Cremation has become an increasingly common choice for final disposition, reflecting changing cultural values, personal preferences, and practical considerations.
Once shaped largely by religious tradition and social custom, end-of-life practices today are far more individualized, with families seeking options that feel meaningful, flexible, and aligned with their beliefs.
Cremation offers a range of possibilities — from traditional memorial services to more contemporary celebrations of life — allowing loved ones to honour a person’s legacy in ways that are deeply personal.
Beyond ceremony, cremation is often chosen for its simplicity and versatility.
It can accommodate diverse timelines, make it easier to gather family members from different locations, and provide multiple options for the final resting place, including burial, scattering, or keeping remains in a memorial form.
Environmental considerations, cost factors, and evolving attitudes toward remembrance have also contributed to its growing acceptance across many communities.
This Ultimate Guide explores cremation in depth, explaining what the process involves, the choices available to families, and how it fits within modern funeral practices.
By understanding cremation more clearly, individuals and families can make informed decisions during a time that is often emotional and complex, ensuring that final arrangements reflect both personal values and the wishes of the person being remembered.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Can We Still Have a Funeral Service?
With Cremation, is a Casket Needed?
What is the Cost of Cremation?
How Do We Search For Cremation Providers?
How Do We Decide Which Cremation Provider to Choose?
What Can Be Done With the Ashes?
Can I Have an Easy-To-Use Checklist?
What is Cremation?
Cremation is a method of final disposition in which the body of a deceased person is respectfully reduced to bone fragments through the use of high heat in a specialized facility.
After the process is complete, the remaining fragments are processed into a fine, sand-like material commonly referred to as cremated remains or ashes.
These remains are then returned to the family, who may choose from a variety of options for memorialization, such as burial, scattering, placement in a niche, or keeping them in a memorial urn at home or some other special place.
Can We Still Have a Funeral Service?
There is a common misconception that choosing cremation means that you and your family are forfeiting a funeral service.
This is simply not true. Cremation is not a substitute for a funeral service.
Cremation is a method of body disposition, while a funeral service is a type of ceremony to honour the life and legacy of the person who passed away.
With cremation, there are a number of ways to have a ceremony:
Traditional Funeral Service
You are able to have a traditional funeral or a religious ceremony where the deceased’s body is present in a casket.
This option also allows families to have a visitation and viewing of the body before the funeral service. After the funeral service is completed, the body would then be cremated.
Memorial Service
If the deceased’s body is cremated before the service, you can have the person’s ashes in an urn present at the ceremony if you wish.
You may also incorporate the scattering or the burial of the ashes into the memorial service, or this could be done at some other time with only close family and friends present.
Celebration of Life
This type of ceremony is a much less formal affair than a memorial service, with everyone invited to take part and to share stories with one another.
It’s for people who don’t want tears at their passing, only fond memories.
Like a memorial service, it is up to the family whether or not the deceased’s ashes are present, as well as whether or not the ash scattering or burial will be part of the ceremony.
What are the Pros?
Cremation has several advantages over other types of body disposition:
It’s Less Expensive
With no cemetery plot, burial casket, embalming of the body, headstone or monument, cremation is less expensive that ground burial.
On average, ground burial costs six times more than cremation. Cremation is the cheapest form of human interment.
It Gives a Family More Time to Plan a Ceremony
Cremation allows families to take their time planning a ceremony, (as ashes won’t decompose).
With a ground burial of a body, there is a greater urgency to have a funeral service, which can be very stressful for the deceased’s family.
If family members and friends live in different cities and countries, and cannot come together immediately to pay their last respects to the deceased person, then cremation is a good option because it allows a memorial service or celebration of life to be planned at a later date.
The Remains are Portable
Urns holding cremains (a person’s cremated remains) are far more portable than a casket holding the body.
This gives the deceased’s family much more flexibility in where to hold the ceremony. The memorial service or celebration of life can easily be in a different part of the country or overseas.
It’s Environmentally Friendly
Some people believe cremation to be an environmentally friendly option because it prevents cemeteries from expanding and taking up more land.
Cremation also doesn’t use chemicals that are used in embalming a body, which can leach into the soil over time.
It’s Psychologically Easier
Some people, particularly those with claustrophobia, have a deep-seated fear of being buried. Cremation is a good alternative to a traditional ground burial.
It Gives Many More Memorial Options
With cremation, families have a wide range of memorial options.
A few examples include: burying the ashes in a family cemetery plot; storing the ashes in a columbaria; scattering the ashes in an outdoor location; scattering the ashes under a memorial tree; or wearing cremation jewelry filled a small amount of ashes.
The Deceased’s Resting Place Can be a Sentimental Location
With cremation, you aren’t restricted to using a cemetery for the deceased’s final resting place.
You and your family can scatter the ashes in a place (or in several places) that had special meaning to the person that passed away.
