No one every signs up to use services from a final service provider hoping to get something subpar, right? In fact, when you have to use cremation providers in West Des Moines, IA for a loved one who has passed on, you want nothing but the best for them and for the rest of your family. That means you need to check the cremation providers out before you sign up for their services. Here are just a few of the questions you should ask them before you move forward with their services. Please know that you can ask as many questions as you want—and you should—to ensure you are comfortable before you go ahead.

How Long Have You Been In Business?

There might be absolutely nothing wrong with a new cremation provider, but do you really want to take that risk with your loved one? They are important to you and you want their final services to go off without a hitch. Instead, make sure the provider has been in business for a long time so you can trust that they know what they are doing. When you see that they have decades of experience, that can help you to feel confident about placing your loved one in their hands.

What Service Choices Are Available?

There are tons of different cremation options and when you decide on that type of service, you can choose whatever fits your loved one the best and go from there. You are going to want to make sure that the cremation provider has lots of different options so you can get what you want and need for your loved one. Of course they will have cremation, but do they have other options around it that you might want? If you know what you want, you just have to find a provider that has it. IF you aren’t sure, look at providers with long service lists so you can be sure that they will have what you want when you are able to decide.

How Did The Costs Come About?

When you are working on cremation in in West Des Moines, IA, you want nothing but the best for your loved one. Asking questions will help you to determine which company is right for you and which provider will help your loved one with their needs. You want a good fit to move forward with confidence in the right direction.

You should be able to get price lists from any cremation provider with ease, but once you have those lists, don’t stop there. You should look into the averages in the area and even compare the costs to other providers. That way, you can tell who is fair and who is overinflated or under charging, even. You might also want to ask the providers how they came to the costs they charge and they can explain that process to you. It can help to hear from them where they costs came from.

Since more people are having cremation services in Urbandale, IA, there aren’t as many visitation services to attend. Families can combine visitations and cremation with more of a full cremation service instead of direct cremation. Visitation can be done before the cremation process is completed. However, it’s more common to combine visitation with funeral services. Either way, if you are invited to attend a visitation, here are some tips to consider so you feel more comfortable with the proceedings.

Come And Go As You Please

You are going to see a range of times listed for a visitation service, unlike memorial and funeral services. That is because they are more of an open house situation. You can come and go as you please during that time frame. Most people stay between 20 and 30 minutes during that time. In fact, you don’t want to overstay of that can put pressure on the family as well. Come whenever you can during that time frame and stay long enough to say goodbye, talk to the family, and visit with a few others that might be there.

Casual, Respectful Attire Is Okay

Funerals are formal affairs and a certain level of clothing is expected. But when you attend a visitation, you can wear something casual, as long as it’s respectful. Many people stop in on their way to or from work or during a break, for example, and that works just fine. You don’t have to wear something formal or dark in color, but you still want the clothing to be conservative to remain respectful.

There Are No Casket-Approaching Requirements

Most of the time at a visitation, there will be an open casket. That’s not always the case, but the main purpose of a visitation is for people to see the person who died, get closure, and say goodbye. If you knew the person and you want to approach the casket, so be it. If you are coming to the visitation more to support the family, there are no requirements about approaching the casket. You can stay back, visit the family, and pass on your condolences. Even if you did know the person who died, if you are uncomfortable going up to the casket, you don’t have to.

Talk To The Family Present

One of the nice things about a visitation is that the immediate family is often there for the entire open house event. It gives them a chance to talk to people, gather support, and see more people than they might at the actual funeral. It’s customary to share your condolences at the visitation and to let the family know you are there.

Gifts Are Acceptable

You don’t have to bring a gift to the visitation, but the cremation provider in Urbandale, IA says that it’s never required. You can take something to the funeral instead, send something directly to the family’s home, or just allow your presence and support to be enough. If you do want to take something to the visitation, you certainly can.

You have probably attended funeral home or cremation services in Des Moines, IA in the past and perhaps you have even had to plan such services for a family member or two. But there are things that the experts know that you may not have recognized as of yet. When you are faced with more planning, or you want to plan your own services ahead of time, it’s nice to know some of the things that not everyone realizes so you can make the right decisions.

Embalming Is Not Required

You might think that embalming is something automatic that takes place after someone dies, but it’s actually a completely optional service. Most people use it if they are going to have a visitation for their loved one, and that makes sense. The purpose of embalming is to preserve the body for such things. But if you are having a closed casket, are skipping the visitation service entirely, or are going with direct cremation, there’s really no need to have embalming done. It can help you to avoid costs if you skip that service.

