Cremation Archives

What Is Involved in A Direct Cremation in Florida?

03.03.2021

When you’ve had a death in your family, one of the most daunting aspects if figuring out how to be dealt with your loved one’s body. There are so many choices: cremation, direct cremation, green burials, traditional burials and so on. One of the biggest trends you will see while performing your search is how popular cremation has become in the United States.

Cremation has become the most popular form of a final disposition choice within the US. In 2019, 54.6% was the cremation rate in the United States. It has been forecasted that by 2035, the cremation percentage for Florida families will be 79.1%. Florida has the second-fastest increase rate in cremation as the choice for families. This is mostly attributed to the direct cremation option families are picking in Florida.

Before we dive into what is involved in a direct cremation, let’s first get to the main reason so many Floridians are choosing direct cremations in Florida. The Price!

The 2019 median cost for final disposition arrangements varies greatly, the average cremation price is $5,150 and the average burial cost is $7,640. Whereas the average direct cremation cost in Florida is $2,800 (Our direct cremation cost is $795). Now we will go into the details on what you get in Florida with a direct cremation and why the price is so much lower for a Florida direct cremation compared to a normal Florida cremation or Florida burial.

1. With a Florida direct cremation, your loved one’s body gets picked from where they passed away and gets transported directly to the crematorium. In other forms of cremation or burial, the body would first be brought to the funeral home for embalming for a viewing. Embalming is an incredibly time intensive task that can cost thousands of dollars and is also very harmful to the environment due to the chemicals used in the embalming process.

2. The time from start to finish for a direct cremation can be much less. There is always a waiting period after your loved one dies in Florida to get medical examiner approval of a direct cremation. Once the Florida direct cremation facility gets the medical examiner approval, the cremation can occur right away. On average, the whole Florida direct cremation process can take between 5 to 7 business days.

3. Due to the current COVID environment, most funeral homes are not allowing viewings. So, if you chose a direct cremation, you do not need to worry about social distancing and the issues that arise from having a funeral.

4. Now more than ever, families from all around the US are choosing to move to Florida. That can create some issues if there is a death in the family, because of a distance. When families in Florida choose a cremation, they can ship or fly ashes to other parts of the country for minimal costs. Whereas, if a family chooses a burial, in most cases that’s not a feasible option.

At Going Home Cremations, we have been helping families with cremations in South West Florida for over twenty years. We can help you save money without sacrificing care.

The Average Cost of a Cremation in Florida

02.14.2021

The Average Cost of a Cremation in Florida

Since 2015, cremation has become the top choice for families when it comes to cremations vs burials. It’s predicted that within 20 years over 80% of people will choose cremation as their final wish once they pass away. In Florida, it seems like cremation is getting close to the 80% already, due to the lower costs compared to normal funerals and the ease of arranging direct cremations in Florida. Especially areas where “snow bids” tend to migrate like St. Petersburg, Tampa and Fort Meyers, Florida. One of the biggest issues for Florida families is figuring out what’s an appropriate price to pay for a cremation in Florida. What is why below, we will break down the average cost of a cremation in Florida.

This increase in frequency in cremation as the number one choice for families in Florida has led to a boon of facilities offering direct cremations in Florida. In general, the prices for direct cremations in South West Florida range between $700-$3000. Cremations that fall below the $700 price in general have a lot of additional fees, so in truth their direct cremation prices when everything is said and done are closer to $1200.

There are a few reasons for the incredible variability in Florida direct cremation prices. First, it depends on facility you choose to have your cremation done. In Florida, funeral homes have very large overhead costs, and in years past they received most of their profit from funerals that on average would cost Florida families $10,000. Now that direct cremations in Florida are becoming more popular, they have had to change how they receive their profits. They now have increased their prices of their cremations to compensate for the reductions in burials. So, in general, the highest priced cremations in South West Florida are from funeral homes that are selling cremations. Funeral homes also tend to upsell additional cremation options more and will try and get families to use their cemetery for example, which can add thousands of dollars onto the costs of a Florida cremation.

