Do You Need To Ship Cremated Remains? Posted on May 15, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one passes on, you want nothing but the best for them and that might mean moving towards cremation services in Urbandale, IA. Cremation is an honorable way to go and it allows you to have options that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Cremated remains, for example, are very portable. You can take them wherever you want to go in a car, you can travel with them by plane, and you can even ship them. Here are some reasons you might need to ship cremated remains. The Next Of Kin Lives Elsewhere Perhaps you took care of a loved one’s cremation services, but that persons next of kin actually lives in another area and they can’t make it to your region to pick their loved one up. You can certainly ship the remains to their next of kin so that person can have a memorial, figure out the final resting place, and so on. You Want To Distribute Them To Other Family While you were in charge of the cremation services, you might want your loved one’s remains to rest among other family members. You can split their remains up into mini-urns and then mail them to the proper family members. Each person can display the remains in a place of honor, scatter them, bury them, or do something else with them that they feel that person would appreciate. Shipping the remains can help you cut down on your own travel while you get your loved one where they need to go. Someone You Know Lives Somewhere Special For A Scattering You want your loved one to have a final resting place in the ocean, or perhaps atop or near the mountains that they loved. But you live nowhere near those places and have no plans of traveling to them any time soon. If you know someone in those places, you can send your loved one to them and have them scatter the ashes in that final resting place. They can have you on a video chat to be part of the service or send you pictures of the process. Your loved one will ge the final resting place you wanted for them. You Want To Send Them Ahead To Your New Location If you are going to move, you might want to ship your loved one remains since the hustle and bustle of moving can be a lot. You want your loved one’s remains to be safe and secure the whole time and it’s important to ensure that they get where you are going without being disturbed. When you are going about getting cremation services in Urbandale, IA for a loved one, you will want to take your time figuring out what else you want to do for them once that process is complete. You could ship their remains for a variety of different reasons. Get details from the cremation provider or perhaps the mailing professionals. That will help you to get your loved one where you want them to go.
Do You Believe Certain Wrong Things About Funeral Homes? Posted on May 8, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes There’s a lot of information out there about funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA and some of the things you might believe about these companies is true while other things are off the mark a bit. Working with the professionals is easier when you know the truth about them through and through. Here are a few wrong things that people often believe. Correcting those thoughts can make choices easier when you need to use professionals of this sort. All Funeral Homes Are The Same Funeral homes all have similar goals—to take care of the deceased and help families through hard times. But they are not all the same. Some funeral homes have been around for a long time while others are brand new. Some funeral homes offer fair, affordable prices and others overinflate prices or undercharge. They also offer varied services. When you need help from funeral professionals, it’s a good idea to look into how the various companies differ before moving forward. The Services Are Always Comparable While most funeral homes offer cremation services today, not all of them do. You are going to want to make sure you understand which funeral homes have which services before you make any decisions. You don’t want to hire a funeral home that doesn’t have the services you end up wanting. Check the service lists before you decide on a funeral home for any services. Prices Are The Same Prices between various funeral homes can vary quite a bit. You are going to want to ensure that you get fair, affordable prices, so it’s a good idea to ask for price lists from any funeral home you consider. They should be open and honest about their prices and once you have those costs in hand, you can compare them to other funeral homes. That will help you understand which companies charge fair, affordable, middle of the road prices, and which ones over or undercharge. You deserve fair prices and you will only get it if you look into the options. Each Professional Is Compassionate And Supportive Funeral home professionals are often known for being compassionate as well as supportive. You need both of those things when you are going through a hard time. However, some people are better at offering those things than others. It’s a good idea to get to know the funeral director you will be working with and go with your gut reaction. You might feel comfortable with them and appreciate the treatment or you might feel like something isn’t quite right in the way you feel around them. Listen to the way you react to them in your subconscious. When you are looking for funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA to help with a family member’s final services, you need to know the truth about these companies in the way they are like and the way they are different to make the best decisions for your loved one’s services.
