SOUTH COUNTY CHAPEL · SOUTH CITY CHAPEL
What is Direct Cremation? What You Should Know
by John L. Ziegenhein and Sons Funeral Home
A direct cremation is the simplest cremation service in St. Louis, MO. There’s no ceremony service or funeral ritual. Your loved one’s body is collected, cremation occurs, and the ashes are returned to the family.
While this covers the basic gist of a direct cremation, here are other things you should know.
How Does Direct Cremation Work?
The critical fact that separates direct cremation from other types of cremation is that it involves very little planning. Hence, the process from start to finish is swift and efficient.
Order of execution varies between funeral homes (or crematoriums), but the general process goes like this:
- The cremation provider collects your loved one from the place of death and brings them into their care.
- The body is refrigerated while the provider, family members, and other relevant personnel complete and file the appropriate paperwork and permits—death certificate, etc.
- Cremation takes place in cardboard or temporary casket.
- The ashes are collected, processed, and placed in an urn provided by the family or a temporary plastic or cardboard urn.
- Depending on the arrangement, the cremation provider delivers the ashes to the family in person or via mail.
Direct cremation usually takes between one and two weeks. But this depends on the funeral home and how quickly the paperwork and permits are filled and secured.
Hence, it’s important to talk to the funeral home beforehand to know how long it will take, especially if you intend to use the urn for a time-sensitive ritual, like a memorial service.
Benefits of Choosing Direct Cremation
While direct cremation offers none of the elaborate ceremonies that define other types of cremation and burials, more people are choosing the option for themselves and their loved ones.
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, direct cremation is one of the most popular cremation options in the US, and the numbers keep rising. A lot of that is due to the following benefits:
Direct cremation is very affordable
The simple nature of direct cremation means it is the least expensive way to take care of a body after death. There’s no wake or visitation to plan for, and neither is there a funeral or graveside service to organize.
As a result, direct cremation costs less than half the price of a traditional cremation or funeral.
Very easy to plan
Most stress points of planning a funeral are gone because there’s no service to organize. You can even arrange a direct cremation with some funeral homes online or over the phone. The process is simple, and planning it is even simpler.
Enables flexibility
Because there’s no body to take care of and no immediate service to arrange, families are free to plan a memorial service or any ceremony when it’s most convenient for them.
Rather than rushing through the process, families can take their time to plan a memorial event that matches their budget, taste, and the deceased’s wishes.
These are just some of the benefits of a direct cremation. To take full advantage, we offer direct cremation services in St. Louis, MO. Call us now to make arrangements with our professional staff or for answers to questions you may have.