One of the most significant changes happening in the funeral industry today is the fragmentation of professional services.
For many years, we have entrusted the funeral home with handling all aspects of the death ritual, from collecting and preparing the deceased to delivering a eulogy.
This may have seemed highly relevant when the funeral director knew the deceased personally or through the deceased’s community. However, this is not so much the case now, where funeral directors can handle the services for a deceased person they have never met!
This raises the question of how effectively a funeral home can assist a family in memorializing someone they have no prior knowledge of, and it is one reason more families today are opting to conduct their own cremation memorial services.
Funeral directors can cremate: Families can memorialize!
Industry critics note that the industry is divided into disposition and memorialization elements. The disposition element continues to be well served by funeral professionals, and cremation offers a simple, low-cost option.
A basic cremation without services (also known in the trade as direct or immediate cremation) can be arranged in most cities for between $795 and $1,195. This handles the complete disposition process simply, efficiently, and at a manageable cost.
Once the cremated remains are returned to the family, they can then arrange to conduct a cremation memorial service. This can be arranged at a time and place that is entirely suitable for the family. Memorial services can be held at home, in a place of worship, or a community venue.
In fact, you can even hold a memorial service at a golf club! They can be held with the cremated remains present or without. A memorial service can be held to scatter cremated remains or to distribute keepsake cremation urns between family members.
Not only can the family arrange to conduct their own memorial service, which can be uniquely personalized, but they can do it at a fraction of the cost a traditional funeral service at a funeral home would have cost.
Life celebrations: Uniquely personal Tributes
No one can better memorialize a lost loved one than the family who holds those shared memories of the deceased. Funerals are becoming less somber events and more about creating an uplifting celebration of a life lived.
The number of celebrants is increasing as families use the services of a professional to deliver secular celebration services. However, where they feel capable, the family can prepare and deliver their own tribute service. Arranging a timely cremation and postponing the funeral service gives the family a chance to immediately grieve without being forced to make decisions about a funeral service.
The service can be arranged at a later date when the family feels ready to address the memorial aspect of remembering their lost loved one.
Save money by creating your own memorial tributes
If you wish to conduct your own memorial services and keep costs down, there are various options available for making your own memorial tributes. You can download templates for memorial cards, set up free online memorial pages, and create your own memory boards, candles, and wreaths. All it takes is a little time, imagination, and desire to make your tribute personal.
Sara Marsden-Ille is a writer and researcher specialising in the death care industry. With more than 15 years covering end-of-life services, funeral trends, and consumer funeral planning, she writes for DFS Memorials and US Funerals Online to help families make informed decisions.