Do You Want Cake At The Funeral? Posted on May 1, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes You almost always see cake at a wedding, graduation parties, and yes, often even at receptions after final services in funeral homes in Urbandale, IA. When you are trying to figure out what the final services for your loved one will look like, you might want to consider cake. Here are a few things to think through as you look at those ideas and options. Cake Can Be An Important Tradition When you have a family funeral, think about the past services. Was there cake at those receptions? If so, the cake can be an important part of the overall tradition for your family. If it’s worked before for everyone in question, why mess with a good thing? Your family might expect cake at the reception and having it there is a sweet treat that is also a comfort to them. You Can Put Symbolic Meaning Into It There are ways to make the cake unique to your loved one’s style by putting meaning into it. If they liked chocolate cake, for example, have that kind. You can have certain colors in the icing to showcase their preferences. And you can even have something written on top of it to remind everyone of their personality. The meaning behind the cake can be simple, or rather meaningful for the family. It’s Easy To Order And Have Ready When you order a cake from a local bakery, you don’t have to worry about making the dessert yourself. You can order it by phone, or in person, and simply ask them to have it ready by a certain time. You can pick it up, have a friend grab it, or even perhaps have it delivered. It’s an easy way to take care of the dessert table in a quick manner. It’s Something A Friend Can Make And Bring If you have a friend who loves to make, they might ask what they can do to help with your loved one’s services. It could be that you would like for them to make the cake. Making the cake can give them a way to help you out and it can take the burden from your shoulders at the same time. You can ask for specifics, or let them do whatever they want. Either way you will have something delicious for your family at the reception. Cakes Are Nice Desserts There are many different desserts you can have at a funeral reception, and there’s really nothing wrong with any of them. Cake is a nice way to go. It gives someone in your friend group something to do as they can serve the family, too. You are including them and they are helping you, which is nice in both directions. Whether you decide to have cake at your family member’s funeral reception or not, the professionals at funeral homes in Urbandale, IA are here to support your decisions and implement the choices you make for the services to relieve burdens from your shoulders.
Choosing A Final Outfit Posted on April 24, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes As you go through the details with funeral homes in Des Moines, IA, they are going to have a list of decisions for you to make. The funeral director is not going to make choices for you, but they will support whatever you decide. They will also give you all of the information you need to make the right decisions. And they will act as advisors and give you ideas and options whenever you need them. When the time comes to decide what your loved one will wear to their final service, here are some options to consider as you choose that special outfit. Have Them Wear A Favorite Your loved one, like the rest of us, might have had a favorite go-to outfit that they wore every chance they got. It’s what you picture them in when you think of them. It’s in many of the family pictures. It’s simply their style. That might be the perfect thing for them to wear when they have their final service. They will look just how people remember them. However, keep in mind that whatever you choose for their funeral and burial is something you can’t get back. If that favorite outfit is something you want to hold onto, you might want to consider another option. Dress Them To The Nines There are many people who like to dress their best for every occasion. If your loved one liked to match their clothing from head to toe, even when they were going to play tennis with a friend, then you know dressing them to the nines is the best option available to you. Choose an outfit that they would appreciate and make sure it’s stylish and perfect for this special occasion. Give Them Comfort Other people don’t like dressing up, but rather prefer to be comfortable in whatever they wear. You might place them in jeans, a track suit, or even pajamas. You want them to be comfortable, even if that idea sounds somewhat silly. If that is what their personality dictates and that is what you feel they would choose for themselves, then there’s nothing wrong with going that direction. Make Them Look Like Themselves Above everything, you want your loved one to look like themselves. They had a certain style and you want to go along with that, whether that means dressing up, being casual, or something in between. You can also have them wear certain accessories that they often wore so people recognize them. If they wore glasses, for example, they can have those on at the funeral. They can also wear their wedding ring and other such things. These items can be removed and returned to you before the burial, if you so choose. Consider Appearances For The Event Ahead Keep in mind that your loved one is likely going to show at their visitation and funeral. You want to dress them in something that is appropriate for the event ahead of you. The professionals at funeral homes in Des Moines, IA can help with advice.
