Monthly Archives: September 2022

What are Your Different Options for Cremation Services?

When a person has chosen cremation services as part of their final arrangements, it will be up to their family to formalize the plans after their passing. They will have to choose between several different options for cremation services near College Park, MD. Here you can find out a little bit more about everything from direct cremation to cremation services following a traditional funeral.

Direct cremation is the most inexpensive and simplest option for cremation. Generally, there are no other services that take place, apart from the cremation itself. After a person’s passing, their body will be transported to the crematory to be cremated, and then their family will receive back their ashes to do what they will with them. Some families who utilize this option might choose to have a memorial service for them later on, but others might simply scatter, bury, or inter their ashes, with no other services involved.

Some families may want a direct cremation for their loved one, but with the opportunity to say a final goodbye. This would involve an extra hour or so prior to cremation where a few close family members can be with their loved one for the last time and say their final goodbyes. This can be an important part of the acceptance and grieving process, and it’s a necessary step for many people in moving forward with their lives without their loved ones. If you don’t have the means or desire to hold a funeral service, but still want that sense of closure, a direct cremation with a final goodbye might be a good choice for your family.

Many families wish for their loved ones to have a traditional funeral prior to cremation. This is generally going to come with more costs, but for many people, it’s a necessity. If you want to hold a viewing prior to the funeral, embalming services will be required. You’ll also have to utilize the services of the funeral home and staff. For the services, a casket will have to be rented to hold your loved one’s bodily remains. A viewing and funeral service can allow for family and friends to attend and pay their respects, offer their condolences, and say goodbye. After the funeral service concludes, the person’s body will be transported to the crematory and held there until the time of cremation.

This is a simple breakdown of some different types of services you can expect to choose from for cremation. You’ll have to take a look at what your loved one wanted for their final services, as well as determine what will work best for your family’s circumstances. Your funeral home and provider of cremation services near College Park, MD, can help you come up with a plan that makes the most sense for your family. If you do wish to have a viewing and funeral service, they can provide all the resources that you need. The important thing is that you have options, so you are able to fulfill your loved one’s wishes while still following what works for your family.

Why is it Wise to Preplan?

It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re arranging your affairs, but preplanning your own final arrangements can be very beneficial to both you and your family. Many people write a will and make plans for what will happen to their possessions and assets, often many years before they pass. Why not do the same with your final arrangements? Whether you wish to be cremated or buried, your funeral home near College Park, MD, can get you started with preplanning, so that you know your wishes will be carried out.

One of the biggest advantages of preplanning your own final arrangements is that it puts you in control of what happens after you’re gone. Many people have strong preferences as to what their chosen method of disposition should be, as well as how they want their funeral or memorial services to go. You might want to be cremated and have your ashes scattered in a special place, or you may wish to be buried next to your spouse in a cemetery. Perhaps you want your memorial service to take place in the form of a “celebration of life”, or maybe you want your funeral to happen at your chosen place of worship. Each preference you have for your own final arrangements can be written down and preserved by your chosen funeral home, able to be transferred to anywhere in the country if need be. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that your wishes will be fulfilled in the event of your passing.

By ensuring that your own wishes are upheld, you are also relieving the burden of decisions from your family. It can be difficult to make those important and heavy decisions after a loved one has passed away, and in some cases, it can lead to disagreement between family members. By deciding ahead of time what should happen, they will no longer be responsible for making those choices, and can instead focus on being together and grieving their loss.

While it is not a requirement when preplanning, it’s always recommended to start a payment plan ahead of time. This allows you to begin putting aside funds for your final services, and it also ensures that you lock in the current rates for funeral services. These rates, as is the case with any other industry, will rise over time due to inflation. By locking in the current rates and setting money aside, you will significantly save yourself and your loved ones from extra financial stress.

These are all excellent reasons to take the time to preplan for your own final arrangements. You can call or visit the website of your local funeral home near College Park, MD, to get started. They will connect with you and take you through every necessary step. Then, you can live out your days with a sense of comfort and peace, knowing that your wishes will be carried out and that you’ll be saving your family from extra emotional and financial burdens.