What are the Cons?
Cremation also comes with several downsides, which you should also be aware of:
Cremation May Not Be Available
Not every community has a funeral home with the proper facilities and equipment to perform cremations.
In this event, you may have to go to a funeral home in a neighbouring community.
Religious Bans
Cremation is not permitted in some religious faiths. As examples: Orthodox Judaism; Islam; and Greek Orthodox.
Roman Catholicism historically forbade cremation, but lifted the ban in the 1960s. Since that time, cremation has been on the rise among Catholics.
If you are religious and are unsure whether or not cremation is an acceptable form of body disposition in your faith, check with a spiritual leader.
Agreement Can Be More Difficult
Some families experience tension and strife when it comes to the subject of whether or not to choose cremation, particularly where some members are more religious or traditional than others.
There may also be disagreement over who will become the caretaker of the ashes and the urn.
Difficulty reaching consensus on these issues can lead to long-term hard feelings between family members.
Environmental Concerns
The process of cremation requires extensive use of fossil fuels, which increases carbon dioxide emissions.
The process also produces harmful mercury, which is also released into the air.
Prevents Further Examination of the Cause of Death
Even after a body has been buried for years, it can be exhumed if investigation into the cause of death is required. Cremation prevents any further investigation from being conducted.
Impossible to Identify Misplaced Ashes
There is always the possibility that the cremains get misplaced.
In this event, it would be impossible for the deceased’s family to identify the ashes of the deceased.
There would be nothing that the family could do to ensure the safe return of their dearly departed loved one.
Lack of a Permanent Memorial
One of the biggest downsides of scattering ashes in an outdoor location is that there isn’t a permanent memorial where family members and friends can visit in the future.
Some people find solace in being able to visit and tend a graveside.
Scattering ashes on a family property may create emotional distress for family members when the time comes to sell the property.
Furthermore, the knowledge of where a family member has been laid to rest is more likely to be forgotten by future generations with scattering than with a ground burial.
(If this issue is a concern, the ashes can be buried in an urn at a cemetery and have a grave marker.)
With Cremation, is a Casket Needed?
The short answer is: “It depends.”
A casket is needed when the cremation is taking place after a viewing (where the deceased is in an open casket, and friends and relatives pay their last respects), or after a traditional funeral service (which requires the body of the deceased to be present).
If a family is having a viewing and, or, a traditional funeral service, the family can either purchase a quality casket (which will later be cremated with the body inside it), or rent a casket (provided the funeral home has a rental service). Renting is the far cheaper option.
A rental casket is a casket that looks like the real deal, but in fact has a removable interior, which is a simple wooden box. (Think of Russian nesting dolls.)
The deceased is fully contained within the interior box, which is easily removed after the funeral service. The deceased is then cremated in this box.
Because the deceased never came into contact with the outer casing of the casket (i.e. the visible part), the funeral home can re-use the rental casket by inserting a new removable interior.
If cremation is taking place before the memorial service or celebration of life, or if the family is having no ceremony at all, the family will still have to purchase a casket or an “alternative container”.
The law requires that the body be enclosed in a rigid container during the cremation process in order to protect the health and safety of the crematorium operator.
The range for the price and quality of caskets starts at the bottom with a no-frills cardboard box (also referred to as an “alternative container”), and goes all the way up to premium caskets that are also used in traditional burials.
Some crematoriums will include the alternative container in their standard fee.
Before investing in a quality casket, be aware that most crematoriums will only accept caskets that are fully combustible, with no metal parts.
Solid wood caskets are ideal, as are cloth-covered wood caskets and wood veneer caskets.
Most “green” caskets are also ideal. They are usually made out of natural materials, such as wicker or bamboo, or natural fibers, like cotton or wool, making them fully combustible.
There are a few crematoriums that will accept metal caskets, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
Each crematorium has different requirements. Therefore, make sure you inquire about the specific requirements of the particular crematorium before you purchase a casket for cremation.
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What is the Cost of Cremation?
The price range for a “direct cremation” is $500 to $1,500, depending on where you live.
According to the Cremation Research Council, the average cost of a “direct cremation” is $1,100. (The term “direct cremation” means that the family of the deceased did not have a funeral or memorial service, or a celebration of life.)
As stated above, cremation is less expensive than ground burial because the family does not have to pay for a cemetery plot, burial casket, embalming of the body, headstone or monument.
You should check with the funeral service provider what is included in the fee that they advertise for direct cremation.
For example, ABC Company may advertise that it does direct cremation for $500, while XYZ Company advertises that it does direct cremation for $1,300.
It seems that ABC Company is offering the better deal until you find out that the fee of $500 only covers the work to cremate the body.
There are additional expenses that are not included in ABC Company’s advertised price.
As examples: the cost of the cremation casket; transportation fees; the cost of the urn. XYZ Company includes all these additional expenses in its quote, and is in fact offering you a much better deal than ABC Company.
