Tips For Planning A Cremation Service On A Budget

You don't have to spend a fortune to give your loved one a proper good-bye. In fact, setting a budget for a cremation service can be helpful. It can give you a clear focus and allow you to figure out what you can do for your loved one without breaking the bank. Follow these tips to help you strategically plan a special cremation service at a place like Holmes Funeral Home that honors the life the person cherished and how well they lived it.

Tip #1: Set Clear Priorities from the Start

If you have a limited budget, you won't be able to indulge in any whim you have during the process of planning the ceremony. So, consider what you most want to focus on during the memorial service. You may want to spend a portion of your budget on printing nice cremation service programs, or you may skip them to allocate funds elsewhere.

If you want to travel to have the person's ashes scattered in a remote location, that may take most of your budget by itself. On the other hand, if you want to have a local service, you may choose to focus on giving out something to those who attend or creating a plaque in memory of your loved one. Consider the priorities that would have meant the most to the deceased person.

Tip #2: Remember That a Cremation Service is for Mourners, Too

Although the cremation service is primarily meant to be about the life of the person who passed away, it is also held for those who are left behind. That includes you! Don't be afraid to ask for help from your fellow mourners if you need it. For example, you may ask people who are attending the cremation service to bring a candle, a photo of the person who passed away, or other memento to include in the service.

When you are planning the service, consider the needs of all who will attend the ceremony. Although the person who passed away may have loved a certain mountain, not everyone who wants to attend the service may be mobile and able to go to that mountain. Therefore, you may choose to have the service elsewhere, then you can release their ashes on the mountain later on.

Tip #3: Don't Be Afraid to Do Things Yourself

Although it may be easier to buy anything you will need for the cremation service, you may want to consider making a few things yourself. You may even have a gathering where people work on a craft in memory of the loved one, then you can use the craft as a part of the cremation service.

You may want to gather stones in a basket as a metaphor for the many lives your loved one touched. You could ask everyone to gather and paint a rock and bring it to the cremation service. You may then ask everyone to share a sentence or two about how their lives were touched by the person while placing the stone in the basket.

Finally, keep in mind that a cremation service can be customized to suit your needs and the way you want your loved one to be remembered. You don't need to spend a lot of money to remember someone in a very special way, and your fellow mourners will appreciate the effort and thought that went into a ceremony no matter what your budget was.