Selecting Funeral Products

Now that you made the vital decision regarding burial or cremation for your loved one, you need to choose the funeral products involved with your choice.

When you choose burial, you’ll need to select a casket, and burial vault. If your preference was cremation, then you'll want to browse our selection of cremation containers and urns.

As you sit with your Funeral Director to plan the funeral or memorial service, he or she will speak with you about personalization pieces and memorialization products. Below is our online catalog of what is available from our funeral home.
 

Caskets

Commonly, funeral homes have a number of caskets that you can choose from, including cloth-covered caskets, as well as ones made from various woods and metals. It is also possible to customize many of the caskets to pay a fitting tribute to your loved one.

 

Burial Vaults

Outer burial vaults are usually required by a cemetery to prevent the settling of the grave site, and to facilitate grounds maintenance. Also, many families choose to protect the casket and safeguard their loved one’s remains through the purchase of a burial vault that exceeds cemetery regulations.

Burial vaults range from the standard unlined burial vault, which serves as basic protection from the grave site elements; to lined outer burial vaults.
 

Cremation Vaults

Basically, a cremation vault acts to protect the urn. If you've chosen to inter a loved one's ashes on the grounds of a cemetery, you'll want to consider the purchase of a cremation vault. The final decision you make will depend on whether you'll plan an in-ground burial (called an "inurnment"), or intend placing the urn in a mausoleum or columbarium.
 

Cremation Urns

After cremation occurs, the remains will be returned to your family in a relatively-ordinary, temporary plastic container. This container is perfect for keeping the cremated remains for a short time, prior to a scattering ceremony. However, there are many reasons to purchase a more permanent, more elegant cremation urn. These include:

• If you plan to have a memorial service where the cremated remains will be present
• If you plan to inter the remains in a columbarium niche where the urn will be visible
• If you wish to keep the cremated remains in a place of honor at home

Urns are made of numerous materials generally in categories of hardwood, metal or stone. We also offer a selection of unique, temporary urns,and biodegradable urns for those selecting scattering at sea. There are also miniature keepsake urns which will hold a token portion of the cremated remains, a lock of hair, or earth from the grave site.

We offer a wide range of urns, in all price ranges.
 

Bringing Your Loved One’s Personality into the Service

The funeral or memorial service you plan for a loved one can be as personal as you wish it to be. Many families find great comfort in turning their thoughts inward for a time, to consider the personality, interests, and achievements of their loved one. Your Funeral Director will ask you to list one or two words describing any of the following things about your loved one:

• Personal characteristics
• Passions, interests, and hobbies
• Lifetime Achievements

The Funeral Director will also ask you about:

• The special memories you wish to share, or highlight at the service
• The important people you’d like to note or include
• How you’d like to personalize elements of the ceremony, such as the music, prayers, or recitations

Once you've given thought to the unique life and personality of the person who died, it's time to incorporate those memories into the funeral plan. Be creative as you, together with your family, friends, Funeral Director and the person who will lead the service, brainstorm how to remember and honor this special person.

A good way to personalize the funeral is to personalize the common elements of funeral ceremonies:

• The visitation
• The eulogy
• The music
• The readings
• The procession
• The committal service
• The gathering or reception

Considering Memorialization?

Just what is involved in memorializing a loved one? Certainly, it’s probably not within your power to build something like the Taj Mahal in their honor. Yet, there are wonderful things you can do to memorialize your loved one and ensure they are remembered and honored.

Being memorialized is in keeping with two basic human needs, the desire to remember, and to be remembered. So, how would your loved one like to be remembered?

Perhaps they would choose something small and private, such as a birdbath, sundial or garden bench. Or, maybe you think they would prefer having a tree, or trees, planted in their name.

You may simply choose to create an online memorial in their honor, such as a Book of Memories™, where you can include a video tribute, as well as an archive of treasured photographs.

Whether large or small, there are many memorialization options –in all price ranges– that can help you say your final goodbyes and remember the life of someone you loved.

If you have questions or would like to explore your options, please contact us.