When it comes to choosing a cremation service provider, the provider’s reputation should be a more important consideration than the cost of the cremation.
Discount businesses may be a “fly-by-night” operation, instead of a reputable firm that has faithfully served a community for decades.
A discount vendor may not be able to afford to hire professional staff, and might take questionable short cuts, leading to quality control issues.
If a business does not care about quality control, there is no guarantee that you’ll, in fact, receive the ashes of your loved one.
As stated above, choosing cremation does not preclude you and your family from having a funeral or memorial service, or a celebration of life.
As with ceremonies associated with ground burials, the costs here will depend on what products and services you select.
If you are planning to have a ceremony to honour your loved one’s life and legacy, you will need an additional budget to cover expenses such as: venue; flowers and décor; transportation; and perhaps catering.
How Do We Search For Cremation Providers?
Many funeral homes have a relationship with a preferred crematorium operator that they’ve worked with for many years.
Some funeral homes even have their own crematorium, meaning, they don’t have to outsource the cremation to a third party. This makes it easier for the funeral home to ensure quality control processes are adhered to.
Ask the funeral home if they have their own crematorium. If they don’t, ask them which crematorium operator they recommend and why.
You may also ask if a visit with the crematorium operator can be arranged, if you want to ensure that you are comfortable with choosing them.
To find a reputable funeral home or cremation provider in your local area, please visit Love Lives On’s Business Directory.
Our Business Directory is dedicated to helping you find the very best end-of-life professionals, including funeral homes, grief counsellors, monuments makers, florists, celebrants, estate lawyers, and so much more.
Businesses with Featured Listings in our directory – the comprehensive listings that appear at the top of search results with photos, reviews, and map directions – have all been carefully vetted by our team so that you don’t have to take on this laborious task.
Unlike other directories, joining Love Lives On is by invitation only. We work with an exclusive list of businesses.
You can trust that businesses with Featured Listings meet the highest standards for quality, professionalism and reliability.
How Do We Decide Which Cremation Provider to Choose?
1. Visit the Cremation Provider Before Signing With Them
It is vital that you visit potential cremation providers before signing a contract.
With our busy lives, we might be tempted to make a decision based solely on what we find on the Internet.
While Internet research is certainly helpful, there is no substitute for visiting possible cremation providers in person.
You will want to tour their facilities and make sure that they are clean and well organized. You will want to speak with staff and make sure that you are comfortable with their explanations of their services and fees.
If the funeral home engages the services of a third party crematorium, you want to ensure that you feel confident in accepting the funeral home’s recommendation.
After all, you are entrusting the body of your loved one to their care. If you aren’t sure about the recommendation, you may request a visit with the third party crematorium.
2. Ask Important Questions
When visiting cremation providers, there are essential questions that you should ask about:
(i) Ask About Up-Front Pricing
Will the cremation provider give you a price list that clearly shows all the services that they provide, along with the cost and any sales taxes?
(ii) Ask About Licensing and Professional Associations
What licenses and professional associations does the cremation provider belong to?
What code of ethics is the provider required to follow?
Are they routinely inspected by any government agencies?
(iii) Ask About Insurance
Is the cremation provider properly insured?
If the funeral home uses a third party to do the cremation work, does the funeral home’s insurance cover them for any mistakes or negligence on the part of the third party?
(iv) Ask About Cremation Equipment and Facilities
Do they own their own cremation facilities and equipment? If so, can you tour the cremation facility?
If not, what business do they outsource the cremation work to and where is it located? Are you able to tour the cremation facility of the third party vendor?
Do they have refrigeration facilities to hold the body prior to cremation? Who is ultimately responsible for the cremation work?
(v) Ask About Policies and Procedures for Tracking
Cremation is an irreversible process.
And once it has been done, it will be impossible to correctly identify your loved one’s ashes if the cremation provider does not have comprehensive body-tracking procedures in place.
As a consumer, you have the right to see the cremation provider’s policy and procedures manual.
You will want to ascertain how your loved one will be treated; what body tracking procedures are used throughout the cremation process; and who identifies the body before cremation commences?
(A family member should be allowed to formally identify the body beforehand to ensure that there isn’t a mix-up.)
(vi) Ask About Policies and Procedures for Artificial Body Parts and Medical Devices
You may want to know their policy in regards to disposing of artificial body parts (e.g. eyes, hips, knees, and limbs) and medical devices (e.g. pacemaker).
(vii) Ask About Policies and Procedures for Return of Ashes
What is the average time between receiving the body and the return of the ashes to the family?
What is the cremation provider’s policy with respect to the holding of the ashes after the cremation is completed? How will the ashes be returned to you?
What happens if an urn hasn’t been purchased beforehand?