Things To Avoid Wearing To A Funeral Posted on April 17, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes As you think about what to wear to funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA for a final service, many people go to the black items in their closet. Black is a typical, classic color to wear to an event of this nature. It’s also not required. There are other colors and things you can wear for funerals and you will fit in just fine. However, you can weed your closet out and rule out a few things that you definitely should not wear. Here are a few things to avoid. Bright Colors While you don’t have to wear black, you also don’t want to wear colors that are too bright and eye-catching. Avoid bright blue, neons, vibrant red, and other such colors. You are there for a somber event and you don’t want to draw attention to yourself for any reason. Instead, you want to blend in however you can. Disruptive Patterns Patterns, when small and muted, can be just fine to wear to a funeral. But patterns that are super bold and busy are not the best thing to wear. If the patterns are something that catch your eye, then they are best left at home for this event. You don’t want to disrupt the proceedings or seem out of place for any reason. Ripped Jeans There are some funerals that call for a decent pair of jeans, perhaps, but you should never wear ripped, worn-looking jeans. These items of clothing are definitely in style now, but showing off your knees through a hole in your jeans is not something you want to do at a funeral home. You might be comfortable, but it can be seen as disrespectful and you certainly don’t want to go down that path for an event this important. Ratty T-Shirts Like the jeans, this is something to leave in your closet for other events or just for being around the house. If you don’t have many nice clothes, and you really want to go to the funeral, at least choose a shirt that doesn’t have stains and rips in it. Something fresh and pressed is always best when showing respect to someone who passed on. Uncomfortable Shoes When you go to a funeral, you might be emotional and you will likely have to traipse through a cemetery for the burial portion of the service, too. You don’t want to have to deal with shoes that are going to get stuck in the dirt, or ones that will hurt your feet during the process. Wear something clean, and comfortable, instead. Too Much Makeup Women should wear muted makeup, if they wear makeup. Certain things might run and make you look and feel like a mess during the emotions that come up at the funeral. And too much makeup can come off as tacky as well when you go to funeral homes in West Des Moines, IA for final services. Keep things natural all the way around when getting ready.
Reasons To Journal When Grieving Posted on April 10, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one of yours passes on and you have cremation services in Des Moines, IA for them, you might want to take up journaling as a way to help yourself through the grieving process. Here are a few reasons you might feel that journaling will work well for you, or, at the very least, is worth a try. -To Give Yourself A Safe Place To Vent You are going to be talking to family and friends a lot, and perhaps venting your emotions to them quite a bit. But you might also want to have a safe place to vent other things that you can’t bring yourself to say out loud. You might want to complain about the burdens you are under right now, talk about how angry you are at the situation, and other such things. The journal is a safe place where you can let it all out. -To Record What You Are Going Through Grief is hard and it’s going to take whatever path it wants to take. As you journal, you are recording what you are going through, and that can help you to understand what stage of grief you are in, perhaps show you how things are going, and simply give you something you can look back on when you want to remember memories of your loved one that you recorded in writing. -To Allow You To Look Back And See Progress It’s never easy to grieve and you are going to go through good times and bad times as you chart your path to a new normal. But you are going to progress, even if you can’t see the progression upfront. Look back through your journal, perhaps, and see the progress you have made. You might recognize that when you first learned your loved one passed on, you couldn’t sleep at night and now, you are getting a full eight hours in on a regular basis. When grieving was at its worst, you couldn’t go an hour without crying and now, those crying bouts are reduced to a few per day. Seeing the progress can help you motivate yourself to continue down your path to healing. -To Help You Cope On The Bad Days When the rough days come, and they will, having your journal can help you to get through them. You can look back at how things were and the progress you made. You can read through memories you recorded of your loved one. You can write out what you are feeling and wonder why you feel like you are going backwards down the wrong path again. You can cope when you have something to turn to and the journal can give you just that. When you are grieving, the professionals that helped with your loved one’s cremation services in Des Moines, IA are there for you, no matter how much time has passed. They have resources that can help you, like counselor suggestions, grief support group times and locations, and other such things
