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Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation, Educational Resources > Filling a Cremation Urn with Ease
Answer:
Anyone can fill a cremation urn with ashes or other sentimental items, and there are no special qualifications or training needed. However, if you are uncomfortable with handling your loved one's cremated remains, you can ask your funeral home or cremation provider to fill the urn for you.
Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation, Educational Resources > Filling a Cremation Urn with Ease
Answer:
Anyone can fill a cremation urn with ashes or other sentimental items, and there are no special qualifications or training needed. However, if you are uncomfortable with handling your loved one's cremated remains, you can ask your funeral home or cremation provider to fill the urn for you.
Answer:
To fill a cremation urn with ashes, you can use direct transfer, bag transfer, or bag-to-bag transfer. The simplest way to fill a cremation urn is through bag transfer, where you simply place the entire bag of ashes inside the urn. Pouring ashes from their bag into the urn itself is called direct transfer, while pouring ashes from one bag into another bag is called bag-to-bag transfer. Any of these three methods will work to fill a cremation urn. If you are filling a smaller urn such as a medium urn or a keepsake urn, you can use direct transfer to pour some ashes into the urn, or use bag-to-bag transfer to portion out some ashes into a smaller bag before using bag transfer to place the smaller bag into the urn.
Answer:
Wood cremation urns all use durable hardwoods, so the "best" wood for urns is simply a matter of personal taste and style. Different kinds of wood offer unique grain patterns and colors, and cherry, walnut, and oak are all popular picks.
Answer:
Metal urns are one of the most durable types of cremation urns, and can last several decades to centuries. These urns are usually vase-shaped and made from metals such as brass or pewter. It takes extreme force to damage the structure of a metal urn, and if one is buried underground without an urn vault, over time the urn risks collapsing under the weight of soil. Like other metal objects, metal urns can also be dented or scratched with improper handling, but these visual flaws will not affect the strength or function of the urn. In the Light Urns offers free urns for ashes that have suffered minor aesthetic damage in our warehouse and cannot be sold in perfect condition.
Can I make my own cremation urn?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn
Answer:
You can use any container you find appropriate to hold your loved one's ashes or your future ashes, and if you feel that no cremation urns you find are suitable, you can make your own urn for ashes. However, depending on the materials you use to create a DIY urn, the urn may not be as durable and long-lasting as an urn that was professionally manufactured. At In the Light Urns, we create custom cremation urns for ashes and can help you make a personalized urn for your needs. Our 3D-printed custom urns are excellent choices for an urn that you can design to be printed in any shape or style imaginable.
Answer:
Cremated remains can either go directly inside an urn or be contained in a bag inside the urn. When you receive your loved one's ashes from the crematorium, the ashes will already be inside a plastic bag, so you can either place the entire bag inside the urn or pour the ashes from the bag into the urn.
Answer:
Christianity has always practiced burial, but due to the rising popularity of cremation in modern times, most Christian denominations today permit cremation even if they encourage burial as a first choice. However, Eastern Orthodox Christians still don't believe in allowing cremation, and the Eastern Orthodox Church forbids it. Historically, this ban was enacted because cremation was viewed as pagan, and denied the value of the human body and creation by God.
Answer:
The opportunity for a final goodbye before cremation can occur at a funeral or memorial service held prior to the cremation. A memorial service before cremation allows family and friends a time to grieve and say their final goodbyes to their loved one. If the deceased is laid to rest in an open casket during the service, this viewing can also give mourners closure to see their loved one a last time before cremation. Some cremation providers also offer a witnessed cremation, where a small number of family members are allowed to join the cremation operator and watch their loved one be placed into the cremation chamber. A witnessed cremation allows grieving family to be the last people to see their loved one before cremation occurs.
Answer:
Depending on your location, you may have legal regulations associated with scattering ashes. These are in place for the interest of public and environmental safety, along with respect for private property owners who may not want cremated remains on their property. Some families may choose to ignore these regulations and scatter ashes in places that bar cremated remains (such as Disneyland), but we heavily discourage this as it can be illegal and result in the undignified disposal of your loved one's remains as a biohazard.
