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Posts Tagged ‘simple cremation’

Lighten Up with Fun Funeral Ideas

February 2nd, 2009

In the past, funerals were solemn affairs, and any demonstration of joy would be regarded as disrespect for the dead. But times have changed, and the new trend among funeral planners is to celebrate a life well-lived, even if it means having a little fun. Come to think of it, there is reason to be happy when a loved one passes away. If you are one of those who believe in life after death, your loved one may be on his or her way to a paradise. And a fun funeral is also a great way to cherish the good times that a person experienced in his lifetime.

To make a funeral truly complete, you can divide it into two different sessions, one for grieving and another for light-hearted celebration. Here are some ideas to make a funeral more fun and memorable.

Give souvenirs to the guests: You can give out buttons or bookmarks to the guests. Print the photo of your loved one and his dates of birth and death on the souvenirs to make the funeral party more memorable. If your departed loved one was a connoisseur of fine wine, you can even consider giving out bottles of wine, with the photo and dates of birth and death printed on the labels. 

Organize a theme funeral party: Theme funerals are becoming more popular these days. If your loved one had a thing for the 60s, you can have a costume funeral where the guests can wear bell-bottoms, miniskirts, Nehru jackets, and headbands, and put on shag hairdos and afros. To make the theme funeral more complete, you can have 60s music and decorations as well.

Hold the funeral in a special location: Most people have their favorite places where they would like to spend time in. Holding the funeral party at a pool can be a great idea if your loved one liked to swim during his lifetime. Or for a golf enthusiast, a funeral party at a golf course will be most appropriate.

Add special cultural touches to the funeral: If your loved one was attracted to any particular culture, you can add touches of that culture to the funeral. For example, if he or she loved Hawaiian culture, you can hire a band to play Hawaiian music at the funeral.

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Cremation Options for When You Really Need to Know

January 29th, 2009

When your loved one passes away, one of the last things that you want to think about are the funeral plans. The world seems to be turning in circles around you and you may simply just not be able to concentrate on the task at hand. Did your loved one express a final wish for burial or a service? What are your wishes for them? Is there a budget for a funeral? Was cremation an option that was even considered?

Today family members have many options when it comes to selecting the final plans for their loved one. Cremation Options is a nationwide cremation and funeral service firm which provides quality, caring, planning and cremation services nationwide with a personal touch. From your first phone call to Cremation Options, you will know that they are different; just like their name says, they are all about options.

Options like:
• A simple cremation without a memorial service
• A simple cremation with a memorial ceremony
• A traditional funeral with cremation to follow
• A traditional funeral

With sensitivity, their funeral planners will help and guide you in making the final decisions for your loved one. My family chose the traditional funeral with cremation to follow. In fact, I never even knew there was such a thing, but the planners at Cremation Options advised me that many families want to have an open casket viewing for their loved ones final farewell. We also had a closed casket at the church for our religious ceremony. Cremation was then handled after the services by the funeral home in our area in tandem with the help of Cremation Options. The next day we had the interment graveside complete with flowers.

For my family, Cremation Options not only made our Dad’s service memorable, but helped to relieve the stress that accompanies so many of the choices and they handled the details wonderfully. When someone you love dies you may be devastated and unable to handle all the decisions that need to be made, for us, this was their real value and difference. Cremation Options professionally handled the details, guided us in decision making when asked, and took the burden of details and planning away so that we could grieve in peace.

A funeral is not typically a memory that stands out for most people in fact some would prefer to forget it, but I have to say the service for my Dad was one of my most tender and memorable memories. Thank you Cremation Options for making it so.

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Does Cremation Replace a Funeral?

January 27th, 2009

Cremation does not replace a funeral. A funeral is service of remembrance that may memorialize or celebrate the deceased person’s life. Cremation is simply a method of preparing the human remains for final disposition, like embalming. Cremation does, however, give families tremendous flexibility in selecting the time and place to hold a funeral or memorial service for their departed loved one.

Once a loved one’s remains are cremated, they can be placed in a cremation urn and held by the family indefinitely until final disposition, or even kept in the family home. This can be quite helpful when family members are spread out across the country and have to make travel arrangements or coordinate home/work schedules to travel to the funeral or disposition site. There have been instances when family members have been traveling overseas or are serving overseas with the military when a loved one dies. Cremation allows time for the individual to make travel arrangements and return home to grieve with his family and share in the remembrance at the funeral service.

Choosing cremation does not obligate the family to hold a funeral service, nor does embalming. The decision about whether or not to hold a funeral service for a departed loved one is strictly a matter of personal choice. Cremation allows families the freedom to choose the time and place of a funeral or memorial service without worrying about the condition or storage of the body until family members can gather.

Grief is an intensely personal experience. Many families find emotional release and solace in the shared grief and remembrance of a funeral service held shortly after the death of their loved one. A funeral service can be a respectful way to honor a departed family member. A funeral planner can discuss available options, help plan the service and make the appropriate arrangements. Sometimes, however, family members or the surviving spouse are so distraught by the passing of a loved one that they cannot face a funeral service immediately. Cremation allows families to wait until family members are ready to share their grief. Cremation provides families with flexibile options when a loved one passes away.

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Can I Watch the Cremation?

January 23rd, 2009

The death of a loved one is a very personal experience. Each of us struggles to show our respect for our departed loved one and cope with our grief in his passing in our own way. Our choice of funeral and memorial arrangements may be dictated by our religious beliefs, cultural background or personal preferences. It is not unusual when a loved one dies for family members or representatives of the deceased to ask to witness the cremation.

While laws and regulations vary from state to state, the following information about witnessing a cremation is typical. If a family member or representative wishes to observe the cremation, or if observation or participation in the cremation process is dictated by religious practices, you should speak to your funeral planner or funeral home representative about the laws in your state.

Arrangements to witness the cremation can be made through your funeral planner or funeral home by completing a Cremation Authorization Form. A time and date for the cremation will be set. Unembalmed bodies awaiting cremation are stored in a temperature-controlled refrigeration unit. Embalmed bodies may be but are usually not required to be refrigerated.

When witnesses arrive for the cremation, they will be escorted to a designated viewing area set aside by the crematory expressly for this purpose. The viewing area is required to be clean and sanitary.  Generally, a member of the crematory staff is present to explain the procedures and answer any questions.

By law, with certain exceptions for religious practices, only authorized crematory personnel are permitted in the room housing  the cremation chamber while a body is in the cremation area awaiting cremation, while the body is in the cremation chamber, while the cremains are being removed from the cremation chamber, while the cremains are being processed, and while the cremains are being placed into the cremation container or cremation urn. While other authorized crematory personnel may be present to assist, only certified or licensed crematory personnel are permitted to operate the crematory unit, remove the cremains from the cremation chamber, or operate the mechanical processor.

Out of respect for the dearly departed and the health and safety of crematory personnel, the body will have been placed in a cremation casket selected by the deceased’s family or a combustible cremation container provided by the crematory. Jewelry and other personal items are usually removed by the funeral home, and the cremation container will remain sealed.

Most modern cremation chambers are computer controlled. When the chamber reaches the appropriate temperature, 1600 to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, the casket is inserted, often via a motorized trolley, called a charger. Complete vaporization of the body can take two to three hours. Observers usually depart shortly after the body has been charged.

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