Every day, we hear stories about how people are struggling to find meaningful ceremonies to honor a loved one who has been cremated.  they think that cremation means there can be no remembrance service, or commemorative event – and that’s simply not true! EVERY FAMILY IS UNIQUE AND THEIR CEREMONY SHOULD FIT THEM! A good Funeral Director will guide you and make you feel comfortable with your choices, they should never try to push or sell you anything that you don’t want or need. If you feel something is not right, you can leave and go somewhere else.  

A cremation service or ceremony simply sets aside time to celebrate the personality and accomplishments of someone you loved. And, it gives comfort and support to those left behind. It can take place prior to the cremation, or afterwards. It can also be part of a scattering ceremony.

Here are some popular places to hold an affordable cremation ceremony:

• The Beach
  
• A Lake
  
• A Local Park
  
• The Family Backyard
  
• A River or Creed Side
  
• At Home
  
• A Favorite Restaurant
  
• A Golf Course
  
• Onboard a Boat
  
• A veterans Organization
  
• Local CLub
  

The cremation ceremony you create should be full of experiences: sights, sounds, word, music; good food, and good friends. You could incorporate:

• A Photo slideshow of your loves one's life
  
• A playlist of favorite songs
  
• A time for guests to come forward to tell stories: they could light a candle or incense before or after story or offering has been shared. 
  
• Scattering the ashes during the ceremony on your private land
  
• Distributing ashes in small containers so that guests take a memento to keep
  
• Placing ashes in biodegradable balloons, to be released into as a group
  
• placing small amount of ashes in floatable, biodegradable structure, to be released into water
  
• Arranging for a Dove or a Butterfly release
  
• Gathering friends for a blessing of a garden or special spot in honor of your loved one
  
• Blessings of various faiths and spiritual practices
  

Perhaps you aren’t yet ready to plan such an event. And that’s okay – in fact, choosing cremation has given you the time you may need to feel ready to take this on.

Yet, we encourage you to have some cremation ceremony gathering at some time – whether now or in the future – to commemorate your loved one’s life. When you’re ready, call us at (315) 771-5495 to explore your options for an affordable cremation ceremony.