Unique Things To Do To Celebrate Life After Cremation Posted on April 3, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When a loved one passes on, and you have cremation services in West Des Moines, IA for them, you might put off their memorial for a bit so you have time to process things and plan out something special. Everyone wants their loved one’s services to be unique and one way to make it so is to have a celebration of life. You can celebrate a life well lived in a variety of unique ways. Here are some of the special things you can do that can help you to celebrate that special life. Shoot Fireworks With Remains Fireworks shows can be very special and impressive. They can be a nice way to cap off a life celebration, and your loved one’s life. While you can get and shoot off fireworks of any kind, you can also have your loved one’s remains included in the fireworks. You can shoot their remains up into the air as you celebrate them. It’s a nice way to give them a resting place and allow them to go out with a bang, so to speak. Fly Kites With Messages If there are going to be a lot of kids at the celebration, you are going to want activities that they will enjoy. Get some kites, perhaps, and allow them to color them. Others can write messages on them and then, the kites can be flown throughout the celebration. It can feel like letting go of that person as the messages to up and float around in the sky. Lots of kites flying together can also be a beautiful sight to see. Launch Lanterns And Goodbyes When the celebration goes into the waning sunlight hours, lighting lanterns and launching them into the sky in honor of your loved one can be nice, too. You can write messages, memories, and well wishes on the lanterns for your loved one before casting them out, too. Have a Potluck Meal Your family members and friends likely want to know what they can do for the services, and you want include as many of them as you can. Ask them to bring a dish to share at the celebration and you can have a nice, potluck meal. You can assign dishes, or certain areas, or you can leave it up to chance. If you end up with all desserts, so be it, right? The potluck can be a nice way to feed everyone and it’s also a great way to include more people in the planning. Plant Seeds Together One nice way to honor your loved one is to allow everyone in attendance to plant some seeds for that person. You might clear out a garden area and have some people plant flowers while others plant vegetables or herbs. As the garden grows, it will remind you of your loved one, but also the love of your family and friends who took a hand in planting things. As you think about celebrations after cremation services in West Des Moines, IA, there are lots of options to consider.
How Can You Thank Your Cremation Provider? Posted on March 27, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes Cremation providers do what they do as a service to the community. They don’t expect anyone to thank them for providing cremation services in Urbandale, IA. They know that their services are necessary and that everyone receiving them is grateful for those services and the care their loved one receives. However, if you got a cremation provider that went above and beyond for you, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out to them later and thanking them for their part in caring for their loved one. Here are a few things you might want to do. A Nice Card/Letter You may be sending cards and letters to a lot of different people who have helped you with your loved one’s final services. You can send a card to the cremation provider at the same time, if you see it fit to do so. They will appreciate the gesture and be touched that you thought highly enough of their services to reach out to them after the fact. Recommendations To Others One of the biggest ways you can thank a cremation provider is be recommending their services to other people. When someone in your life has to plan final services for a loved one, recommend the provider you used and let your friend know what they did for you and how much you appreciated their services. If you hear that someone you know wants to pre-plan their services, you can also tell them about your experiences with a certain provider. Word of mouth is the best advertising and the best way to say thank you to a provider. Reviews Online It will only take a few minutes, but leaving a review online can be a huge way to let someone know you appreciate their services. When you chose a cremation provider, you might read the reviews to see if that provider is a good fit for you. Leaving your own review about your experiences will help that provider to garner more business in the future and that’s a huge way to thank them for how they treated your loved one. Prompt Payment Cremation providers give you a service and that service has a cost to it. Paying them promptly and on the agreed upon schedule is a great way to show them you appreciate their services. They can spend more time caring for other people and less time chasing down debts. An In-Person Thank You If you really want to let the cremation provider know how much you appreciate the services they gave to your loved one and the way they treated the rest of your family, you might stop by their facilities and tell them thank you in person. You can take a card signed by your family or just stop by and let them know what you liked about their services. When you have cremation services in Urbandale, IA, the provider is not expecting anything from you by way of a thank you. But if you want to thank them, there are lots of ways you can do just that.
