Questions About Cremation Services Posted on January 23, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When you have to choose a final service option for your loved one, the two main options are funerals and cremation services in Des Moines, IA. If you want to find out the details about cremation before you decide, and you should, the providers are there to help you with the answers. Don’t ever feel afraid about asking questions. You want to figure out what’s best for your family and you need information to do that. Here are a few things to ask and consider as you move forward with the decision-making process. What Are The Service Options? With cremation, you probably know that your loved one’s remains would be turned from their form into an ash-like form. But there are a lot of options for services that go around that. You might, for example, have full cremation. You can have a funeral and visitation service first, then you can have the cremation done. Or, you can go with direct cremation, which has no final services beforehand. The cremation happens first and then, you can have any kind of service you want after that. There are almost endless options available for cremation services. What Costs Are Involved? Cremation services have much lower costs involved than a funeral home service. It’s nice to know that there are far fewer products and services necessary so the overall costs are going to be lower to begin with. Once you see the package prices, you can add whatever you want to those if your budget will allow for it. What Do Packages Include? Cremation packages include everything you have to have for a final service. They are basic, but they meet all of your loved one’s needs from start to finish. When you look at the packages, they are always going to include transportation so your loved one can be moved from the place of their death to the funeral home’s facilities. They will also include interim care, the cremation process, and help with paperwork. Finally, all packages will include a simple container for your loved one’s remains. While you can add anything you want to the cremation package, it’s nice to know that when you get the package, your loved one has what they need. What Can Be Done With Remains? Once you have the cremation done, there are lots of options for what you can do with their remains. You are able to bury them, scatter them, keep them, or do any number of other things. One thing that is nice about cremation is that there’s no timeline included. You can have the cremation done and do whatever you want with the remains at any time in the future. Some families do something right away and others wait until they have time to work through the options. What Urn Options Are There? While cremation packages include simple containers, these are little more than a cardboard box. You can get an urn for your loved one instead, if you choose to do so. Cremation services in Des Moines, IA allow for a variety of options.
What To Look For In Funeral Home Tours Posted on January 16, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When you need to have one of the funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA care for a loved one who has passed on, you want to know that funeral home is up to the task. You will likely start out by looking at their website and perhaps look at outside reviews on them, too. You can get recommendations, make phone calls, and go the extra mile to ensure they have the experience and services you need and want. As you rule certain companies out, you will want to visit some of the last options on your list. As you go on those funeral home tours, here are a few things you are going to want to look for in the company you choose. The Location In The Area The easiest thing to take note of about the funeral home is their location. You can find out where they are located by looking at a map, but when you actually go to the facilities, you can see what’s around the funeral home. How close are they to the cemetery you might use? Are there restaurants around that can work for a reception? What hotels could accommodate family? Is the parking ample for your needs? Those things will be clear when you visit the funeral home. The Room Sizes As you tour the funeral home, you will want to take note of the rooms they have available, especially if you want to have a service at the funeral home. You will want to check the room sizes and see if they can accommodate your family members. If you want a smaller service, you’ll want something intimate that won’t be overwhelming and see empty. IF you are opening the services to the public, it’s nice to have size options in case a lot of people show up. You want there to be options for the set up as well. The Cleanliness/Organization Any area you see of the funeral home should be clean and well organized. That will show you that the funeral director pays attention to detail and is ready to move forward with the services you need for your loved one. You want there to be clean rooms that you feel are inviting for your family members. Organization is also important. There shouldn’t be a bunch of folders and papers strewn about the funeral director’s desk. You want things to be in order so you know they are ready to care for your loved one’s needs along with anything else they have going on. Staff Treatment You will meet the funeral director, but you may also run into other staff members as you tour the funeral home in West Des Moines, IA. They way the treat you will mirror how they will treat your family. You want compassionate treatment and complete support whenever you talk to them. You need to feel comfortable with the staff so you can talk to them and get what you need for the services.