(viii) Ask About Policy on Family and Friends Witnessing the Cremation
If you, other family members and friends wish to be present at the start of the cremation process, be sure to ask the cremation provider if arrangements for this can be made.
Witnessing the start of the cremation process may help some people achieve closure.
(ix) Ask About Environmental Concerns
If you are an environmentally conscious person, you should ask if the crematorium is taking steps to reduce the emissions that are a result of the cremation process.
(x) Ask About Guarantees
Ask if the cremation provider gives any guarantees and ask them to explain them to you in detail.
(xi) Ask For References
Will the cremation provider give you references of other families they have worked with?
6. Know When to Walk Away
If a cremation provider fails to show you documents that you request to see (i.e. full price list; operating license; certificate of insurance; policy and procedures manual), or is hesitant to do so, choose another cremation provider.
This advice also applies if they won’t show you their facilities, or answer your questions in a straightforward manner.
Remember, the cost of direct cremation is not the most important factor when choosing a cremation provider.
You want a cremation provider that will treat the dearly departed with dignity, will act in a caring and professional manner towards the family, and will be transparent about all aspects of the cremation process, as well as the cost for services.
What Can Be Done With the Ashes?
After the cremation process is complete, the family is given the cremains (the person’s cremated remains).
The cremains are commonly referred to as “the ashes”.
There are many options when it comes to the question of what to do with your loved one’s ashes. We will explore some of the more popular options below.
Scattering
Scattering the ashes of a loved one is one of the most common ceremonial practices.
When people who choose cremation for them, nearly half request that their families scatter their ashes after they have passed away.
Popular locations for scattering ashes include rivers, ponds, golf courses, gardens, flower beds, at sea, or a location that is personally significant and has sentimental value to the deceased and his or her family.
However, it is important to inquire if your local laws permit the scattering of ashes.
With the growing trend of scattering cremains, we are beginning to see even more options for scattering ashes.
For example, you can purchase a water scattering urn that can be placed in the water where they will eventually biodegrade.
This is a fantastic option if you plan to scatter your loved ones remains in the ocean, a lake or a river.
Burial
Burying cremains in an urn is another popular option.
The urn holding the ashes can be buried in a cemetery plot or an urn garden. An urn garden is an area of the cemetery dedicated to the burial of urns.
The area is usually beautifully landscaped, with water features, lavish plantings, and large rocks or other sculptures.
Burial in an urn garden is the less expensive option.
However, a person might prefer to be buried with a spouse or partner that previously passed away and is buried in a cemetery plot, or with other family members in a family plots.
The site within the cemetery is marked with a grave marker, making the site a permanent memorial. Some families find solace in being able to visit and care for the burial site.
Columbarium
A columbarium is an above-ground building that houses cremation urns.
Inside the building, the walls have “niches” (or a small opening in the wall) that can hold a single cremation urn.
Once the urn containing the cremains has been interred in the columbarium, a bronze plaque is placed on the outside of the niche. The plaque is a permanent record of who is inside the niche.
As with burial, some families find it comforting to be able to visit the place where their loved one has been laid to rest.
At Home
After cremation, some people choose to keep the cremated remains of their loved one at home.
They may either keep the remains in a beautiful urn that is on display, or in a simple urn kept in a private place within the house, or an urn that has been buried in the garden.
Memorial Tree
Some families like to plant a tree in honour of their loved one.
This can be incorporated into a memorial service or a celebration of life.
A memorial tree is both a beautiful tribute to someone’s life and legacy, as well as a gift to future generations. It also symbolizes the circle of life, and our return to nature after our death.
When memorial trees are planted on a family’s private property, the ashes of the deceased can be sprinkled around the base of the tree, or placed within an urn that is buried under the tree.
If the memorial tree is in a public space, check with the local authorities as to whether ashes can be sprinkled or buried.
The family may also install a simple bronze plague at the base of the tree that displays their loved one’s name, date of birth and date of death, along with a personal message or quote.
Good choices for a memorial tree include the oak (which is a symbol of strength), ginkgo (the classic “memory” tree), and the Japanese red maple, (renowned for its beautiful colours).
However, you may choose a tree according to your tastes or a type of tree that has special significance.
Can I Have an Easy-To-Use Checklist?
We have created this useful infographic that summarizes the main points made in this cremation guidebook.
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How Can Love Lives On Help?
We know that losing a loved one is a difficult experience.
Our mission at Love Lives On is to make your life a little easier by providing you with the best information online, as well as connecting you via our Business Directory with caring and skilled professionals in your local area who are ready to help you today.
In addition to this Ultimate Guide on Cremation, here are some other articles you might useful:
- 100+ Best Celebration of Life Ideas
- Curated List of Beautiful Songs for a Funeral Service
- Guidebooks on How to Design a Funeral Service Around a Theme
- What to Wear to a Funeral for Women
- What to Wear to a Funeral for Men
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