Another way to save on funeral costs is the embalming process. The Federal Trade Commission says there are no states that require routine embalming for every death, but there are regulations related to preserving remains prior to burial or cremation, which is more about the length of time between death and disposal to prevent the breakdown of the body.
This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. The Dignity Memorial brand name is used to identify a network of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery providers that include affiliates of Service Corporation International, 1929 Allen Parkway, Houston, Texas. With over 2,000 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year.
A memorial service can either be before or after a cremation. If it’s done before, the body is commonly present in a casket. If it’s done after, the cremated ashes are typically present in an urn. A member of a church can hold the ceremony, or you can choose to have a service with only family and friends present. If a visitation is included, the funeral home will typically charge additional fees. Also, with new CDC recommendations related to social distancing at funerals, it is recommended to now live stream or delay the funeral, instead of having a large crowd of friends and family present.
Occaisionally, and only in certain states, funeral homes also own and operate crematoriums. However, most of the time the actual cremation is performed by a third party service, and not by the funeral home. The fees charged by the cremation provider is typically included in the package offered to you by the funeral home. However, in some cases this fee is not included in the quote provided by a funeral director – make sure to ask about it and see what, if any, additional fees there are to have the actual cremation performed.
Trina L. Salter is the Service Manager at Neptune Society Altamonte Springs. She is a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Crematory Operator, and Licensed Cosmetologist. She also has an Associate Degree in Arts from Valencia Community College/UCF and an Associate Degree in Science from Florida State College at Jacksonville. She has been with our company for 6 years, and she has three beautiful daughters and a grandson. She is an avid traveler, loves to shop, and goes to the movies for relaxation.
My father had a massive stroke while on vacation in California. With one phone call, he was taken care of, delivered back to a local funeral home in Brevard County, Florida. We were kept in the loop every step of the way. 5 years later my mother passed at home. The central Florida office came to the house and took care of everything. They removed my mothers jewelry, which I hadn’t even thought of, and took my mother away. Before leaving, he asked me if there were any questions. He stayed and answered all my questions. And, again, they kept… Read More
We make planning funeral and cremation arrangements in advance convenient and easy to do. Our friendly and knowledgeable Licensed Planning Counselors are available 24-7 to assist you over the phone or in person. We will even come to your home or location of choice to answer questions and assist in making arrangements. With Baldwin Brothers you can also choose to make pre-arrangements online in the comfort of home.
In Europe, there are traces of cremation dating to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2000 BCE) in the Pannonian Plain and along the middle Danube. The custom became dominant throughout Bronze Age Europe with the Urnfield culture (from c. 1300 BCE). In the Iron Age, inhumation again becomes more common, but cremation persisted in the Villanovan culture and elsewhere. Homer's account of Patroclus' burial describes cremation with subsequent burial in a tumulus, similar to Urnfield burials, and qualifying as the earliest description of cremation rites. This may be an anachronism, as during Mycenaean times burial was generally preferred, and Homer may have been reflecting the more common use of cremation at the time the Iliad was written, centuries later.
It is important to consider both the size as well as the style of cremation box that best serves your individual needs. Decorative designer cremation boxes are durable and will withstand the test of time. Many of the chest styles not only look nice, but are convenient to fill, and will easily accommodate the basic plastic container that the funeral homes and crematoriums return the ashes or cremains in.
The company efuneral conducted some basic data gathering from 1,000 funeral homes across the nation and published the average price of a cremation from their findings as $3,725.(2) However, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), the largest trade organization for cremation practitioners, claim that the national average cost of a cremation is $1,650.(3)
Additional costs associated with cremation can include musicians, pallbearers, food and beverage, programs, notices and other printed material. Funeral homes will have options and costs available for all of these additional services for you to consider. It is recommended that you understand these costs up-front so there aren’t any last minute surprises.
“Many funeral providers offer various ‘packages’ of goods and services for different kinds of funerals,” says the Federal Trade Commission. “When you arrange for a funeral, you have the right to buy goods and services separately. That is, you do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want.” The site also has a funeral costs and pricing checklist that helps you figure out the actual cost of a funeral. You can also learn about our funeral planning checklist.
Eco-conscious - The beauty of nature is unparalleled. These natural-material and scattering urns celebrate the serenity of nature and a personal connection with the land, air and sea. Options include medium-density, fiberboard urns, rock salt urns, sand urns or recycled paper and cardboard. Both the rock salt and sand urns are meant for water or sea burials and will dissolve in the water in a few days or as little as a few hours.
Eco-friendly funerals are on the rise and may save families hundreds – even thousands – of dollars on funeral costs depending on the style chosen. Biodegradable caskets are often much cheaper than traditional caskets. The Green Burial Council offers a list of vendors who have green burial-certified products that can be used for your final arrangements.
