American flags, religious markings like a cross, or silhouettes of birds.
- Scattering Urns: Increasingly, many Americans request that their friends and family scatter their ashes after they pass. In such cases, families can purchase lightweight urns specially designed to help scatter ashes. Please keep in mind that different cities and states have their own rules regulating where and how mourners can scatter ashes.
- Biodegradable Cremation Urns: Some people choose cremation but still wish to be buried after they pass, perhaps so they can rest in peace in a family plot. Now, funeral and memorial companies offer green burial urns that can be interred in earth or water without harming the environment. So-called “Bio Urns” often contain tree seeds meant to grow over the burial site.
- Pet Urns For Ashes: Sometimes people don’t realize how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet until they’re already gone. More than ever before, many Americans are choosing to memorialize their pets with animal urns for ashes, that way they can always remember their devoted best friends.
Cremation becomes more common every year in U.S. funerals. Affordable cremation urns for ashes are simply more practical for many grieving families, but they also allow for personalized memorial options. There are endless ways to honor the memory of a loved one with customized urns or ashes after a cremation. If you know anyone preparing for or suffering after the loss of a loved one, take some time to remind them that you are available to help.
