5 Steps to Planning a Meaningful Cremation Service in St. Charles, MO
Since 1984, St. Louis Cremation’s mission is to go beyond what is expected, providing a meaningful experience for every person in the community and treating everyone with the same compassion we do our own family members. We’re here 24/7 for you whether you are pre-planning or need immediate help with a family member who has passed away. Contact us at 636-484-8844 or visit us at 2135 Chouteau Ave St. Louis, MO 63103.
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Planning a commemorative service for a loved one that has passed away is not easy to do without support. Thankfully, there are excellent professional cremation service providers in St. Charles, MO that can help. Whether you choose to hold a funeral, memorial, or hold no service at all is a matter of preference for you and your family. There are no right or wrong ways to go about it. However, the formal act of laying a loved one to rest, in some form of meaningful remembrance, can be very therapeutic for those who need to begin their healing journey. Here are five steps to think about as you plan such a service:
- Select a Service Type
Although they share much by way of common purpose, funerals and memorials differ in one important way: the remains of the deceased are present at a funeral, and not present at a memorial. Cremated ashes are typically present at a memorial service.
If cremation with a service is wanted, families must decide which service type they would like to hold for their fallen loved ones. You may need to discuss what is most important. Is it a priority to hold a viewing service where mourners can gather to pay their last respects? Is the presence of the remains at the service helpful? Or is it more important for family and friends to focus their attention only on the memories of the deceased without their remains present?
Another point to consider when choosing a service type is the convenience that planning a memorial service provides. A funeral is usually held within a week or two of death before the deceased is dispositioned by burial or cremation. Those who wish to attend must reschedule any conflicting plans to be there on such short notice. Alternatively, a memorial can be scheduled long after death and cremation have occurred. The extended timeline provides flexibility to plan and arrange scheduling for optimal attendance.
- In Memorium: A Celebration of a Life
After you’ve chosen the type of service you wish to hold, you’ll have a better idea of how to plan it. Both funerals and memorials should be an experience to honor the fallen by remembering who they were in life. The occasion should be a celebration of their life story, character, personality accomplishments, challenges, and victories.
Personalizing the service can be very comforting to those who attend. All who knew the deceased during their lifetime can feel a shared sense of grief, and take refuge in the memories of who the person was to them personally. Internalizing the meaning of their life can be a powerful way to begin healing from their loss.
However you choose to commemorate the deceased, be sure the experience does not lose sight of the person who has died. Sometimes tradition and ceremony can cast a long shadow over the service, robbing family and friends from the chance at a rich, meaningful goodbye. Personalization of the service is the key to avoiding this. Make sure your service leader is experienced in celebrant care and can guide your personalization planning.
- Cremation After Services
Both direct cremation and cremation after a service in St. Charles, MO after service are handled the same way. The process is very regulated and varies only slightly from state to state. Details aside, the process generally looks something like this:
- Support received from cremation director and staff
- Body is taken from place of death into crematory care
- Chain of custody control is tightly maintained
- Cremation service
- Ashes processed and containerized
- Ashes returned to the family
- Paperwork completed
- Ongoing compassionate support
- Choose a Resting Place
Cremation is a means of dispositioning the remains of the deceased but is not in itself a state of rest for the deceased. That honor is given to the family to choose on behalf of their loved one. The ashes can be put into an urn and kept at home, placed in a columbarium niche, buried in an ash garden, or scattered in a serene setting where allowed by law. There are other thoughtful choices that families can make as well, including using ash material in keepsake jewelry, burial at sea, or using ash in a cremation bench or memorial marker. The choice is yours.
- Final Thoughts
Take some time to reflect on your planning decision. Are there any details that should be further evaluated? For example, are there any cultural or religious considerations? Are there any financial constraints to deal with? Are there any customs or traditions that should be included in the death care experience? Make sure to factor these into your plans.
Quality Cremation Service in St. Charles, MO
For decades, our family has been providing cremation service in St. Charles, MO. Whether you’re planning for preneed or at-need cremation and service, St. Louis Cremation is here to support your family with high quality, compassionate care. Visit us at 320 Jungermann Rd St Peters, MO 63376. Call anytime at (636) 484-8844.