Can You Have a Cremation Without a Service in Florida?

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.

Finding an Affordable Cremation Service Near You In Florida

Affordable Cremation Service

When a loved one passes away in Florida one of the first things you will do is look into arranging an affordable cremation in your area of Florida. But this can be a daunting task, you don’t know what an average price of cremation in Florida is and you aren’t sure which cremation service facility you should choose. At Going Home Cremation, we wanted to write a how to guide on how to find an affordable cremation service near you.

The first thing you need to decide is if you are going to want a viewing or not with the cremation you are arranging. A viewing can add thousands of dollars to your price and make the affordable cremation much less affordable. If you choose to arrange a cremation without service, then you are looking at a direct cremation. A direct cremation is a cremation where there is no viewing of the body and the body goes directly to the Florida crematory. The average price for cremation with viewing in Florida is close to $3500, whereas a Florida direct cremation the price can range from $1200- $2000. There is a significant difference between the two prices, saving you a lot of money. If you do choose a Florida direct cremation, the first thing you need to do is look up local direct cremation facilities near you. For example, if you live in Sarasota you would look up “affordable direct cremation services in Sarasota” or “affordable direct cremation near me.”

Once you have performed your initial search of affordable cremation facilities in your local Florida area, you should pick two to three to call. However, we have some tips on figuring out which Florida cremation service facilities near you that you should call.

  1. Look up their Google reviews. We advise making sure any facility you choose or even call, should have close to all 5-star Google reviews.
  2. Look for their General Price list on their website. Their general price list will show you the range of prices you could pay in arranging a cremation service near you. There are additional fees like the Medical Examiner fees and death certificate fees that you need to be aware of.
  3. Get a feel for their website. As the world is evolving, it is important that business’ keep up. You want to pick a Florida cremation facility that has an updated website that is easy to navigate. If you think you want to have an obituary for your loved one, check that their website has an obituary option. Also, if you plan on celebrating the life of your loved one of social media, make sure they have a Facebook presence where you can share your loved one’s obituary.

affordable cremation service near me florida

Now that you have your list of facilities to speak to about arranging a cremation service near you, we suggest asking some specific questions to each facility.

  1. Ask them for the total price of their affordable direct cremation and what it includes. For example, is an urn included in their price? Or is an obituary? At Going Home Cremations, we include both an urn and an obituary at no additional cost. Make sure to ask the facility to itemize every fee and for them to let you know exactly what each fee entails.
  2. Ask them how long it will take for them to pick up your loved one and how long their average cremation takes. Some facilities take much longer than others.
  3. Get a feel for who you are speaking to when arranging an affordable cremation near you. Do they seem emphatic or do they seem like they want to get off the phone? Make sure to pick a facility that emphasizes you and that you can tell they’d go above a beyond for you if needed.

The final step is choosing the cremation service facility that is near you is finding a facility that is a combination of an affordable cremation price and great customer service. At Going Home Cremation, we pride ourselves on providing affordable cremation services where we lead with our emphatic service.