Category: Direct Cremation

Can You Have a Cremation Without a Service in Florida?

10.02.2021

Cremation service florida

At Going Home Cremations there are common questions we get from families when they are arranging a cremation. One of the most common ones is if they have  to “have  a cremation without a service” or “a cremation without a funeral” or a “cremation without a ceremony”. We wanted to answer this common cremation question for families when unfortunately, the time comes and they need to finalize cremation arrangements for their loved one.

The answer: No, you do not have to have a service when you cremate your loved one.

In Florida, you can have a cremation without any type of service or ceremony. This type of cremation is called a direct cremation, and is different than they type of cremations you get at a funeral home.

Direct cremations are cremations where your loved one will be cremated in Florida and there will be no viewing or service associated with the cremation. This type of cremation, a direct cremation, is being coming more popular for families in Florida. The popularity is for a few reasons, but the main reason is that direct cremations are much lower in price compared to a cremation with a formalized funeral service. For example, a cremation with a service can easily be $4,000-$5,000 whereas a direct cremation will be closer to $1500-$2000. The cost difference is due to not having a service and also you do not need to embalm your loved one if there is no service or viewing.

Another benefit of direct cremations are they tend to occur faster than normal cremations with a service. You do not need to wait to have your loved one embalmed or wait for the service. Furthermore, your loved one can go direct to being cremated, which will help you receive your loved ones ashes in a much more timely manner.

Especially during the time of COVID, it can be even more difficult than normal to have a formalized viewing or service when arranging a cremation. The issue with social distancing is another reason why direct cremation is becoming so popular in Florida. Furthermore, as a family you can have a direct cremation of your loved one and then hold a service yourself once COVID is no longer a major concern or even hold a virtual service. Both of these options, where as a family, you do the service without funeral professionals, you can save considerable money and ensure your close friends and families safety.

Virtual Cremation Service 1

If you arrange a cremation at a funeral home, they tend to be very pushy about services. So please be aware, in Florida, you do not need to have a service or a funeral for a loved one if you do not want to. If a funeral home is pushing you to have a service, we would suggest to possibly seek another facility to help you have a direct cremation of your loved one.

At Going Home Cremations, we offer direct cremations in South West Florida.

The Difference Between a Cheap Cremation And An Affordable Cremation In Florida

09.26.2021

affordable cremations cheap cremations

Arranging a cremation for your passed loved one can be daunting, especially trying to disseminate why the prices of a cremation can vary widely. Today, we will explain why cheapest is not always the best when it comes to arranging a cremation after your loved one has passed. Even when it comes to the funeral industry, there’s an old saying, you get what you pay for. This is true in all aspects of life and it can be especially important to understand when arranging a cremation for your loved one.

There are cremation service companies in the Florida that advertise cheap cremations that out the door are $495. However, if you start asking questions to these cremation companies you find out some facts you really need to think on before sending your loved one there. When you start to investigate, these are companies that are cremating your love ones in storage facilities in storage units.

cremation facility florida

Before the cremation, they are refrigerating your loved one and keeping the bodies in a 12 x 24 storage unit in a refrigeration box. If you take a look at their website or their marketing materials, you will not easily be able to find out those details. This is where it is VERY important when you are trying to find where to arrange your loved one’s cremation, you ask questions and look at their reviews. If you have been speaking to a facility that does cremate your loved one in a storage facility you need to ask yourself is this what you want for your loved one?

On the other side, some cremations are done at your local Florida funeral home. Those cremations usually tend to run $3000 to $4000. However, you will be comforted knowing that your loved one will be cremated at a funeral home and not a storage unit. But in that comfort, you will be paying huge markups for the cremation and funeral homes have a tendency to upsell products pretty aggressively.

You might be thinking then what is the solution to arranging a cremation for my loved one where I know they are cremated respectfully but you won’t be dealing with significant markups? This is where direct cremation facilities come into play. Now the tricky part, is you still need to verify with every facility where their cremations occur. But a great way to tell, is generally a more respectful cremation facility will have their cremation costs be between $1000- $2000. These direct cremation facilities are usually companies that are working out of a nicer facility as well. They have numerous staff members, and positive reviews on line. These type of cremation facilities can do an Honorable and dignified cremation for your family.

At Going Home Cremations our cremation prices are lower than about 80% of the funeral homes and cremation providers out there. We have all five-star reviews and a very good, long-standing reputation. We go above and beyond to help your family through this very difficult time. We are an alternative to high priced cremations through funeral homes and very cheap cremations through a storage unit in Florida. Feel free to call Going Home Cremations so we can answer any questions for you.

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.

Direct Cremation Florida

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.

Direct Cremation Florida

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 Differences Between Direct Cremation and Cremation

01.07.2021

The Differences Between Direct Cremation and Cremation

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.

direct cremations and cremations

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.

cremations and urns

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.