Putting Together a Special Scattering Service

Most people have an idea of how they want their remains to be handled after their passing. Whether they wish for burial, interment, or some other solution, it’s usually a pretty important desire to them. If your loved one chose cremation services near Adelphi, MD, as their method of disposition, they may have wished for their ashes to be scattered in a special place. This could be a spot where they formed many fond childhood memories, or it could be a place where they frequently vacationed. Either way, you can plan a very meaningful scattering ceremony that will allow those attending to say a final goodbye, as well as return their loved ones to a cherished place.

The first thing you’ll need to consider is where you’re going to scatter their ashes. They may have expressed a desire for this to be done in a particular place. It’s important that you research where you’re planning to go so that you can be sure to either obtain permission or learn about the regulations of scattering in that area. In the case of public spaces, you must reach out to local authorities to learn your local laws for scattering there. If it’s private property that you wish to scatter on, you must contact the person or business who owns the property to obtain permission. By doing this due diligence, you can go into the day with no worries in your mind about getting caught doing something you aren’t allowed to do.

Next, take into consideration who you want to invite to attend. You may want to keep it small and intimate, with only a few close family members there. On the other hand, you might want to extend the invitation to a wider group, including more extended family and some close friends. This will depend entirely on your preference, as well as the location you’re planning to go to and what it can accommodate. Also, you need to think about how you want to do the actual scattering. You or another close family member may choose to do it while everyone else looks on, or you might give each person there a chance to scatter a small number of ashes. There is some merchandise that you can purchase to make this process easier.

You may want to incorporate a special song, poem, or prayer into the scattering ceremony as well. Most times these services are relatively short and informal, but including something personal to your loved one’s memory will make it that much more meaningful for those in attendance.

These are just a few ideas to get you started on planning a scattering ceremony for your loved one. Each person is different, and every family will have varying preferences and needs. Your provider of cremation services near Adelphi, MD, can help you find the resources you need to plan a scattering service for your loved one that will properly honor their memory. Then, you and your family can take comfort in the knowledge that your loved one has been returned to a place that they cherished in life. Contact us today.

Writing a Memorable Obituary for a Loved One

An obituary is a special document that can serve several different purposes. Its primary purpose is as a public announcement of the person’s passing, often published in one or more local or regional newspapers. Beyond this, an obituary can also stand as a lasting document that honors a person’s memory. They are preserved in the public record so that future generations can access them and learn more about their family members. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD, can help you figure out how and where to publish it, and they can give advice on any other questions you may have as well. Here are some ideas for writing an obituary.

To begin with, there are some important basic details that most or every obituary should include. This is personal information like the person’s date and place of birth and death, their parent’s names, and the names of their spouse, siblings, children, and grandchildren. Most people will write about where they lived most of their life, where they attended school, and where they worked. If they were a veteran, you’ll likely want to include details about what branch they were a part of and where and when they served.

Looking past these essential details, you can begin to consider more personal aspects of their life. You can start with thinking about what they chose to spend their time doing, especially outside of work. They may have loved to travel, spent time boating, kept a garden, played an instrument, or played a sport. Go into a little more detail about their passions and what they spent their time on. You can also consider how they served within their community if they did. For instance, were they active in their church? Did they donate their time to serving those less fortunate in their community? These are the things that make a person who they are, and they are worth describing in a person’s obituary.

Another thing you might want to do is to ask around family and friends for stories and memories of your loved one. For one thing, this can be an almost enjoyable task, as fond memories may come back to you, or new stories may come to light. If there is a particular memory that stands out for many people, you may consider including this in their obituary. Similarly, if they were known for a particular saying or quote, or had a favorite poem or prayer, these might be good things to include as well.

The last thing many people include in an obituary is the details about where and when their services will take place. This is an easier way to inform the public so that you don’t have to try to contact every single person who might want to attend. Additionally, if your loved one expressed a desire to have a donation fund to a particular cause set up in their name, you can add those details as well. That way, even people who cannot attend can participate in some way. Your funeral home near Adelphi, MD, can then help you with publishing the obituary, resulting in a special document to honor your loved one.

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