Including your family members in a memorial service following cremation is an ideal way to allow your family to show their love and support for one another after losing a loved one. In most cases, close friends and family members want to become involved in the memorial service so they can contribute to the process of saying good-bye and show respect for the person who has passed. If you’re in…

In your time of grief after losing a loved one, the last thing you may be willing to face is the burden of having to make cremation and funeral arrangements. If your loved one failed to pre-plan their cremation, you may be scrambling to make arrangements that your loved one would have appreciated, while also making sure you choose arrangements that manage to satisfy your friends and family. Out of…

Pre-planning a green cremation and memorial service is an act that can lessen the burden for your family at the time of your passing. Not only will pre-planning your cremation relieve some of the stress your family may experience in the days following your passing, but it can help save costs for you and your family, since green cremations are usually less costly and better for the environment than traditional…

As cremation continues to grow in popularity throughout North America, so is the percentage of cremains that are being left unclaimed. Year after year, cremains are going unclaimed at cremation providers, funeral homes, and at local and state agencies. Sometimes, the family members legally responsible for picking up cremains assume they have already been buried or scattered, or in other cases, have been estranged from their loved ones and have…

Considering the ever-growing popularity of cremation, the development and purchasing of urns is also steadily on the rise. Environmentally-conscious friends and family members are opting for wooden cremation urns for their loved ones, whereas those who wish to keep the ashes of their loved ones nearby or have plans to scatter ashes often opt for hand-crafted or custom-designed urns made from ceramic. Here’s an inside look into how the two…

Cremation urns are available in a variety of different sizes based on the amount of ashes produced and on your plans for your loved one’s cremains. After your loved one has been cremated, your cremation provider will return their ashes to you in a temporary container, so it will be important for you to choose an urn in a size that will adequately hold and safely store your loved one’s…

Coping with the death of a loved one can be difficult, overwhelming, and stressful. As you grieve your loss within the first several days of their passing, the last responsibilities you may want to have are arranging their cremation, organizing an honorable memorial service, and dealing with their finances. To help you with the financial aspect, we’ve provided a checklist of the top six financial matters you may have to…

One of the best ways to remember and memorialize your loved ones after they’ve passed is through photographs. Photographs can invoke happy, special memories of your loved ones and of the experiences you may have shared together. In fact, keeping photos of your loved ones around can help make sure that they are never forgotten, and is a great way to ensure that their memory lives on for years to…

There are times in life during which you will be the person who is there to help a friend or family member grieve over the loss of a loved one. If you’ve already experienced the loss of someone close to you, then you may already have an idea of how to support those who are grieving. On the other hand, if loss and grief is new to you, follow the…

From placing cremains into fireworks, to embedding ashes in a coral reef or vinyl record, there are countless unique, creative ways to memorialize your loved one after they’ve been cremated. Now, a new startup design company in Eden Prairie, Minnesota is making customized urns using 3-D printers to help families forever capture the memories of their loved ones. The company, called Foreverence, began making the urns at the beginning of…

When most individuals think about the outcome of cremation, they think about where and how they’re going to scatter their loved one’s ashes, or cremains. However, what many don’t know is that it’s perfectly acceptable to bury cremains, which can be done either in a private plot or privately-owned property, an urn garden plot, or a columbarium niche. Take a look at these four unique options for burying your loved…

Whether you’re in the process of pre-planning your own cremation or funeral, or making arrangements for a loved one, dealing with cremation providers and funeral homes can sometimes be overwhelming. In addition to having to plan a memorial service or viewing, you may also be tasked with having to choose an urn or casket. Plus, you may have to spend extra time reviewing the fees and services associated with the…

A biodegradable urn is an urn made from eco-friendly materials such as leaves, untreated wood, paper, and other recycled and natural elements that can decompose when buried into the ground. Biodegradable urns are ideal for those who want to reduce their carbon footprint, and for those who want to travel by air with their loved one’s cremains. Biodegradable urns are also ideal for those who are unsure what to do…

If your loved one has been cremated and you have chosen to store their cremains in an urn, it’s important that you learn how to care for and maintain the urn so it can stay in top condition for many years to come. Since urns are all made from different types of materials, the steps for taking care of your urn will depend largely on its style. In most cases,…

When you lose a loved one, sometimes making cremation and memorial service arrangements can be overwhelming during your grieving period. Many cremation and burial societies are devoted to making your final goodbye as easy and as worry-free as possible, but in the event you want to make sure you’re making the best possible arrangements, it’s important to know more about what goes into planning a memorial service. Here are four…