Memorial Service Ideas

Flying with Ashes From Cremation

June 30, 2013 urngarden.com

If you’ve ever needed to take cremated remains on a commercial flight, there are a few things to keep in mind. Flying across the country or to the other side of the world isn’t what it used to be. Airport screenings and airline regulations can make even the simplest flights overwhelming. So it’s best to prepare yourself and understand all the issues involved when flying with ashes from a loved one’s cremation.

Depending on the airline, travelers may place a container of cremated remains inside checked luggage, although there is the chance of it getting lost or damaged. Also, keep in mind, this method will add additional weight, sometimes up to an extra 10-15 pounds.

However, according to the Transportation Security Administration, if you carry ashes on board, the container is subject to screening and must pass through the x-ray machine. All the major airlines have protocol for handling of cremated remains and are listed on their websites. It’s in your best interest to look up the requirements to minimize your stress level at the airport.

If the TSA operator cannot approve the container, other non-intrusive procedures are applied. However, if the urn still cannot be cleared, it will not be allowed on board. TSA workers are not allowed to open the ashes’ container, even if the consumer allows it. Even documentation from the funeral home working with the family is not sufficient.

So what can consumers do to make this process go smoother? The TSA recommends transporting the cremains in a light-weight plastic or wood container for ashes, typically provided by a funeral home. Once consumers reach their destination, they can have the ashes removed from the temporary container to a permanent one by one of the TSA’s Funeral Home Partners. This is a complimentary service.

Most funeral homes will do the transfer of ashes without being a TSA partner. We recommend contacting a funeral provider at your destination to inquire about this service. It’s becoming very common now and not an unusual request.

Urns for Two, Together Forever

June 24, 2013 urngarden.com

June is the month for weddings and anniversaries and while many are celebrating new beginnings and honoring the past many of our clients are making difficult decisions regarding their parents affairs. Sometimes it’s a spouse that finds themselves widowed after a long and fruitful marriage, other times it’s the grown children that have lost both parents and are honoring mom and dad’s wishes to be together to the end of time.

Recently a widow called to arrange for an urn for her husband’s ashes. She wanted to see if there were urns that would hold two people. Her husband had been ill for many years and had picked out an urn that he’d seen at the grocery store. It was attractive, looked like the right size, and a good price. After he died, she took the urn to the funeral home and according to her story a staff member told her the urn would work. When she arrived to pick up the urn she was surprised to get the vase and an additional container for the remainder of the ashes that didn’t fit. To be honest, I’ve never heard of this happening, most funeral professionals can easily judge the capacity of an urn. This happened in the state of Florida, one of the highest cremation rate states in the nation.

This couple had discussed advanced funeral planning and agreed they wanted to be together after death. She preferred wood and it had to be made in America. After looking at her options and answering her questions she decided on the Love Bird Double Urn.

Love Bird Double Urn

This urn can be personalized with names and dates that are engraved directly into the wood surface and is usually placed under the wings of the birds. It looks fantastic and will often fit in a columbarium niche at the cemetery. Check with your funeral director though, some cemeteries do not allow wood urns in the niche or for burial.

Another client chose the United Forever bronze cremation urn for his parents. He thought it was perfect.

It’s also made in America and features a double wedding ring that will hold two sets of ashes. Bronze is more expensive than the wood cremation urns but it’s the best money can buy and will last forever. There are several options for families that want an urn for two people, the funeral industry often refers to this style as companion urns and since it is a specialized item, quantities are limited and sometimes made to order. Call us, we can help simplify the process.

Portable Memorial: Cremation Jewelry and Lockets for Ashes

May 29, 2013 urngarden.com

There’s no doubt than when a loved one dies, many long to have him or her close to their heart again. One popular choice, especially for women, is cremation lockets for ashes. These delicate and elegant-looking necklaces have pendants or lockets that discreetly hold a minuscule amount of cremains. Some styles also have a space for an image of your loved one to be included.

Lockets for ashes are unique expressions of love and devotion to the person who died. As cremation becomes a more popular choice for people, the demand for jewelry such as lockets, also increases.

Cremation lockets come in a variety of styles and designs. Instead of ashes, many of these cremation lockets can also hold small keepsakes such as pressed flowers, locks of hair or sand from a favorite beach. They come in gold or silver and chains are typically not included. There are also lockets available for pets’ ashes as well.

Cremation jewelry such as lockets for ashes also lets families hold on to a piece of their loved ones. Since so many families are mobile and don’t stay in one place forever, being able to take a piece of their deceased loved one just makes sense. You can take a locket or pendant with you wherever you go!

Weeping Cherry Tree Planted as a Living Memorial

May 13, 2013 urngarden.com

Have you ever wondered why weeping cherry trees are called such? Just by the look of them, it could be because their branches hang down to the ground, and when their pink or white blooms fall each spring, the trees look like they are crying — or weeping.

These ornamental trees originated in China but were cultivated in Japan during the 8th century. Weeping cherry trees gained popularity in the United States after World War II when Japan’s government donated thousands of trees as a symbol of friendship. Many were planted in the Washington, DC area and are the focus of the National Cherry Blossom Festival each year.

However, weeping cherry trees, much like other ornamental trees, are becoming more widely used as gifts to families after their loved one dies. They offer the bereaved a chance to plant a living memorial and watch as the trees grow and bloom, honoring the lives that were lost. They typically come packaged ready for planting, along with care instructions.

Ornamental trees are grown mainly for their aesthetic value and are traditionally seen in gardens or in large downtown areas where their color and texture bring an essence of beauty to the surroundings. When given as a memorial or funeral gift, these trees provide comfort year-round as opposed to flowers that live for only a few weeks.

If you are planning to give a loved one an ornamental tree as a memorial gift, keep in mind that you will want to present it after the funeral is over. Special gifts such as this can get mixed up with other flowers and plants at the funeral home, and the bereaved person may not realize what he or she received.

Another good gift idea is a memorial marker to dedicate the planting. You can order a stone with the loved one’s name, dates, custom art work, or a brief personal message inscribed on a small or medium size.

It will look more natural and mark the sacred spot without looking like a grave marker. The stones are quarried here in America and weather well.

You will also want to make sure the tree is indigenous to the climate in which it will be planted. For example, a weeping cherry tree may do well in most areas of the United States except perhaps in the desert region of the Western states.

Weeping Cherry Tree Memorial

May 11, 2013 urngarden.com

weeping cherry tree

In The Mailbox: One of our clients sent a nice note thanking us for our assistance and the recommendation of a Weeping Cherry for a tree dedication. The Weeping Cherry is one of my favorite ornamental trees and a stunning centerpiece for a memorial tribute. Check your zone out on a garden map, the Weeping Cherry does best in zones 5-8.

Added bonus for the Weeping Cherry tree is they are generally pest and disease resistant and don’t require a lot of pruning.

Here’s an example of a tree dedication, using a personalized river rock garden stone and a Weeping Cherry tree to honor Dave. Simple and elegant.

And then this:

Dear Lenette,

Thank you so much for all that you did to make Nelda’s memorial service even better than she had planned it.

I have always felt that the worst part of any funeral is the time when you leave the cemetery and leave behind someone you loved and have spent a lifetime with. Thanks to your generosity, I brought Nelda home with me and that was such a comfort at a very bad time.

The urn was beautiful (“bee-u-tee-full”, as Nelda would say) and M. loves and cherishes her urn necklace.

Thank you for letting us serve you.