For the direct disposer facilities that only offer cremations in Florida, their prices tend to be lower than funeral home prices. But the big thing to be aware of from these facilities is where their crematories are located and the reviews they have. It is important to research any cremation facility you look at in Florida to make sure your loved one will be handled with dignity and care. We suggest Google and Yelp as great ways to research customer reviews.

We wanted to spend a moment and break down common things you will pay for when your loved one dies and wants a Florida cremation.

Cremation Cost
- This is the biggest cost and in general, just includes the costs to have your loved one cremated.
Transportation of Your Loved One
- You will have to pay to have your loved one picked up from where they passed to be brought to the crematory. If your loved one is larger than an average person, there tends to be additional fees due to increased need for additional men to help transport your loved one.
Refrigeration
- In the state of Florida, there is a mandatory 48 hour waiting period before your loved one can be cremated, so they need to be refrigerated at the crematory while this waiting period occurs.
Casket to Be Cremated In
- Your loved one will be cremated in casket and the prices can vary.
Urn (We include an urn for free in our direct cremation)
- Try and find a Florida direct cremation facility with well-priced urns. Urns can be incredibly expensive. That is why at Going Home Cremation, we include an urn for free in the cost of our cremation. https://goinghomecremations.com/urns/
Obituary
- Obituaries can be a surprisingly expensive add on to cremations in Florida. We have even seen them cost families close to $1000. We include a premium obituary for free for our Florida direct cremations. https://goinghomecremations.com/obituaries/
Death Certificates
- There will be county fees for death certificates that everyone has to pay, and they are set by each county.
Paper work fees
- Preparing your loved one for a cremation takes an incredible amount of paperwork, and most all facilities charge for that. When your loved one passes, the direct cremation facility has to undergo many steps to get the cremation approved, have the doctor sign the death certificate and then to get the death certificate approved, these steps can take many hours.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer direct cremations in St. Petersburg, Fort Meyers, Trinity, Sarasota, Bradenton, and Port Charlotte, Florida. But most importantly, we want all families searching for Florida direct cremations to understand the average cost of a cremation in Florida so they can make the best choice for their families.

What to Look for When Choosing A Florida Direct Cremation Facility

02.06.2021

When your loved one dies, it can be an overwhelming process to figure out what to do next. First, you need to make sure you loved one doesn’t have prearrangements for their cremation. If they do not have prearrangements, you need to start by figuring out how you want to handle your loved one’s direct cremation in Florida.

A direct cremation is becoming more popular day by day in Florida, especially in the south west region of Florida. This is due to the lower costs of direct cremations and also the current pandemic crisis which does not allow for congregation of people to celebrate the life of a loved one. In a direct cremation, you do not have a funeral where you view the body. Instead, your direct cremation facility will pick the body up and have it cremated directly.

Once you have figured out that you want a direct cremation in Florida for your loved one, you need to figure out which direct cremation facility you want to go with. This can be the trickiest part of the whole direct cremation process. When you google direct cremation St. Petersburg or direct cremation Trinity, you will see pages upon pages of direct cremation facilities pop up. Here are a few tips and “red flags” to be aware of and ask questions about:

Very Low Prices

When facilities offer cremations around the $500-$600 mark there should be some alarm bells going off in your head. Most of the time, they advertise a much lower price but do not include costs like transportation, urns, or will even add unnecessary additional fees that can bring your final total easily over $2000. If something like that happens to you, know that within the state of Florida, no facility is allowed to hold a body once they pick it up. If you are not happy, its within your rights to move to another facility. You should aim for a cremation facility that starts offering prices in the high $700-$1000 range. For example, our simple cremation is $795 and it includes transportation, an urn and an obituary. https://goinghomecremations.com/affordable-cremation-services/

Crematory

Ask them about their crematory! The very low priced direct cremation facilities will have your loved one cremated in office parks or places you would never be okay with if you saw them for yourself. Go check out this article to learn more: https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Red-flags-to-look-out-for-when-selecting-a-funeral-home-497967031.html

Their Headquarters

We have been seeing an uptick in corporate direct cremation facilities that are not even located in Florida. That should be concerning. You want a facility where their headquarters are based in Florida to make sure they are following all rules around direct cremations in Florida.

