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If you have been tasked to help plan a funeral reception after a loved one has passed away, you may be nervous and not sure exactly where to start. While these receptions can be held in a variety of ways, you want to ensure you create one with dignity and creates a comfortable space for guests to mingle and support one another. Providers of cremation services in Irving, TX. know this can be a daunting task and share these steps for getting started.

1. Decide on a Budget

It is important to set a budget before you even begin planning the reception. This is because the budget will be your guide when it comes expenses for things like the location of the reception, food costs, table and chair rentals, and any other costs associated with the reception. If you do not have a set budget, the cost for a reception can get out of hand very quickly.

2. Select the Location of the Reception

While most funeral receptions are held in churches, funeral homes, or a family member’s home, they certainly don’t have to be. Many families may choose to hold the event at a local park or museum, hotel, restaurant or other event space.

Things to consider when deciding on the location, consider things such as:

• Is the space able to accommodate all of the guests?
• Does the location have a kitchen or can food be catered in?
• Does the location have things like chairs and tables or will those need to be rented?

3. Set the Menu

With most funeral receptions, guests will expect some sort of meal or refreshments. This could be anything from cookies and punch to a full blown three course meal. Some options that families may choose include:

• A buffet being offered
• Having a sit down meal catered in
• Catering in sandwiches and other “lighter” options
• Having guests bring in dishes for a potluck style reception

What you decide to serve and how you decide to serve it is entirely up to you as these are all appropriate options. Some factors that may impact your choice are

• Cost– Catered meals can be more expensive than lighter refreshments
• Space– Does the room have ample space for tables and chairs for a sit down meal? Is a buffet style table better for the space?
• Tone of the reception– If you want more of a casual environment where guests walk around and mingle then serving lighter refreshments may be good whereas a catered sit down meal has a more formal feel.

4. Invite the Guests

The final step is inviting the guests. This could be done as an announcement on a social media post or at the end of the memorial service. You could also send paper invitations in the mail. Just make sure however you invite your guests, you provide the day and time of the event as well as the address and directions.

After your loved one’s cremation services in Irving, TX. having a reception after the funeral or memorial service is a wonderful way for guests to gather, honor the deceased and support one another. Planning such an event can be stressful but if you take it step-by-step it can make the process much more manageable.

Making sure you choose the right provider for the task at hand is important. The same is true when it comes to your provider for cremation services in Dallas, TX. In fact, this is a case when you want to go above and beyond to ensue you are working with a trustworthy and reputable provider. Whether it is for your preplanning needs, or immediate needs for a loved one, you want to ensure the provider will treat your situation with the utmost respect and dignity.

With cremation rising in popularity over the years, more and more cremation providers are opening businesses. With so many providers how can you feel confident that the one you choose is a good one? One way is by asking questions. You can tell a lot about a provider by simply asking the right questions. If you aren’t sure what you should ask, keep reading as we cover the top three questions to ask.

1. Can My Family and I Tour Your Facility?

Visiting a location in person can tell you a lot about the business. Asking if you can tour their facility is not an odd question and any reputable facility will be more than happy to show you around. If they provider tries to discourage you from visiting or dodges the question, find another provider.

When touring the location, while you may not be able to enter in every area, you can still get a clear idea of things like their cleaning standards, how organized they are, even how they treat their staff. Take note of these things and see if you feel comfortable letting them take care of your loved one.

If you take a tour and notice the facility is dirty or staff is acting unprofessional, choose another provider. The way they handle their facility says a lot about the way they will handle your loved one. You want a clean, professional service.

2. How Will my Loved One be Taken Care Of?

Cremation providers that are reputable will have systems and processes in place to ensure the correct handling of your loved one while in their care. This will include things like how the body is handled and processed when it arrives at the facility to the cremation itself and how the cremains are handled and processed afterwards. Make sure to ask questions so that you fully understand their practices and even more so, that you feel comfortable and confident with them.

3. Do You Have Reviews and/or Testimonials?

Knowing how a cremation provider has treated their past clients can be a very good indicator of how they will treat you and future clients. You can often times find such reviews online by searching the cremation provider’s name.

If you cannot find any reviews online, simply ask them directly as they should be more than happy to share them with you. If they do not have any past testimonials or dodge your request to see them, find another provider.

Whether your are searching for a provider of cremation services in Dallas, TX. as part of your preplanning needs or immediately for a loved one, you want and need one that you can trust. Don’t be afraid to visit the facility in person and ask as many questions as you need to allow yourself to feel confident with your choice. Any reputable provider will be more than happy to help you feel comfortable.

As providers of cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX, we often get asked how to make a loved one’s memorial service unique and personal to them. While these services all tend to follow a standard order of service, there are several ways you can add a unique touch to them. Today we are going to talk about some of the main ways you can customize your loved one’s memorial service.

Create a Personal Memorial Tribute Video

A very common element you will see in a lot of services is a tribute video being played. These videos typically show a slideshow of photographs of the loved one and their life with a nice background music track playing.

