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 to handle all aspects of the death ritual, from collecting and preparing the deceased to delivering a eulogy. This may have all seemed very relevant in times when the funeral director most likely knew the deceased in person or through his community. However, this is not so much the case now where funeral directors can be handling the services for a deceased person that they have never met!
This raises the issue of how effectively a funeral home can assist a family memorialize a person that they have no prior knowledge of, and is but one driver in why more families today are opting to conduct their own cremation memorial services.
Funeral directors can cremate: Families can memorialize!
Industry critics talk about how the industry is separating into the disposition and memorialization elements. The disposition element continues to be served very well by funeral professionals, and cremation is offering a simple and low cost disposition option. A basic cremation without any services (known in the trade as a direct cremation or immediate cremation) can be conducted 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 than 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: Tributes that are uniquely personal
No one can best memorialize a lost loved one than the family who hold 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. A benefit of being able to arrange a timely cremation and postpone the funeral service is that it 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, then there are various options available for how you can make 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 bit of time, imagination and desire to completely make your tribute personal.
Have you ever thought about caring for your deceased family member yourself? Washing him or her, preparing he or she for burial (or cremation), building your own wooden coffin, transporting them to their final resting place and conducting your own funeral service. Sounds a little extraordinary doesn’t it? Yet it is not that long ago since that was how it was done. Most people died at home and the family cared for them, perhaps enlisting the services of their minister and an undertaker/cabinet maker.