It’s not something you ever want to have to think about but is something many of us will be faced with at some point in our lives – the death of a loved one. Dealing with the death of a loved one is never easy, but unfortunately, it is a part of life.

After dealing with the tough loss of someone you love, there may be a lot of pressure on you to organize a funeral and figure out how exactly you want to deal with the burial. Traditionally, embalming and casket burial is a popular option but what may be a more cost-efficient and sentimental option is cremation.

The cremation process is a great way to honor your deceased loved one’s body while also using a cost-effective method to lessen the expenses for the surviving family.

The Cost of Cremation

On average the cost of cremation will run anywhere from about $1,000 to $3,000 but could go as high as $3,700 in some areas of the world. The cremation cost will depend largely on your location, and the type of cremation process that you choose to go with, which we’ll dive deeper into later in this post.

What You Need To Know

The cremation process is an important option to consider when researching different funeral services. Deciding to cremate your loved one may seem like a tough thing to consider but is a suitable option for many reasons. There are a few different options to consider with the cremation process, outlined below are the top 5 most important.

1. Direct Cremation

Direct cremation is when the family of the loved one decides to get the body cremated without any additional funeral services or viewing options. This is an appropriate choice if your loved one wished to be cremated without additional expenses or wanted to be at rest in a private setting, only accessible by his/her close family members.

2. Cremation with a Graveside Service

Cremation with a graveside service is the more common option. This is quite clearly stated, but to reiterate, it is when you decide to cremate your loved one but also have a graveside ceremony for family and friends to say goodbye. This is probably the most popular option as most families want to hold a service in commemoration of their loved one, even if they do decide to cremate the deceased’s remains.

3. Ash Scattering Service

Another popular option for cremation services is to have an ash scattering service as well. The ash scattering service is exactly as it sounds; after the cremation of your loved one, you then have a service to bring family and friends together to help scatter their ashes in any location of your choosing.

4. Cremation Types: Fire-Based Cremation

Another important fact to know about cremation is that there are two different ways to cremate the body. One way, and probably the most common method of cremation, is fire-based cremation. Fire-based cremation is a cremation method that uses flames to conduct the cremation process within the cremator.

5. Water-Based Cremation

Water-based cremation is a method of cremation that uses a combination of water, alkaline chemicals, pressure and heat agitation to speed up the body’s natural decomposition. Although it is a much more energy-efficient method of cremation, it is still much less common, as it is only available in 21 states currently.

Benefits of Cremation

Cremation has many different benefits that traditional body burials don’t have. One benefit is that it is much more cost-efficient. Cremation cost tends to be just a third of the cost of what a traditional burial with a casket and embalming would be. Saving the surviving family of the loved one’s money, but also taking the stress out of choosing a casket and going through the embalming process.

Cremation is also a good way to put your loved one to rest without the hassle of a funeral, especially if it is to honor and respect the wishes of your loved one. Some people feel that a busy funeral only takes away from the mourning of a loved one that has passed, and cremation can be a great way to avoid just that.

Disadvantages of Cremation

Although cremation seems to be the best option for handling your loved one’s remains after death, there are some disadvantages that every family must consider. One of which is that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of turning their loved one’s body into ashes. It’s a perfectly humane way to deal with death, but not everyone feels completely comfortable with it.

Another disadvantage of cremation is that the body is not recognizable. Some cultures rely on the body to be recognizable in order to say goodbye and would never want to reduce the body down to just ashes.

How Cremation Society of Washington Can Help You

When making the tough decision to cremate your loved ones remains, you need to find someone that can fulfill your cremation services with ease. You want to feel comfortable with the cremation process while also feeling in control of your loved one’s method of being put to rest.

The Cremation Society of Washington brings quality service and comfort to your family while handling the cremation of your loved one. The professionals working at The Cremation Society of Washington will be sure to transport your loved one’s body from the place of death into their care so that you don’t have to worry about it. The funeral director is available 24 hours, 7 days a week, and always ready to take your call for any questions or concerns you may have regarding the cremation services.

Cast your care on someone else during the difficult time of death, and let The Cremation Society of Washington take care of all your cremation needs. You don’t have to deal with this alone! Visit The Cremation Society of Washington’s website for more information regarding cremation services and the next steps you need to take after choosing cremation.

Many families today appreciate the simplicity and convenience of affordable cremation services. This funeral option has quickly become a preferred choice in the last decade. It’s cost-effective, saves land space, allows you to pre-plan funeral arrangements, and also allows for more options for interment and memorialization.

What is Cremation?

Cremation is a funeral process where the remains of the deceased are turned into ash rapidly rather than allowing time for natural decomposition. The ashes are then placed in an urn or another container and are then returned to the deceased’s loved ones.

There are two types of cremation: heat-based (also known as direct cremation) and liquid cremation (also known as alkaline hydrolysis). Direct cremation is the process that is allowed in all states of the U.S. On the other hand, liquid-based cremation is permitted only in less than half of the states in the country.

So naturally, getting the paperwork done for direct cremation is more straightforward than liquid cremation because direct cremation is legal everywhere. However, you get more resultant ashes from liquid-based cremation.