This is a perfect opportunity to truly make this video special and personal to your loved one. By selecting photographs that express their personality, hobbies, and passions, you can let guests see more of your loved one that just the standard portrait photos. You could even include video clips that are from favorite times.

And when it comes to the background music, instead of selecting a general track, select something your loved one would have listened to. This could be a certain song, a song from a certain band, or even a type of music.

Create a One-of-a-Kind Display Table

Along the same lines as the video is a display table. Rather than a video, this is a still display and can include things that showcase their life and personality such as:

• Favorite photographs
• Awards, trophies, or other achievements
• Personal items they enjoyed such as a musical instrument, skateboard, sewing supplies, etc.
• Military honors
• Favorite books

Bring in Your Loved One’s Favorite Colors

If your loved one had a favorite color or color combination, consider using that as a theme throughout the service. You could have guests incorporate the color in their clothing, or use the color in things such as flowers, décor, or even in the memorial program pamphlet.

Play Your Loved One’s Favorite Music

Most services have several times when music is played. This could be in the beginning before the service gets started as the guests arrive, or even in the middle of the service when time is taken to play a specific song. Use these opportunities to play something your loved one would have wanted.

Consider Creating a Themed Service

To make a truly unique and personal memorial service, you could consider having an overall theme for the entire event. For example, if your loved one was an avid sports fan, you could use sports décor and colors throughout the service. Perhaps the loved to travel and were always visiting exotic places. You could use some of the places as inspiration for the décor, food, etc. Think about what your loved one adored and build a theme around that.

As providers of cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX. We understand that you want your loved one’s service to be unique and personal to them and we are here to help create your ideal service to honor and pay tribute to them.

We often hear of death certificates and know we need them when our loved one passes, but what exactly are they and what are they used for? Today we are going to look at death certificates, what they are, how to obtain them, and why you need them after your loved one’s cremation services in Irving, TX.

What is a Death Certificate?

A death certificate is the official declaration of death when one passes. It is a document that states information regarding the death such as the person’s name, and date, time, and cause of death. These documents are required by law to be issued and are done so by the government.

Who Completes the Certificate?

The death certificate may completed by a variety or people. This could be a medical practitioner, such as doctor, hospice nurse, coroner, etc., and a licensed burial agent, funeral director, or family member.

Why Are Death Certificates Important?

Death certificates serve to verify your loved one’s death. They are also used on a broader scale to help track things such as overall mortality and society trends.

What Other Information Do I Need to Provide for Completion of the Certificate?

To complete the death certificate, the funeral director, family member, or licensed burial agent will need to know the following about the deceased:

• Their full name
• Social security number
• Date and Place of birth
• Address at time of death
• Marital status
• Spouse’s name (if applicable)
• Military information (if applicable)
• Father and mother’s name (with maiden name)
• Highest level of education
• Race
• Occupation

What Accounts Will Need a Certificate?

One of the biggest reasons you will need a death certificate is to show for proof of death when dealing with your loved one’s accounts. Some of these accounts include:

• Social security
• Bank accounts
• Credit cards
• Cell phone companies
• Utilities
• Student loans
• Mortgages
• Insurance
• Property transfers such as with vehicles or houses
• Retirement accounts
• Social media accounts
• Credit agencies
• Department of motor vehicles
• IRS/Taxes

These are just some of the accounts you may need to contact. The specific accounts will depend on what your loved one had open. Also note that some of these accounts will only require a copy of the certificate while others may need an original.

How Do I Obtain a Death Certificate?

If you are working with a funeral home or cremation provider, you can typically order the death certificate directly from them. It’s important to consider you may need more than one certificate for dealing with the different accounts your loved one had. If you need more copies you can get them from the county or state vital records office.

It is important to note than not anyone can order a certified copy. These are typically only allowed to be given to immediate family members, executors, and others who can prove they have a direct financial relation to the estate.

If you would like more information about cremation services in Irving, TX. or how to obtain a death certificate afterwards, give us a call and let one of our directors assist you one-on-one.

If you walk through a cemetery, you may notice not only headstones, but cremation benches as well. These benches act as a tribute to a loved one much in the way a headstone does. However, these benches differ in that the inside has a place that holds cremains after a loved one’s cremation services in Dallas, TX. Today we are going to explore these benches more as well as what types are available.

What is a Cremation Bench?

As mentioned earlier, a cremation bench houses the cremains of a loved one inside the bench structure. These benches are most often seen in cemeteries and cremation gardens but can also be found in parks and other memorial sites. They can contain the cremains of just one person or multiple people. These benches may also mark where ashes were scattered or buried.