Cremation And Funerals Can Co-Exist

You might assume that if you have a cremation done, for yourself or a loved one, that you can’t have a funeral. The two are an either/or situation. But that’s not the case at all. Full cremation services allow you to have a visitation and funeral first, then followed by cremation. Or, if you go with direct cremation, which means no services beforehand, you can have a memorial service after that feels more like a funeral.

Memorials Can Be Held Anywhere

With funerals, people are often restricted to churches or funeral homes and those are always good locations for such events. But with memorial services, while you can still have them in those convenient locations, you can also hold them anywhere else you might like. Some families have started having them at home, in parks, and in any other location them appreciate. It’s nice to have those options to personalize the services.

Eco-Friendly Options Are On The Rise

Everyone is concerned about the environment today and you can take those concerns all the way to the end of life and do things in an eco-friendly manner where final services are concerned. You can, for example, get a biodegradable casket or urn that will dissolve or break down naturally in the earth. You can skip embalming to avoid putting harmful chemicals in the ground. There are lots of options and the funeral homes can go over them with you. Make sure you tell them that you want to stay as eco-friendly as possible and they will help to steer you in those directions.

When you are working on final services for a loved one, or trying to plan your own cremation services in Des Moines, IA, it’s nice to know all of the details, including things you didn’t know before and not everyone else recognizes. It can help with decisions and confidence in making them.

While cremation services in Urbandale, IA occur the same way every time, they are unique each time as well. They happen with different individuals and that is enough to make them special each time they occur. Even the most basic cremation package will come with a simple container for your loved one’s remains, but many families like to get an urn for their loved one to make the process more special or so that urn can function in different ways. While urns suffice and work well, there are also unique things you can put your loved one’s remains in to make things feel even more special. Here are a few options to consider.

Container for Cremation Ashes Ideas

There are many different types of containers that can be used for cremation ashes. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Urn
• Scattering tube
• Biodegradable urn
• Keepsake jewelry
• Cremation bead
• Cremation necklace
• Cremation pendant
• Cremation ring
• Cremation bracelet
• Cremation keychain

Wind Chimes

If your loved one adored being outside, putting their remains in a wind chime that hands on your deck can be a nice way to go. You think of them every time the breeze blows across the deck and the wind chimes hit one another and play their melodic sound.

A Plant Pot

If your loved one adored flowers, plants, and other greenery, putting their ashes in the base of a pot and then planting something above it can be a nice memorial to them. You will think of them as you enjoy the new life that grows from the pot.

Cremation Jewelry

You might want to keep your loved one as close as possible in any way you can, and that could mean cremation jewelry is a good fit for you. You can place a small bit of your loved one’s remains inside the cremation jewelry piece and wear them close to your heart.

Ornaments

Ornaments often have a space inside them and you could place remains in those as well. You can give one to each family member to hang on their tree, or you can find a special place in your home to display the ornament year round.

Stuffed Animals

There are special stuffed animals that have urns in them or, you can place a small urn in any animal you choose. It can be a sweet way to keep your loved one close and it can give you something to hug when you miss them.

Cookie Jar

Some people are good at baking and if that sounds like your loved one, placing them in a cookie jar can feel like a good way to go. They can be situated on the top of your cabinets in the kitchen where they oversee anything you create in there yourself.

A Musical Instrument

Some musical instruments have natural places where you can place remains, like a guitar. If your loved one loved music, and perhaps a certain instrument, one like it can hold their remains and sit on display in memory of them within your home.

If you are having cremation services in Urbandale, IA for a loved one, you can choose a variety of places to store their remains. There are unique options as well as regular urns to consider as you move forward into the future.

Containers for cremation ashes FAQs

What do you call the container for ashes?

There are a variety of containers that can be used for cremation ashes. Urn is the most common term used to describe the container, however container, casket and coffin are also used. The container chosen is usually based on personal preference, although some states have regulations regarding the type of container that can be used.

What size container do you need for human ashes?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the container you’ll need for human ashes will depend on a number of factors.  The first thing to consider is how many ashes you’ll be dealing with – if you’re cremating a whole body, you’ll need a much larger container than if you’re just dealing with the ashes of a loved one.

What is the right thing to do with cremation ashes?

The most common thing to do is put them in an urn. The type of container you use may depend on your personal preferences or the wishes of the deceased. There are many different types of urns and containers available, so you should be able to find something that suits your needs.