Look Up Their Reviews on Google and Yelp

Please look at a company’s reviews before you choose to go with them. We have seen many families be shocked at the lack of customer service or upcharges because they did not review their direct cremation facility, they chose in Florida first. For example, our facility Going Home Cremations, has over 24 five stars Google reviews. In fact, we only have five-star reviews, and its important you go with a facility that has similar numbers.

Ask Them How Long They’ve Been in Business

We are also seeing more facilities being started by people who do not really understand the Florida direct cremation industry. It’s imperative that your facility knows the ins and outs of each city they are in. When you have a direct cremation in Florida, there are special rules for each area. For example, direct cremations in St. Petersburg can have different county fees than direct cremations in Port Charlotte. That’s why it is so important that you have a facility that can handle each city like they have lived there for their whole life. At Going Home Cremations, we have been in Southwest Florida doing cremations for over 20 years, and know the ins and outs of all the areas we service.

At Going Home Cremations, our main goal is helping families because compassion is at the heart of our care. If you are out of our service area but just want to ask questions on some facilities you are looking at for a cremation in Florida, call us! We will try and help guide you to pick a cremation facility that is dignified but offering affordable cremations.

Cremation: What to Do with The Ashes Afterwards.

01.25.2021

After your loved one has had a cremation, the next step in the process is for you and your family to decide what you should do with the cremated ashes. There are many options for a family when it comes to what to do with cremated ashes.

First things first, you need to decide if you will have cremation facility handle the ashes or your family once the cremation is completed. For example, At Going Home Cremations, we can scatter the ashes of a loved one for you if you do not want to do it yourself. There are many places we are able to scatter ashes including the ocean.

If you will be taking the cremated ashes once the cremation is completed, then you must decide what you will do the cremated remains. There are a few options:

Keep the Ashes at Home:

You can purchase an urn and keep the urn with the ashes at home. This is what many people typically do when they have a loved one cremated. You can also split the ashes, so many family members can have ashes in their home. We would suggest arranging ashes being split with the cremation facility you are using. The facility can also put the ashes in each urn for you, sometimes at little or no cost.

What to Do with The Ashes scattering ashes cremations

Bury the Ashes or Put Them in A Columbarium:

You can bring the urn to a cemetery and have it put into a niche or family plot. Cremation facilities will not be able to help you with this part, you will have to go to a cemetery to purchase space. The costs for doing this can be significant so we suggest shopping around to a few cemeteries or even seeing if individual sellers are selling their plots. You can either bury the urn or put it into a columbarium.

Scatter the Ashes:

You can scatter the ashes or even just scatter part of the ashes. Scattering rules and regulations depending on where you are, so check out of blog that speaks more about it here: https://goinghomecremations.com/scatterings-ashes-in-florida/. There are many options when It comes to scattering ashes. You can scatter ashes in the sea, or even a state park. You are also able to scatter ashes on private land if you get permission.

Make the Ashes into Diamonds

You can make the cremated remains in diamonds. It’s an expensive process but in the end, you get real diamonds out of the process. We can help you with this at Going Home Cremations. Cremation diamonds are real diamonds made from human cremation ashes. Firstly, the carbon of the cremation ashes is purified. Then, it is pressed into a cremation diamond with high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) machine.

Add the Ashes to a Manmade Reef:

You can add your loved one’s ashes to a man-made reef called Eternal Reef. https://www.eternalreefs.com

Plant the Ashes:

There are different companies that offer the ability for you to plant your loved one’s ashes with a tree. The types of trees options vary from Maple Trees all the way to Palm trees.