Planning Unique Funeral Home Services Posted on January 9, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes Services that the funeral homes in Des Moines, IA hold for people who have passed on might feel rather traditional and ceremonial to you. There’s nothing wrong with that. Those ceremonies can give you something to look forward to and it can help you to feel as if you know what to expect from them. But you might want to add things to the traditions so you are giving your loved one something unique and special at the same time. Here are some of the things you can do as you plan the funeral home services. Choose The Location If you are having a traditional funeral, the locations are rather limited, but there are still options. Many people have the funeral in the funeral home because of the convenience and the good location it offers. But you can also have the service at a local church, if your family attends somewhere that would be special to your loved one. The location alone can help you to make the funeral feel more unique. Decorate As Needed You are completely welcome to decorate certain locations to make it more of something your loved one would appreciate. Many people use flowers as decorations and the flowers you choose can set the style and tone of the service. You can also decorate with their belongings, pictures, or anything else you want to make it a unique place to have the service. Pick Nice Music And Readings The music and readings you have at the service will help you to make things feel unique and memorable for your loved one. The music might be something on the traditional side or it might be something from pop culture that your loved one enjoyed. You can choose readings, like scriptures, poems, old stories your loved one wrote, and so on. The person who reads it can also make the event more unique. Even if you do a lot of traditional things, the readings and music you have available at the service can make it stand out. Have Someone Speak It’s completely up to you who you have speak at the funeral and that person can help you to make things unique and special. You can have the pastor of your church speak, a celebrant you hire for the funeral home service, a family member, or even a friend. You want to choose someone you know will do a good job and that choice will make a huge difference in the outcome of the service. Use Videos/Pictures Videos and pictures are going to cement the fact that your loved one is who you are honoring at this service. Even if you do the same things that you did for someone else, having pictures and videos of your loved one will be a reminder that you are there for that person and it helps to make the service memorable. Enjoy The Reception Details You can also make the reception on the unique side so after you visit funeral homes in Des Moines, IA for your loved one, you can have a meal for your loved one with your family.
Benefits Of Ash Scattering Posted on January 2, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes If you decide on cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for a loved one, there are many things you can do for them once that method is completed. You can have a memorial service at any time, for example, and you can do a number of different things with their ashes. Ash scattering services are very popular today and they come with a lot of benefits. Before you make any decisions, here are some reasons to consider this option. Give Your Loved One A Special Resting Place Any resting place you choose for your loved one is going to feel like a special place because they are there. If you want to lay them to rest somewhere outside the cemetery, having an ash scattering somewhere, like their favorite park, family ground, or other such locations, can really make those spots feel special. Any time you visit that place in the future, you are going to think of them and that can be very valuable to you. Prevent Family From Keeping The Remains While family members can keep the remains of your loved one for as long as they want, it can be a responsibility as well. Perhaps several family members want to keep them. You can split them into several urns and that can help. But you might not want them to be in several locations, but rather in one. Or, you might be worried that their urn will be disturbed in a family home. You would try to keep them safe, but you just never know. Scattering the ashes will help you to prevent anything from happening to them in your home and it might help to keep them together in one location. Give Family A Place To Visit Scattering is different than burial and your loved one isn’t really in that place any longer. But when you choose a special location for the scattering, it’s always going to be a special spot for you and other family members. When you want to think of your loved one, that’s where you will go. You might even have a memorial there in the future to think of them again. Save Money On The Resting Place Cemetery burials are going to cost, while not as much as a funeral, they will still cost more than other options. Keeping your loved one at home means getting a nice urn. When you scatter ashes, you can use the simple container the provider gives you and not have any other costs associated with the process. That can be a nice way to suit your budget. When you are trying to figure out what you want to do for your loved one, first concentrate on their immediate needs. Ensure that they get the cremation services in West Des Moines, IA they have to have and then, you can worry about the other options later. You might have a memorial service, for example, or you could have an ash scattering—or both. There’s no timeline on those decisions and you can make them when you are ready.