Answer:
When scattering ashes, be mindful of wind direction, and release the ashes at or near waist level. This helps avoid cremated remains blowing back into you or your guests' face(s). Take your time and release ashes slowly, both to prolong the moment and to avoid a large deposit of remains at once.
Answer:
A cremation container is a combustible box or casket used to hold a person's intact body before cremation. When cremation occurs, the cremation container holding the body gets burned in a cremation chamber. After cremation, when a person's body has been reduced to bones and ground into small particles resembling sand, an urn is used to store the cremated remains or "ashes." An urn for ashes can be a temporary holding container while the ashes are transported for scattering, or it can be a permanent urn intended for burial or decorative display.
What material is best for a cremation urn?
Educational Resources > Selecting the Perfect Cremation Urn Material, Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn
Answer:
The best material for a cremation urn depends on personal preference, intended use, and budget. - Metal, stone, and resin urns are the most durable urns, ideal for outdoor settings or burial.
- Wood, glass, and ceramic urns last longer in controlled environments, so these urns are great options for an interior setting such as home display or interment within a columbarium.
- The most affordable cremation urns are made of biodegradable materials, which will suit those looking for environmentally-conscious choices.
Can I make my own cremation urn?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn
Answer:
You can use any container you find appropriate to hold your loved one's ashes or your future ashes, and if you feel that no cremation urns you find are suitable, you can make your own urn for ashes. However, depending on the materials you use to create a DIY urn, the urn may not be as durable and long-lasting as an urn that was professionally manufactured. At In the Light Urns, we create custom cremation urns for ashes and can help you make a personalized urn for your needs. Our 3D-printed custom urns are excellent choices for an urn that you can design to be printed in any shape or style imaginable.
What should I engrave on a cremation urn?
Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn, Engraving & Printing
Answer:
A custom cremation urn is frequently engraved with the deceased's name, birth date, and death date. You can further personalize your engraving with an epitaph, which is a short expression of love or respect that goes on memorial items. Examples of epitaphs include "In Loving Memory" and "Beloved Wife and Mother"/Husband and Father". If there is room, a short quote or statement such as "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" can also be included.
Answer:
If your husband (or spouse) has passed away, keeping your husband's ashes at home is a respectful way to honor your spouse's memory and keep him close to you. You may wish to consider the preferences of other family members, and split the ashes if there are multiple people who would like to keep a portion of ashes.
Answer:
You can reuse a cremation urn that is fully intact, but some people may find it inappropriate or disrespectful to reuse an urn that has previously held someone's ashes. If you do choose to reuse a cremation urn, make sure that it is clean and empty of past cremated remains. If cost is an issue for your family, we offer free cremation urns at In the Light Urns that have visual imperfections but are structurally sound.
Answer:
Cremation does not require blood or any other fluids in the body to be drained. However, if a viewing or open casket funeral is planned for your loved one prior to cremation, they will need to be embalmed first, which involves draining blood from the body and replacing it with formaldehyde. This process helps preserve the body by slowing the rate of decomposition. Embalmed bodies can still be cremated, but an embalming is not necessary for cremation. If your loved one will not be viewed post-mortem, you do not need to have them embalmed.
Answer:
The simplest form of cremation is direct cremation, where a person is promptly cremated without any type of memorial like a casket viewing, funeral service, or cremation witnessing. Because there are no additional costs associated with memorial services, direct cremation is the most affordable form of cremation.
Does the Bible say anything about scattering ashes?
Educational Resources > Religious Views on Cremation, Educational Resources > Scattering Ashes
Answer:
There is no mention of scattering ashes in the Bible, but the Catholic Church prohibits scattering because it teaches that a person's body should be interred in a sacred resting place (i.e., graveyard, which is a cemetery located on church grounds). Cremation is permitted under the basis that cremated remains are treated as if they were a whole body, and the act of scattering goes against this practice.