Being A Companion To The Bereaved Posted on March 20, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes There are lots of things you can do for someone that has lost a loved one. When they have cremation services in Des Moines, IA for that person, for example, you can be there for them in many different ways. Your time and presence can be of utmost importance to someone who is going through the worst of times. Here are a few things you can do to be a companion to that person who is grieving. Be Their Shoulder To Cry On You want your friend to know they can come to you at any time and vent to you. Be their shoulder to cry on and it can mean the most to them. They know you are there with a hug and a kind word at any time. Your shoulder is open for business with no judgement and you can offer it to them and it means a lot. Accompany Them To The Funeral Home For Support When your friend is planning funeral home services, it’s important that they have someone along with them any time they visit that location. They might often have family to go with them, and that’s great. But if there are times when they need to stop by and do something with the professionals, and they don’t already have family going with them, make sure they know you are there to accompany them. You can be a second set of eyes and ears, or you can just be there to support them if they break down with emotions. Aid In Errands/Arrangements There are lots of things your friend might have to do around the services they are having for their loved one. They are also grieving and going through a hard time. They might have a lot on their plate and you can help to fill things in by offering to run errands for them, take care of small parts of the arrangements, or fill in other ways that are necessary. It can be a real relief to them to have a go-to person to take care of some of these things. Feed Them At Home When your friend is grieving, and trying to plan things out, you are going to want to make sure they care for themselves as well. Make sure they have nutritious food and that they are eating on a regular basis. That can help them to have the energy they need to get through this hard time. Attend The Services They Arrange Once the final services are arranged, you should attend those services to support your friend. Whether you knew their loved one or not, being there for the services to back them up can mean a lot. Show Up After The Services For Further Support After services are complete, your friend will still be grieving through the cremation services in Des Moines, IA. Be there for them through those hard days when others may have moved past the immediacy of the services. Emotions are still going to be high.
Reasons To Send Flowers To The Funeral Home Posted on March 13, 2023 by ilesfuneralhomes When someone you know has lost a loved one, your heart goes out to them and you want to let them know you are sorry for their loss and are thinking of them during this hard time. That show of support is important to those who are grieving. The professionals at funeral homes in Des Moines, IA might tell you that there are many different things you can send to someone who is grieving. Here are a few reasons why you might want to make that gift flowers. You Want To Show Your Sympathies Flowers are a great way to reach out and let someone know that you are thinking of them and that you want to show your condolences and sympathies to them. You can write something simple on a card to go with the flowers to let them know you are sorry for their loss. Flowers are lovely and they can have a lot of meanings behind them that will show your care, friendship, love, support, and condolences. You Knew And Loved The Person Who Died If you knew the person who passed on, you might want to do something for their family, but also for them in order to pay your respects. Sending flowers can be for the family, in condolence, and for your friend who passed on, to honor them. It’s a nice way to give them a gift that does both things at the same time. You Want To Honor Your Family Member If you are the one planning the final service and hosting the event, you might still send flowers to the funeral home to honor your loved one. You know you will likely get arrangements from other people, and that’s always very nice. But you might want something special that denotes your relationship to the person and stands out as something special among the other arrangements. You can honor your loved one with something unique. You Want To Decorate The Service There are many different ways to honor a final service, and flowers are one of the most common ways to do just that. If you get flowers, you can keep those arrangements in the background of the service as decoration. They are bright, cheerful, show the love others have brought to the service, and denote hope for the future, too. You Want To Support A Friend You don’t have to know the person who died in order to send flowers to the funeral home. You can send them in order to support a friend you know is going through a hard time. If you aren’t close by and can’t attend the final services, you can send flowers to let your friend know you are thinking of them. There are lots of good reasons to send flowers to funeral homes in Des Moines, IA. If you aren’t sure what florist to call, or what to send, call the professionals for ideas and options to consider to show your support.
