5 Benefits of Cremation over a Burial When Funeral Planning

People choose cremation. over a burial for countless reasons. A few of the immediate benefits of cremation are:
-Cremations are typically much less expensive than ground burials for many reasons. For example, in many cases a cremation is not preceded by a funeral. If a funeral is held before the cremation, very often the casket is rented for the duration of the funeral instead of purchased. Similarly, remains that are to be cremated are often not embalmed for a wake or visitation.
-Cremations save not only on the cost of the casket in most cases, but also eliminate the need for some of the more extravagant trappings of a traditional funeral. Also, a cremation will save on the cost of cemetery property for a variety of reasons.
-We are in an age when Americans are becoming more and more concerned with recycling.
-The cremation option is much simpler. They do not necessarily require an elaborate funeral, are certainly simpler than traditional burials. Those who enjoyed a simple life are, perhaps, best memorialized in a simple way.
-Cremation’s quick and clean disposal of a body is comforting to some people.

If no funeral is planned (very often a body will go directly to the crematorium) and the body isn’t going to be viewed, embalming is unnecessary. If a funeral is planned, we want you to know that you have choices as to what kind of casket you use. Most casket makers have specially made caskets for cremation which allow both the coffin and the remains to be burned at once.

As I mentioned earlier, very often, a casket can also be rented at the funeral home to be used for any planned services. These rental caskets often have removable liners which are changed after each use and which are usually sturdy cardboard lined on the inside with cloth. The body can be cremated in this container. In some areas, a body can be cremated without a container at all. If the ashes aren’t going to be scattered, the urn or small casket which contain the cremains may be kept in the home of the deceased’s family.

We are compassionate to the fact that many people are less than comfortable when thinking about decomposition. Cremation can be an option regardless of what religious conviction is involved. Cremation can be an excellent option for those who are concerned about environmental factors. For some, in this day of "green" consciousness, the thought endangering the environment for wood that will only be buried is not not a pleasant thought.

Whether the choice is burial or cremation, it should not be made without due consideration of everything that is involved. The deceased’s requests should be honored always. But, in cases where the deceased’s desires are indefinite, very careful thought with respect and love ought to develop prior to any decision being made final.

Hal Stevens owns the CemeterySpot family of websites that provide products, services and resource directories related to end of life topics. Services include the CemeterySpot FREE Online Memorial Listing Service and the CemeterySpot FREE Cemetery Property Listing Service.

Hal is also the author of several critically acclaimed eBooks specifically written to help people deal with end of life issues. His eBooks include topics such as: cremation, writing and delivering a eulogy, eco-friendly green funerals, funeral planning, organ donation, and buying and selling cemetery plots.

To find out more about these free services and resources, to learn more about his books, and to get a free gift, visit http://www.cemeteryspot.com.