Cremation Services – What Are My Options?

Cremation services are becoming the preferred method for the disposition of a body, due to their simplicity and lower costs, compared to a traditional burial service. But even with a cremation service there are several options to choose from, important decisions to make and steps to take. 

Understanding and deciding on a cremation service alone can be an overwhelming and challenging task, therefore we encourage you to consider cremation pre planning, which will give you the time you need to complete your own personal research and make a decision in a pressure free environment. Not all cremation services are equal and some offer much more flexibility and come with a lower price tag. So what cremation services are available and how are they different from each other? Let’s take a look!

Traditional Viewing/Visitation Cremation Service 

A traditional cremation service includes the funeral service, visitation or wake, followed by the cremation process. The body is transported from its last location, such as the morgue or hospital and brought to a funeral home where it is embalmed, dressed and prepared for viewing.

This makes a traditional cremation service most similar to a traditional burial since the body is present during the ceremony, wake and visitation. A traditional cremation service also entails the rental of a casket, in which the body will be displayed, making this the more expensive option for a cremation service. 

Because the body is present, this limits your options of timing of the funeral service, giving you a much smaller window for preparations as the ceremony needs to take place before the body begins to decompose.

After the memorial service the body is then cremated and the ashes can be buried, scattered or kept in an urn for display. 

Cremation Memorial Service

A cremation memorial service just like traditional cremation includes a funeral service but without the body present, so you omit the cost of embalming, grooming and casket rental. This also means the memorial service can take place at a later date, lifting some of the pressure off of grieving family members. The body is cremated right after passing and the ashes are returned to the family prior to the memorial service, meaning they can still be present in an urn at the ceremony. This also gives the family more flexibility in regards to the location of the memorial service, as you will not have to worry about transporting the body. 

Just like in a traditional cremation a memorial cremation includes all costs of transportation to the crematory, storing and all necessary documentation work.

Direct Cremation Service

Direct cremation is a cremation conducted with no ceremony, embalming, viewing or visitation. A direct cremation service is often referred to as a simple cremation, a basic cremation or no ceremony cremation. This is the least expensive cremation option which includes and ends with the cremation of the body right after passing. This option saves money on planning and hosting a funeral service and incurs a flat fee from the transportation of the body to the cremation.

Because direct cremation is the least expensive option, sometimes it may not be the most prominent cremation service option that a funeral home is offering. Though you may be encouraged to opt for another, more expensive option, it’s good to know that funeral homes are actually required to include direct cremation as one of their available services.

For a detailed list of services and fees included with different cremation options, visit our Cremation Service page. Here at Cremations of Greater Tampa Bay, we make ourselves available 24/7 to guide the families we work with using the highest level of ethics, competence and compassion, providing personalized and professional cremation services in a comfortable environment at an affordable cost. Contact us today with any questions you may have.