Your guide to cremation services
When someone dies, there are some important decisions to make. One of them is what happens to your loved one after their funeral.
As we grow older, we might start to think about what happens to us after we’re gone – whether we’d like to be buried or cremated. We help people pre-plan their funerals every day. However, we don’t all get the chance to pass on our wishes before we go.
If someone close to you has passed and you’re not sure what to do, we can help you decide what’s best.
A brief explanation of cremation
A viewing is where close family and friends gather for a private moment with their loved one. The viewing often takes place before the service in a private room of the funeral home, but it can also be held at your home if you wish.
A viewing can be a shared experience, or you might request some one-on-one time to say goodbye. You can also choose to have an open or closed-casket viewing, depending on what you’re comfortable with.
It’s important to know that viewings are entirely optional. Your Funeral Director can follow your lead and accommodate any wishes, like playing your loved one’s favourite music while you say goodbye.
The cremation process
Cremation is a relatively fast, straightforward process. It can also be a far more affordable option for families than most burial options. The process generally follows these steps:
- After the funeral, the body is transferred to a nearby cremation facility
- Paperwork will be completed and multiple checks will be carried out before cremation
- The coffin or casket is placed onto a cremation trolley
- The name plate from the coffin is removed and safely placed into a slot outside the cremator (this stays with the body the entire time)
- The coffin is placed into the cremator
- The process then takes upwards of 90 minutes at 1,000 degrees Celsius
- Afterwards, the remains are collected and refined into a powder (the ashes)
- The ashes are then transferred into a container with the name plate attached. They are returned to the family who may choose to inter the ashes in a memorial park or scatter them.
What happens after cremation?
Once your loved one has been cremated, there are a few things you can do with their ashes. These are the most common choices the families we serve choose.
Many families purchase a memorial wall niche or spot in a rose garden at a memorial park, and store the ashes there. This gives friends, family and future generations a place to visit and reflect. We can refer you to local memorial parks to help you find a permanent resting place for your loved one.
You may choose to share the ashes with family members who want to keep a part of their loved one close. Many people keep ashes in special urns or decorative vessels at home. Some choose to keep small amounts of ashes in keepsake jewellery that can be worn close to their hearts or held in their hand.
Other families choose a place of special significance, like their loved one’s favourite beach or lookout, to scatter the ashes. Your White Lady Funeral Director can give you some advice on how to scatter ashes.
Speak with one of our funeral directors
For nearly four decades, families have trusted White Lady to walk beside them. If you need us now, we are here.