What To Expect When Arranging The Cremation Of A Loved One

In this day and age, many people are making it known during life that they would like to be cremated after they die. If one of your loved one's has recently passed away and wanted to be cremated, you may not know how to make the arrangements or what to expect from the process. While planning the cremation of a loved one can be very difficult emotionally, the actual process is very straightforward and simple. Continue reading to learn more about what to expect when arranging the cremation of a recently deceased loved one:

Work with a Funeral Director

Many people want to have a memorial service prior to the actual cremation. If you would like to do this, contact a local funeral home and speak with the funeral director. You can count on the funeral director to assist you with all of the details of planning the service, such as the order of the service, flowers, memorial cards, and a guest book. A funeral director can help you make arrangements to have the service in a church, but many funeral homes also have chapels onsite that can be used for memorial services.

Preparing the Body

After you get in contact with the funeral director, he or she will arrange to have the body of the deceased transported to the funeral home. The body will typically be stored in a very cool, temperature-controlled area. Embalming is not necessary if a person is being cremated, but you can request it if it is something that you want. You will be asked to bring clothing for your loved one to wear for the memorial service; his or her body will be bathed and dressed prior to the service.

Coffin Requirements

Most crematories require a body to be in a coffin before it can be cremated, but a few do allow the body to be placed on a thick cardboard mat and covered by a shroud. Do not feel like you need to purchase an expensive coffin for the purpose of cremation. Many people opt to buy a very affordable cardboard coffin if their loved one is being cremated. If you want to do a viewing prior to the memorial service, you can typically rent a coffin from the funeral home and then the body of your loved one will be moved into the cardboard coffin just before it is cremated at the crematory. 

Contact a service, like American Cremation Society (Ridgemoor Chapels), for more help.

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