Turn the Ashes into Ammo:

We work with a company called Holy Smokes, and they are able to turn your loved one’s ashes into ammo. You can even get colored ammo for military gun salutes. http://www.myholysmoke.com

Send the Ashes to Space:

There is a company that offers different options to send cremated ashes to space, they are called Celestis. https://www.celestis.com

No matter what you choose to do with your loved ones cremated ashes, know at Going Home Cremation, we offer you the most affordable direct cremation service in Florida. https://www.goinghomecremations.com

The Rules of Shipping and Flying with Cremated Remains and Ashes

01.17.2021

Shipping and Flying with Cremated Ashes and Remains

It happens almost every day, the untimely death of a family member while out of state or even the country. Or a loved one dies in Florida while in retirement, but you live outside of Florida. What do you do when something like that happens and you want your loved one’s ashes sent some where different than where they passed? You are most likely going to have to fly or ship the cremated remains to their destination. There are many rules and regulations surrounding shipping ashes nationally or flying with them domestically.

Shipping Cremated Remains:

Once your loved one has been cremated; you do have the option of shipping their ashes once the direct cremation is done. However, there are many rules and regulations surrounding shipping ashes. First, cremated remains are only allowed to be shipped via USPS. They must be shipped overnight via Priority Mail Express. You must have something called a label 139 to accompany the ashes that will be shipped. The priority mail express will provide tracking for the shipment. You can also ship ashes internationally via USPS Priority Mail Express International. However, you must ensure the country will accept cremated remains. Also Priority Mail Express International must be an option to ship cremated ashes to.

The packaging of shipping cremated ashes is very important with a few requirements. If you use your direct crematory to help you ship the ashes, they should be able to do it all for you. If not, check out this link to UPS shipping guidelines for cremated remains: https://about.usps.com/publications/pub139.pdf. At Going Home Cremation, we offer the service of shipping cremated ashes for our families. The USPS prices tend to vary between $100-$300 depending on where they cremated remains need to be shipped to.

Flying with Cremated Remains:

You are legally allowed to fly with cremated ashes as long as you follow some specific guidelines. In the US, most airlines will allow you to fly with cremated remains, but each carrier has a different policy and you must double check their policy. If you are bringing the cremated remains on as a carry on, you must ensure that the urn holding the remains can go through the X-Ray machine, and allow TSA to see the full contents. Stone urns, metal urns, ceramic urns and any other material that is not easily x-rayed will not be allowed. Plastic, cardboard, and most wood urns are okay for the X-ray machine and should be allowed through the TSA security check point. The TSA will not open any urns or examine cremated remains, even if granted permission, so ensure cremation ashes are packed properly prior to going through security.

In Florida, when you are flying with cremated remains, you need two documents: A burial transit permit and a certificate of cremation. The crematory you work with should be able to provide you with both items with ease. You can also put cremated ashes in your luggage, and we suggest that if you do so, attach a copy of the burial transit permit and certificate of cremation to the ashes in your luggage. If you are flying with cremated ashes as a carry on, you should bring both of these documents with you in case there are any questions. If you have any more questions, contact TSA and check out this link about their guidelines: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/cremated-remains.

At Going Home Cremations, we can help. We are able to help you ship or fly with you your loved one’s cremated ashes. Visit our website https://www.GoingHomeCremations.com or call 941-320-1179.

The Differences Between Direct Cremation and Cremation

01.07.2021

At Going Home Cremations, we know it can be very confusing to understand the differences between what a direct cremation is and what a cremation is. At the time your loved one passes in a hospital or hospice, there are so many options on what to do once your loved one passes. One of the first things you will realize is you have the option between a burial and a cremation. If you pick a cremation, you then need to figure out if you want a direct cremation or a cremation.

