Say Good Bye With Confidence: Funerals and Funeral Homes

If you plan to have your remains cremated after you die, you may wonder what your loved ones will do with your ashes. A few decades ago, the most popular options — and in many places, the only options — for cremated remains were to have a loved one keep an urn with the remains or to have them scatter your ashes. However, recent years have seen an increasing number of columbariums built at funeral homes and cemeteries. 

A columbarium is a wall, room, or building made specifically to house urns. They usually consist of decorative shelving that separates each urn into its own cubby for presentation, and they offer several benefits. 

A Neutral Place for Your Loved Ones to Remember You 

While it would be great if everyone you loved got along, for many people, that is not the case. If one person keeps your remains at their house, it may be difficult or uncomfortable for some of your loved ones to visit your remains and pay their respects. A columbarium allows loved ones to stop by on their own schedule, without worrying about bothering other people. It also ensures that people can spend time with your remains on an individual basis, without others around. 

A Place for Your Loved Ones to Rest Side-By-Side 

Similar to funeral plots, you can purchase multiple spaces in a columbarium to ensure that your remains are close to the remains of the people who are most important in your life. You may purchase an entire wall for your family or simply a larger space for you and a partner. This makes it easier for loved ones to remember multiple people with a single visit. 

Display Your Personal Style 

In a columbarium, you will purchase a small space that can be decorated according to your plans. This gives you the opportunity to have your remains displayed in a true representation of the way you live and the person you are. 

Allow Your Loved Ones a Space of Their Own 

While many people are comforted by having the remains of a loved one close, it can also help the grieving process to have some distance from the physical remains of the deceased. Purchasing a space in a columbarium will give your loved ones a safe, secure place to keep your remains without having them nearby at all times. 

If you are considering cremation, it's important to consider what you want done with your remains. Talk to your funeral planner about local columbariums to see if one is right for you.