A Short Guide to The Different Types of Cremation Services

Not every cremation service in St. Louis, MO, providers, is offered for you. While the cremation itself remains the same, each type comes with its own added functionalities and benefits.

There are three main types of cremation services:

To determine which one best applies to you, here are the differences between each type.

Take everything you know about a traditional funeral service: the wake/visitation, funeral, and graveside service. Only, instead of the burial, the body goes to the crematory once the traditional funeral service is complete.

Everything else remains the same. The body is prepared for family and friends to visit and say their goodbyes. A funeral service is held in a religious building like a church or chapel.

As a result, a traditional service with cremation is the most expensive type of cremation service since it involves a lot of planning. Families have to pay for embalming, rental casket, and the cost of arranging the funeral, which may include paying for the venue.

That said, it’s the perfect cremation service for anyone who wants a cremation but wants to give family and friends, especially distant ones, ample time to say goodbye to the deceased’s body.

But for those who don’t mind, direct cremation offers a simplified alternative.

In direct cremation, the entire focus is on the cremation itself. There’s no wake or funeral service. Instead, the body goes directly to the crematory from the place of death without fanfare.

After a week or two, the ashes are returned to the family, who can do whatever they want with them. Some families choose to hold a celebration of life, memorial service, or scattering ceremony.

A major advantage of direct cremation is the lack of planning stress. Everything is handled by the cremation provider, freeing everyone else to mourn and support one another.

It also gives them the freedom to plan their preferred service whenever and however they want, without the pressures of taking care of the body. Among those who choose direct cremation, it’s not uncommon for families to host the service weeks or months after the passing.

Another significant advantage is the cost. Since there are no organized services, there’s very little to pay for. Direct cremation costs less than half the price of a traditional service with cremation.

A cremation with a memorial service is the middle ground between direct cremation and traditional service with cremation. There are no services before the cremation, but there’s one after, organized by the cremation provider.

This option allows families to save on the cost of preparing the body. The body goes straight to the crematory after death, and the memorial service occurs without the deceased present.

“After” here does not necessarily mean immediately. Depending on the arrangement, the memorial service can take place weeks or months after the death and cremation.

Because of that, cremation with memorial service is costlier than direct cremation but less expensive than traditional cremation.

Families can choose from different final resting places for whatever type of cremation you settle on. They can choose to bury the ashes in a cemetery, scatter them in a meaningful place, or place the urn in a columbarium niche.

Contact us for additional questions or need a cremation service in St. Louis, MO. We understand this is a difficult period for you; that’s why we make our process simpler. Call us now to speak with our funeral director.