We can only guide those we serve with information about their options. There is so much to consider when choosing between a casket burial and cremation service. They both have their distinct advantages over the other, giving families the chance to lay their loved one to rest in the way they most prefer. A conversation with funeral care professional can provide additional insight.

Advantages of Traditional Funeral Services

This time-honored service is a cherished way to care for the deceased. Families and friends are well served with a funeral and casket burial because of the benefits to those who grieve. Typical traditional funeral care includes a viewing, funeral, and service at the burial site.

     •  Viewing Service: The viewing is an informal gathering similar to receptions. Family and friends gather to a location where the remains of their deceased loved one are present. The deceased has been prepared with embalmment. They are then dressed and groomed to look their best. This gathering provides a chance for attendees to visit with each other, express support, and to say goodbye to the person who has died.

     •  Funeral Gathering: The funeral is a formal service in honor of the deceased. Although not required, the service often includes ritual practices following the faith traditions of the family or deceased. For many, the service provides a sense of finality and closure. The best funerals are personalized around the life story and character of the deceased. Making the experience a celebration of life can be a powerful way to bid farewell to them.

     •  Burial Site Services: Many traditional funerals include a more intimate gathering of family at the gravesite. There may be readings given, a final prayer, final words spoken over the grave, etc. Some services include the lowering of the casket into the earth in the presence of the family. Those in attendance may throw handfuls of earth into the grave in the participation of their loved one’s burial.

Advantages of Cremation Services

Cremation provides benefits to our community in different ways than traditional funeral care does. Where funerals are often more formal and community-driven, cremations are often less so. That’s not always true, but it does present a different perspective of the need which cremation serves. Here are several advantages that cremation services can provide.

     •  Price: The price of cremation care can be much less expensive than a traditional funeral. Surviving family members have financial considerations and many have less discretionary income for a high-cost funeral service. Saving money by cremating can be a practical and wise choice.

     •  Moveable: Modern families are highly mobile. Our society moves far distances more than prior generations. When a loved one dies, rather than burying them in a fixed location, their ashes can be inurned and taken with the family where ever they go. Even in death, keeping a loved one close by can bring a measure of comfort for many people.

     •  Environmentally Gentle: Cremation is considered to be friendlier to the earth than a traditional funeral. There is no requirement for embalming chemicals or caskets made of precious hardwood, metals, concrete, and other natural resources. There is not even a need to buy a funeral plot where the deceased and their casket are laid. In time, the decomposition process can leach chemicals into the earth, polluting soil and groundwaters.

     •  Memorial Services: Funerals are usually held within three to six days after death because the body is present at the service. Cremations provide families the option to hold a memorial service at a later date because the body can be cremated beforehand. For many families, this convenience can be helpful.

Choosing a seasoned funeral home and cremations provider in Spanaway, WA will impact the experience you have with cremation services. Be sure to consider the benefits of the service as it relates to you and your family. For additional related options, consider aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis) as another gentle solution for disposition of remains.

Experienced Funeral Home and Cremations Care in Spanaway, WA

Weeks' Dryer Mortuary emphasizes the importance of personal care for all who come seeking our support. If you’ve lost someone you love, call our caring team of professionals at our local funeral home and cremations center in Spanaway, WA. We’re located at 220 134th St S Tacoma, WA 98444. Call us at any hour: (253) 537-0253.

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