Deciding What to Do with a Loved One’s Ashes

After someone has been cremated, their family will receive back their ashes in a temporary urn. From here, they must decide what to do next; whether it’s to scatter them, store them in an urn, have them interred in a cemetery, or bury them. This variety of options is one reason why many people choose cremation services near Adelphi, MD. Here is some more information about your options when it comes to storing your loved one’s ashes, and honoring their memory.

Interment or Burial in a Cemetery

Having your loved one’s ashes interred in a niche at a cemetery’s columbarium is a common way to provide a final and permanent resting place. These receive perpetual care and maintenance, and they also provide a marked location where family and friends can visit at any time. Alternatively, you can have your loved one’s ashes buried in a cemetery, in a family plot, for example.

Urn Storage

Urns come in many forms, but essentially, they are storage vessels for a person’s ashes. They can be as simple as an engraved wooden box, or they could also be a much more decorative and sculptural vase, with many other options in between. These are commonly stored inside a family member’s home. Some families have multiple households that would like to keep a part of their loved one, and in this case, keepsake urns are a good solution. These are smaller urns that can hold a divided amount of ashes, allowing for every household to have a piece of their loved one in their home. Related to keepsake urns is keepsake jewelry, which provides a similar solution to multiple family members (or even close friends) wishing to keep a part of their loved one with them at all times.

Scattering

Some people who choose to be cremated wish for their ashes to be spread or scattered in a particular place. For some, this could be a beloved vacation spot. For others, it might be a place that held many childhood memories. Wherever they have chosen, you will have to do a bit of research to see what kind of rules or regulations there are about scattering ashes there. Some places prohibit it entirely, some regulate it in certain areas, and some private properties require permission from the owner. Scattering at sea is another option, and you must simply travel at least three nautical miles away from shore before scattering. Finally, many cemeteries have scattering gardens, where a person’s remains can be spread in a peaceful spot.

These are a few of the basic ways that you can either store or scatter your loved one’s ashes after their cremation services near Adelphi, MD. Depending on your family and your situation, one of these is likely to work for you. You can also ask your funeral home or cremation provider for more advice on local areas, as they will likely have more specific information due to their years of experience. Then, you can make a plan that will allow your loved one to rest in peace.