Cremation services can be much less expensive than in-ground burial. But be sure that you take into account all of the costs associated with the type of funeral or memorial ceremony you would like when comparing prices. Many factors go into the exact cost and prices can vary widely from state-to-state and city-to-city. Even within your own local area prices will vary depending on the provider. It definitely pays to shop around. The exact portfolio of services you choose will play a big part in determining the overall price for the cremation you have in mind.
I really appreciate your information that direct cremation is usually the best for people on a budget because a casket is typically the largest expense. This makes me wonder if I could rent a casket for a viewing before a cremation. In my mind, this would be the best of both worlds, so I will start looking into funeral homes and see if this could be an option before putting it in my will.
The chances are that if you are searching about cremation costs, it is because you want to find an affordable cremation option. The DFS Memorials network is an independent network of family-owned funeral homes that offer low cost cremations. To find your nearest provider visit the DFS Memorials website and locate your nearest city/area. All member funeral homes that join the network offer a complete (no hidden extras) direct cremation for between the price of $495 and $1,395 (depending on where you live).
After the sudden passing of my wife, Caren, I contacted National Cremation. They met me at the hospital and set up an appointment with Mr. Stephen Barreto. He was very professional, knowledgeable, caring and while treating me with the utmost respect, he very patiently explained all my options. Within a very short period, all the arrangements were made and only five days later I received the urn in preparation for a Memorial Service at their location. Although we had a larger than expected turnout, Mr. Barreto went out of his way to accommodate everyone. His assistance and that of the… Read More
The costs of cremation vary according to many factors, so planning ahead and understanding all your options can be good ways to save on end-of-life expenses. Even without early action on your part, though, educating yourself on cremation costs lets you make decisions that support your goals for your own legacy and reduce the decision-making and expense burdens that might otherwise fall on your family.
Similar to a funeral home, the cremation provider who performs the direct cremation will be in charge of the entire process – including transporting the body, performing the cremation, returning the cremated remains, and filling out a death certificate. However, with direct cremation, there is typically no embalming nor body preparation – therefore, a viewing or visitation is typically not an option. The fees charged by direct cremation providers are typically much less than a funeral home.
Affordable Cremation & Funeral Center, Inc.® has been assisting families during their time of loss since 1999 and offers an Affordable Alternative in cremation and funeral services. We understand that the loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult times in our lives. Our goal is to help make this difficult time as easy on you and your family as possible. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help you make an educated decision in your cremation or funeral needs and provide you peace of mind.
Biodegradable Urns – this includes urns that are made from bamboo, paper, cardboard, wood and other materials. The biodegradable urns for ashes come in all different shapes and sizes and can be urns that grow trees, urns for scattering ashes, or designed to be used as burial urns and as water urns. As more people are eco-conscious, these environmentally friendly urns are becoming extremely popular and are considered by many to be affordable urns. The cost of a biodegradable urn ranges from $60 to $400. Below we higlight a few of the more popular biodegradable urns.
The problem with quoting the average price for a cremation is that the actual costs for cremation do vary significantly. Some states are generally more expensive on cremation costs than others. This can be due to higher energy costs, a less competitive cremation market and a lower cremation rate. Even within a state or city the cost for a cremation can differ by $100’s or even $1000’s.
Despite being an obvious source of carbon emissions, cremation also has environmental advantages over burial, depending on local practice. Studies by Elisabeth Keijzer for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research found that cremation has less of an environmental impact than a traditional burial (natural burial was not addressed), while the newer method of alkaline hydrolysis (sometimes called green cremation or resomation) had less impact than both. The study was based on Dutch practice; American crematoria are more likely to emit mercury, but are less likely to burn hardwood coffins.[73] Keijzer’s studies also found that a cremation or burial accounts for only about a quarter of a funeral’s environmental impact; the carbon emissions of people travelling to the funeral are far greater.[73]
Our trained experts will help you decide the necessary number of death certificates and provide consultation with any other questions you may have. We pay detailed attention to every aspect of funerary planning to make sure nothing is overlooked. We offer our customers a complete Celebration of Life memorial to honor the departed and allow families to witness an event in which cherish memories are featured. Your Life Celebration Consultant will walk you through every planning detail, so you can focus on family.
I have had the unfortunate experience of having to use this service twice now in three years for my parents. Fortunately, Neptune and TIFFANY CURA have made the situation tolerable and easy though the grief has made me mentally unavailable. I will also buy an account for myself with Neptune as soon as I feel a little better to save my family the hardship that comes with the aftereffects of a loved one passing from this Earth. Thank you, Neptune.