Cremation

The biggest different between a direct cremation and a cremation is that a cremation is MUCH MORE expensive. This is due to a normal funeral being involved with a cremation. With a cremation, the body is brought from the hospital or hospice and sent directly to a funeral home. The funeral home then performs normal funeral body preparations like embalming, dressing and body preparations for cremation viewings. This use to be the most popular way to handle a cremation, but due to costs that can be upwards of $7000 compared to $1000 for a direct cremation, it is falling out of favor.

The cost are so high due to families paying for a funeral director, casket, embalming, and then on top of that a cremation, when all is said and done. Also, the environmental concerns of embalming have also taken cremation out of favor compared to direct cremation. With a normal cremation, there is the option of a viewing for a family, like what would be expected if a burial was chosen

In a cremation, a family can choose to have a funeral like what would occur in a burial or have a viewing. This will change the costs for a cremation as well. In a viewing, there is less body preparation compared to a full funeral. With a viewing, it is possible to not have the body embalmed. Whereas, a normal funeral with a cremation, there is an embalming.

Direct Cremation

In a direct cremation, the body is taken from where the person died, directly to the crematory. This is the biggest difference between the two, because in a direct cremation the body is not prepared for viewing. This can save families thousands of dollars as well as make the cremation process faster for families in case they need death certificates for estate matters.

Once the body is at the crematory, the cremation process is very fast, with the actual cremation only taking between one to three hours. Once the body is cremated, the rest of the direct cremation process is very fast. One additional advantage of the direct cremation is that once the cremation is completed, the family can still have a service but save considerable amount of time and not be on a time crunch for scheduling a service.

On average a direct cremation in Florida can start around $1000, which is much less than what a cremation in Florida would cost. Additionally, during the time of COVID, it does not make much sense to have a cremation or burial due to social distancing rules. It is important to note, no cremation will occur less than about 5-7 business days. This is due to a medical examiner looking over what the doctors notes are about the cause of death.

At Going Home Cremations, we can help you arrange a direct cremation for your loved one in Florida.

Scatterings Ashes in Florida: Rules and Where to Scatter

12.29.2020

At Going Home Cremations, we offering cremation for your loved ones. Once a cremation is finished you have the option of scattering ashes. There are a few regulations around scattering cremation ashes in Florida.

In Florida, there are no state laws or restrictions on where you can keep or scatter ashes. If you decide to scatter ashes of a loved one, there are many options available in Florida. The cremation process makes it so a person are harmless, and there are no health risks related to scattering ashes. Even when it comes to a COVID related death, once a person has been cremated, there are no issues with scattering cremated ashes.

Even though Florida doesn’t have laws regarding scattering ashes, certain cities and counties within the state may have their own rules. Also, state parks and national parks have their own rules and there are federal guidelines to follow related to scattering ashes at sea. It is recommended to contact the local public authority before scattering ashes to make sure they do not have special regulations or procedures.

Options to scatter ashes in Florida:

As Sea: Scattering ashes at sea is a very popular way to scatter ashes in Florida. At Going Home Cremation, we can guide you in the rules and regulations of scattering ashes in the sea. We also offer additional packages for scattering ashes in the sea in Florida. The EPA requires that it be notified of a scattering at sea within 30 days of it occurring. You can call the EPA or go to their website and fill out a simple form before scattering. Federal law requires that ashes are to be scattered at least 3 nautical miles from the shore and it is very important to follow these rules. If caught scattering ashes closer to shore than 3 nautical miles, there can be fines associated with the scattering. At Going Home Cremations, we can offer services to scatter ashes 3 nautical miles off the shore.

When scattering ashes at sea, you can use special biodegradable urns that are ecofriendly and make the scattering at sea a memorable experience. We offer these type of urns, just please contact us. https://goinghomecremations.com/urns/

Private Property: You are allowed in Florida to scatter ashes on your personal property. You are also allowed to ask permission to scatter ashes on someone else’s private property. It is wise to get written consent if you are scattering ashes on someone else’s private land in Florida

Public Land: There are many beautiful public lands available for scattering ashes in Florida. It is important to contact the regulating authorities of the public land you want to scatter the cremated remains on before scattering. There are special regulations for scattering as sea.

