How to Decide Between Cremation and Burial

Deciding between cremation and burial for a loved one can be difficult, especially for grief-stricken family members. In today’s blog article, we are going to briefly go over the pros and cons of each, and make some suggestions for how to choose between them.

Cremation

Sometimes the deceased person will have communicated before death that he or she wants cremation. This may also be noted in the person’s Will or memorandum which sometimes accompanies a Will, although neither are legally binding. Aside from the wishes of the deceased, cremation is usually less expensive than a burial.

Cremation also allows you to spread ashes or divide them up between relatives.

Religion may play a role in your choice as some religions do not typically do cremation, such as Judaism, and other religions do typically rely on them, such as Sikh faith.

Burial

Burial is usually more expensive than cremation because burial includes the cost or purchase of a plot, if one is not already arranged, then the cost of headstone depending on the cemetery. Headstones can be large, elaborate, and costly.

One of the big advantages of burial is that friends and relatives can visit the grave and always know where the remains are. For some families this is an important consideration. With burial, there are also more opportunities for services, starting with a chapel service followed by a graveside service. Some families welcome that, and some do not.

If the eco-friendliness of the choice is a consideration, there is no clear winner. Cremation does not take up cemetery space, but energy is used in the burning chamber. Families often have a clear idea what they want for a funeral, but if you do not, then definitely discuss it with your funeral provider. For simplicity, cremation is the clear choice, and you can easily avoid any funeral services and the expenses associated with them, if that is what you desire.

If you have questions about cremation in British Columbia, or you need to arrange a cremation, please feel free to call us at Only Cremations at (604) 861-9895 in Vancouver, and we can help.

Only Cremations, based in Surrey, British Columbia, provides dignified and affordable cremation services. We believe every family deserves respect, reverence, and compassion. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about cremation services, please call or text (604) 861-9895.