Flame-based cremation has a high carbon footprint and potentially produces mercury byproducts. On the other hand, liquid-based cremation is more environmentally friendly and consumes less energy since it utilizes an alkali and water solution to speed up the decomposition process.

Heat-based cremation is the more budget-friendly option compared to liquid-based cremation. So if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, the latter is a better choice than the former. However, when people talk about affordable cremation, they’re more likely referring to direct cremation (i.e., the fire-based type).

Affordable Cremation Services

The average cost of a cremation package is anywhere between $4,000 to $7,000 depending on the funeral home and where you are located. However, you can bring the price down and get a more affordable cremation service if you opt for direct cremation, costing as low as $1,000 or less.

The cost of funeral packages varies depending on what you want to include with the basic, affordable cremation service. In addition, you can add other funeral services to the package like viewing, music, flowers, religious services, and memorial services before the actual cremation process.

These services allow family and friends to view the deceased loved one and be with the family. Religious rites, which the family may require, or other traditions they might like to hold before the funeral can also be arranged.

Remember that adding these rites and other funeral services will add to the overall cost you need to pay for the entire cremation service package. Paying attention to the details will help you avoid spending too much. Small costs add up and it will be as if you’re paying for a traditional burial service instead.

Find The Best Option For You and Your Family

Planning a funeral during the passing of a loved one is difficult. Sometimes your family members may not be seeing things clearly because they’re going through such an emotional time. As a result, they may find themselves overspending. One of the benefits of affordable cremation services is that you can plan things ahead of time and spare your family the turmoil of funeral arrangements.

The least expensive option, which can free up some of the financial burdens of one’s passing, is to opt for a low-cost cremation, also known as a direct cremation. This option means that after one has passed on in this life, the remains will then be cremated immediately.

Before the cremation process, there will be no viewing, rituals, or other ceremonies. These arrangements can be planned ahead of time to save on funeral costs. A memorial service after the cremation can also be arranged, which is also an excellent way to honor one’s passing.

As you can see, there are plenty of options provided to you and your family if you choose to have a cremation. So how do you know which options are best for you? The first step is to have a budget for all the funeral rites you want to have, including the cremation process – you can plan this with the entire family.

Make sure to include rites required by your religion and plan for those costs as well. It would be best if you planned for family traditions, the wishes or final requests of the deceased, and other rituals. Do your research and ask for quotes from different funeral homes. Ask referrals from friends and family.

Choose local funeral homes which are closer to your location. This option will save you money. Select the one that offers a custom package that includes only the service items you need. Talk to a funeral director to understand the costs. Make sure to ask about flexible financing options they can provide.

Cremation Costs

Apart from the essential cost of the cremation (either fire-based or water-based), there are other costs that you should consider. For instance, the urn and cremation casket are two items you may have to purchase or rent.

Federal law provides fundamental rights to you during this process, which include the following:

• The crematory or funeral home is required to provide you with alternative containers other than a cremation casket.
• You’re not required to buy a cremation casket from them.
• You also have the right to purchase an urn from third-party sellers.

If you can find urns and cremation caskets that are more affordable than the ones offered to you by the funeral home, then you better choose those instead. You can save around $2,000 or more by purchasing from other sellers.

As mentioned earlier, a direct cremation (i.e., fire-based) may cost you $1,000 or less. Some funeral homes may charge you around $600 if you opt for direct cremation and your family provides the container of the remains. However, if you choose aquamation (water-based cremation), expect to add at least $1,000 to the basic cremation service.

How Can the Cremation Society of Washington Help You?

The Cremation Society of Washington has served families across ten counties in the Western Washington area. Since 2012, our licensed funeral directors have helped hundreds of families arrange respectful, efficient, reliable, and affordable cremation services.

We understand that these are challenging times for families, which is why we’re here to help. Leave the tedious burden of arranging cremation and funeral services to us so you can focus on your family during these trying times.

Leverage on our expertise. Contact us for a free consultation.

Many people now prefer cremation over burial for various reasons. Despite this, most aren’t aware of what is involved in the process and how it works. Here are some cremation facts that will give you a better understanding of what’s involved.

Some Cremation Facts

• When you opt for cremation, you don’t have to purchase a burial place, which accounts for a large portion of the funeral expenses. No embalming is needed, and you also have the option to keep the ashes at home in an urn. Alternatively, you can scatter them in the sea or place the urn in a columbarium at a cemetery. Regardless of the option you choose, it proves to be cheaper than a standard burial.
• Once the ashes are placed in an urn, they can easily be transported to any location, but a burial place is fixed. If you live in some other part of the world than a loved one who has passed, you can carry the ashes to your location. It means you can pay homage whenever you want instead of coming back to the burial place every time.
• Many people wonder whether they would be able to conduct a memorial service if they opt for cremation. The answer is yes- you can conduct a memorial service- place the urn with the ashes at a venue of your choice and run the service as you like.
• Burial is an eco-friendly way to dispose of the body after a person’s death. You would not have to opt for burial space and pay for its maintenance.

As you can see, there are numerous benefits to opting for burial rather than cremation. If you need any more information or need to organize for cremation, please contact Cremation Society of Washington with your requirement today.