Federal Land: For scattering ashes on federal land, it can vary from park to park. Some parks will allow it, some will not. It is common practice to have specific areas allowed for scattering ashes and many parks require a permit before scattering. We suggest reaching out to the governing federal land before scattering the ashes in Florida.

Cemeteries: Some cemeteries have areas where scattering ashes is allowed. This service will cost a fee and varies from cemetery to cemetery.

Air: There are no rules or regulations prohibiting scattering ashes in Florida by air. But make sure to only scatter the ashes and not the urn or box holding the ashes.

Hospice Care and Cremation

12.22.2020

Cremation and Hospice

Having a loved one in hospice care during the end of their life is an extremely stressful time for families. On top of trying to spend as much time with their loved ones, family members need to start planning on what will happen once their loved one passes. Cremation has become to most common way families proceed one their loved one has passed. We will now describe what families should do once their loved one passes and they have decided on cremation.

Call the hospice office: When your loved one passes, call the hospice office. You may turn off machines, such as oxygen machines or monitors. Some family members prefer to sit with the loved one, while others find this too difficult and will want to leave the room. Do whatever is right for you. When your hospice nurse arrives, he or she will help with the immediate process of pronouncing death and beginning the end-of-life logistics.
Call friends and family: Notify friends and family of the passing. Make sure to prioritize who is told first.
Find a cremation provider: When looking for a cremation facility, make sure to check google ratings, also see if your hospice facility recommends any facilities. At Going Home Cremations, we have over 25 five-star reviews and are recommended by hospice facilities throughout all of Florida. Make sure to ask for pricing, and cremation options. For example, ask about scattering ashes, or make a eco friendly urn. Also make sure to ask for their urn catalog to see if there are any urns your family prefers.
Contact the cremation facility you pick: Make sure to let the cremation facility aware of the death and that you have chosen them for the cremation. Most good facilities will be able to pick up your loved one in a few hours. At Going Home Cremation, we have multiple cremation facilities and are able to do very quick professional pick ups.
Collect any jewelry or belongings from your loved one before they are picked up for a cremation.
Consider having a thumb print taken or any other memorial items decided on within a day of pickup.
Fill out the cremation authorization form: Make sure to fill out these forms quickly as nothing will begin until these forms are filled out.
Have hospice pick up any medical equipment: Make sure to follow up with Hospice if you had any medical equipment.
Consider asking hospice about any grief counseling if needed.

What is a Celebration of Life?

09.29.2020

A celebration of life is an event focused on sharing stories of the deceased and commemorating the joys he or she brought into the lives of others. As the name implies, it’s meant to celebrate the life of your loved one, opposed to grieving the loss. While there are often tears, these events tend to be creative, and focus on happiness and laughter. A celebration of life can take place immediately, or weeks or months after death and the body is typically not present.

The tone is peaceful rather than mournful, celebratory instead of sombre. Wearing black is commonly discouraged. You’re more likely to hear Monty Python’s Always Look On The Bright Side of Life – according to a 2014 survey,

A survey of 2,000 people suggested that 54% wanted their funeral to be a “celebration of life”. Some 48% said they wanted it to incorporate their favourite “hobby, colour, football team or music”..

By looking back rather than forward, and focusing on happy memories rather than the immediate sense of loss,

Celebration of Life Service Planning & Outline

The most memorable events are highly meaningful, and capture the unique life and personality of the deceased. The following questions can help define the essence of your loved one.

What were the individual’s religious or spiritual beliefs?
What were their distinctive qualities?
What were they passionate about?
What do people think of when they think of the individual?

1. Timing
A memorial service or celebration of life can be held any time after death. You may choose to make arrangements immediately, though it is also acceptable to wait several weeks or even months.

