As monument makers in Walterboro, SC, we know that choosing between burial and cremation is a very personal decision. It often depends on how you wish to memorialize your loved ones, as some families prefer visiting a gravesite over keeping a cremation urn in their homes. Whether you are performing end-of-life planning or deciding on a way to remember the deceased, here are five factors to take into account when considering burial or cremation:
- Wishes of the deceased: It will be easier for planning (and easier on your conscience) if you honor any wishes expressed by your loved one before they died. Many people indicate a preference during end-of-life planning, and it makes decision making much easier. Check for prepaid funeral plans and any other documents that may show what the deceased preferred.
- Personal beliefs: If your loved one did not engage in end-of-life planning, you’re personal beliefs will likely be involved. Survivors are frequently concerned about respect for their loved one’s remains. Many religions require keeping bodies intact, and moving away from that is often not an option in some families. However, many people choose cremation because they are concerned about the environment and would rather not take up space in a cemetery. Everyone has different concerns and priorities when it comes to burial. There is room for all preferences, so never make a decision that conflicts with your personal beliefs.
- Time: If you decide on burial, the service needs to happen sooner. This can be a challenge if you opt for a traditional funeral and have difficulty bringing in relatives from all over the country. However, if you would rather scatter cremation ashes in a way that would be meaningful to the deceased, cremation offers more time to plan and alert people to the time and place of the service.
- Finances: It is unfortunate, but sometimes finances must be considered when handling a loved one’s remains. Cremation is usually less expensive, since family members do not have to purchase caskets and grave spaces. If you want a gravesite to visit, you can bury the cremains and still save money by avoiding a casket purchase.
- Emotional needs: This often is grouped with personal beliefs, but it deals more with how people grieve. Sometimes, people need to see the body before they can move on, and a funeral viewing followed by burial is preferred in those cases. Others want a nice spot where they can sit on a granite bench and reflect at the gravesite of a deceased loved one. However, spreading ashes or using them to plant a tree may provide similar release. If your loved one did not state a preference, then consider how cremation or burial would affect your grieving process.
Steedley Monument Works has performed over 50 years of service as monument makers in Walterboro, SC. Whether you desire a granite marker or a cremation urn, we are here for you to provide quality work to memorialize your loved one. Contact us today for a free quote.