It can be difficult to make decisions immediately after a major loss; planning the event several months into the future allows you to enlist help from others, or even hire a professional planner. Waiting also allows people to make travel arrangements, making it easier for friends and family to attend. You also will find more options available (location, venue, other services) if you’re not dependent on having the event in the next 7 days.

2. Type of Service
Decide the type of service and where you would like to hold it.

On the Beach , On a Boat to Scatter, VFW hall, Church Hall, In Your Home, At a Local Park, There are many places you can be creative with.

Cremation and memorial service.

3. People to Invite
After you’ve determined the type of service and timing of the event, it’s a good idea to make a list of everyone you’d like to invite. Immediate family is a good place to start, then consider more distant relatives. Next make a list of friends, and not just current friends—include friends from different chapters of the person’s life: friends from childhood, school, different jobs, and different locations. Don’t forget to include your support network as well.

If people will be traveling in for the service, consider the accommodations they’ll need. Will they be able to stay with you or other family? Are local hotels or accommodations by owners available? This may impact the timing you choose.

4. Location
Things to consider when choosing a location are:

Will any portion be held at a religious location?
How large of a venue is needed, based on the number of people expected.
Does it have adequate parking?
Is it handicap accessible?
Can it accommodate all parts of the event—service, socializing, etc.
When is it available?

5. Celebrant or Host
Who will lead the service/event? If the individual was religious or spiritual, the officiant or celebrant likely has a standard service that can be personalized. If a host will be leading the event, you can still choose meaningful customized elements, such as readings and music.

6. Readings / Readers
You may want to choose religious prayers, readings, poems, quotes, personal writings, or song lyrics that were significant to your loved one. Next, choose the reader or readers who will present them.

Also, it can be touching to have people share personal anecdotes or memories about the individual.

7. Eulogist / Speakers
If you choose to have a eulogy, choose who will write and deliver it. Rarely are eulogists experienced, so you may share these guidelines for preparing and delivering a eulogy:

Be Brief. Be sure to check with the clergy or service director about timing. If none is provided five to ten minutes is a good guideline.
Be Focused. You can’t distill a lifetime into five to ten minutes, so don’t try. Start with a brief history of the deceased’s life, including significant relationships and professional history; interests; and achievements.
Be Personal. Focus on one or two notable qualities, passions, or characteristics of the person, and share a personal story or favorite memory related to it. A saying, quote, song, or religious text that was significant to the individual is a good way to close.
Be Positive. Now is the time to affirm the positive aspects of the individual’s life.
Write it Down. A written eulogy is another way for family and friends to hold the memory of a loved one. While practice is recommended, committing the eulogy to memory is not required. During this highly emotionally time, it may be nice to have a written copy to reference in the event thoughts become scattered.
For additional details on how to write a eulogy, see the Hazeltine blog post, Writing a Eulogy for a Celebration of Life of Memorial Service.

8. Music
Select songs, hymns, and other pieces of music that were enjoyed by the deceased, or that hold special significance. Determine who will provide the music? Professional musicians, DJs, family/friends, or a playlist on an audio system are all options. You may choose a combination of live music for parts of the program, followed by a playlist of significant songs as background music as guests socialize.

9. Food & Beverage
Options for food and beverage include DIY (with help from friends and family), hiring a caterer, or full-service food and beverage provided by the venue you select.

You may choose to provide foods that were particularly liked by the deceased. Another option is a particular ethnic cuisine. Depending on the time of day, you may choose to provide light snacks, like appetizers and desserts, or a full meal. Be advised that many guests may have dietary restrictions, so inquire with your caterer/venue about options.

Many events, especially a celebration of life, choose to include a bar, which adds to the celebratory feel of the service.

10. Photographer / Videographer
You may choose to capture the event with photos or video, to keep the memories for years to come. This job can be undertaken by a family member or friend, or you can hire a professional.

In some cases, some families choose to webcast the event, which allows people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend to participate in the service.

11. Flowers & Memorials
Traditionally, people send sympathy flowers to express their condolences. However, it is commonplace for families to request memorial donation instead of flowers. In the obituary, social media and event invitations, you can indicate whether flowers or memorials are preferred, or whether both are acceptable.

The typical way to indicate memorials are preferred over flowers is “in lieu of flowers…” but there are other ways to suggest survivors show their support. For example, “those wishing to make a memorial donation, may contribute to [specific charity name] or the charity of their choosing.”

12. Personalizing the Event
Personalizing the event can range from simple to elaborate, and can be done by a few people or by everyone attending.

Some traditional ways to remember a loved one are with a memory board of photos, a display of photo albums, a video or slide show, or through displaying personal memorabilia.

To involve guests, you may ask that people bring a few words about the departed to share or post for others to see. It could be a favorite memory, a sentence or two on how they knew each other; or ask them to send a photo or song to be included in the slideshow or playlist.

Scattering Ashes

09.28.2020

Scattering Ashes at Sea Guide: 5 Important Things You Need To Know

Scattering ashes at sea is a fitting tribute and farewell to a loved one.

Most of us have seen heard of pouring ashes into the water from a boat.

But you might be unsure about how to organise something like this, or whether you need permission.

Our experts have put together this guide to help you through the process. We will explain some of the different ceremonies and services you might consider.

After we’ll cover rules and regulations, prayers, poems, and various methods and ideas for scattering the ashes.

Scattering Ashes at Sea Ceremony
There are other factors to consider in addition to the actual scattering. For instance, will you have a memorial ceremony?

In most cases, there is no particular rules for the ceremony. It is arranged and performed to the wishes of the deceased or their family members.

Ashes Ceremony on a Boat

You may prefer a cremation ceremony to be performed according to the religious beliefs of the deceased.

For instance, Christian scatterings are often similar to a traditional one on land. They sometimes include a minister who oversees the event with eulogies, prayers, or a scripture.

Other Ceremony Alternatives

Then again, you could have the ceremony with only family and friends.

Otherwise, you might consider a ceremony that is planned around the heritage of the deceased.

Or if they were fun loving, it could be a celebration of their love for life with music and even dancing.

We will look at some of the possibilities in more detail later.

Choosing the right urn

Floating biodegradable urn

Many people simply pour the ashes from an urn into the water. There is no specific type of urn required for that.

Some simply use the temporary container, which the funeral home or crematorium provided.

However when scattering at sea, it’s wise to ensure that you determine the direction of the wind, otherwise the consequences can be messy.

Biodegradable Urns for Water
If you wish to release the whole urn into the water, a biodegradable urn is your best choice.

These are created to break down quickly in water are now available in all shapes and designs.

These beautiful urns come in quite a few designs including flowers, seashells, turtles, and more.

Water Urns Guide
If you’re interested in scattering, we recommend you read our biodegradable urns for water guide which provides some valuable tips before buying.

Types of Services Available
The options are endless. Below we will look at a few ideas and suggestions. Hopefully, one will be right for you or possibly trigger an idea of your own.

Unattended Services

Captain Spreading Ashes

In many situations, although scattering at sea is desired, the family is unable to attend. This may be due to illness or perhaps the place where the deceased desired is a great distance away.

For those circumstances, after the cremation has taken place, you would send the ashes to the company that will be performing the service.

The captain of the ship will take your loved one’s ashes along on the voyage and perform a distinguished scattering for you.

In most cases, they welcome any requests you may have such as a particular prayer to say, a poem to recite, or music to play.

Attended Services
Scattering Ashes at Sea
Scattering Ceremony At Night

You have the choice to arrange the service yourself or hire a sea burial company to do it for you.

Some companies offer specific services such as a mariner’s farewell ceremony. As the ashes are scattered, the mariner’s farewell verse is read as the ship’s bell tolls eight times.

The mourners may each toss a flower into the water as a final farewell.

Category: Cremation