Different Types of Cremation Benches

Just as there are several types of headstones marking a burial, there are several types of bench designs. These can include:

• Straight-Leg Bench- These benches are very simple and have minimal lines. The legs are straight with a stone slab serving as the seat. These benches typically house one to two loved ones with the cremains being held in the legs of the bench. Because of the simple style, a straight-leg bench can be one of the least expensive bench options.
• Panel Bench- A panel bench can house multiple cremains with many holding up to four loved ones. This bench also typically has more surface space to be able to be customized than other options.
• European-Inspired Bench- These benches have a seat that comes off so that the ashes may be placed inside. Instead of having legs, this bench as a single granite support. It is in this support that the ashes are placed.
• Memorial Bench- These benches are different in that the ashes of the loved one are not placed inside. Instead, these benches are just like other park benches and not hollow. Memorial benches are most often seen in places where a loved one’s ashes have been scattered, or in parks as families may wish to donate a bench. Most all of these benches will be engraved or marked in some way to honor the deceased. It may have their name, a poem, or other information engraved on it.

Choosing a Cremation Bench

With so many types and styles of cremation benches, it may be difficult deciding which one to choose. To help gauge which type would serve you best, you can ask yourself some questions such as:

• How much customization do I want?
• What is the location where the bench will be placed?
• What is my overall budget?
• How large is the designated space for the bench?
• How many urns do I want the bench to hold?

After your loved one’s cremation services in Dallas, TX., a cremation bench may be a perfect tribute and memorial to them and their life. If you have further questions or need any more information, feel free to reach out to us anytime as we are always available to help.

One question many families have when it comes to cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX. is what options do they have as to where to place their loved one’s cremains. While most families are familiar with the idea of keeping them in an urn in their home, many are surprised to learn about cremation gardens. These gardens can make wonderful options and offer a variety of placement ideas.

What is a Cremation Garden?

Cremation gardens are designated places for families to place loved one’s cremains. While some of these gardens only contain a space for scattering the ashes, many gardens can be found including other options such as cremation burial plots as well as columbariums.

These gardens also many times offer walking paths, flowers gardens, sitting areas, ponds, water features, and landscaping designed to create beautiful places to visit and feel close to your loved one.

What Options Are Available?

As mentioned, typically cremation gardens will all offer a scattering garden. This is a designated place where families are welcomed to scatter their loved one’s ashes. This can be a wonderful option if families want to release the ashes but worried about laws in public areas. This is also nice because it offers these families a physical place to come back to and visit.

If families wish to keep their loved one’s ashes together in an urn either for religious or other reasons, many times cremation gardens have options for this as well. The two most popular being burial and a columbarium niche.

Urn burial plots work much the same way as casket burials. The urn is placed into the ground sometimes in an urn burial vault. Typically a headstone or other grave marker is available for the family to customize for their loved one’s gravesite.

A columbarium is a wall or other structure that is made up of spaces. These spaces are called niches and is where families place their loved one’s urn. These niches have a front plate that covers the space to ensue the urn is kept safe. These niches can be good options when families wish to have a secure location for the urn that is convenient for family and friends to visit as they wish.

Why Choose a Cremation Garden?

Families may choose a cremation garden for several different reasons. Some of the most common reasons include:

More Accessible- When a loved one’s urn is kept in a family member’s home, it can be inconvenient to other family members who wish to visit. With the remains being at a general location such as a cremation garden, it is easier for those who wish to visit the remains.

Surroundings- Cremation gardens offer a peaceful and calming environment to sit, reflect, and connect with your loved one

Stable Environment- Scattering your loved one’s ashes at a local park might be great now, but who is not to say that park wont be a shopping center in the future? With a cremation garden, families can have the peace of mind knowing that it will stay as such for years to come.

To learn more about cremation gardens and cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX., give us a call and let one of our cremation directors help answer any questions you may have.

Thinking or talking about death and cremation services in Irving, TX. is never an easy thing to do. While we all know it is inevitable, discussing it can make us anxious and uncomfortable. However, it is something that needs to be addressed. This is especially true if we have a loved one approaching this situation due to age or illness. While it can be uncomfortable to discuss, planning things ahead of time can ensure everything is handled correctly when the time comes.

If you and your family are in this situation you may know you need to talk about and handle things but not sure exactly what or where to start. Keep reading as we cover some of the ways you can plan for your loved one’s passing.

Deciding Who Handles What

One of the very first things you want to do is gather all family members who are going to be taking part in handling the affairs and have a meeting. You want to lay out who will be handing what and make notes of everyone’s role and exact responsibility so there is no confusion later. Having a meeting like this now will provide a clear plan of action for each family member to take when the death occurs.

Things that will need to be decided include, but are not limited to:

• Who will be responsible for the making the funeral arrangements?
• Who will handle securing the house, mail, and other property?
• Who will handle the monetary affairs such as credit cards, bank accounts, loans, etc.?
• How will their final wishes be carried out?
• Who will be responsible for letting the rest of the family know when the death has occurred.

Have All Needed Documents

Other than a detailed plan of action, you will need to ensure that all important documents are filled out, organized, and easily accessible to the family member that will need them. Some of these documents include:

• Power of Attorney (PO)- This is important as it appoints someone to act on behalf of your loved one should they become incapable of handing affairs on their own.
• A Will – This document outlines how the deceased’s affairs and personal property will be handled
• An Advanced Directive- This covers your loved one’s end of life wishes and we as medical treatments such as if they wish to be resuscitated or not
• Funeral Home/ Cemetery Papers – Gather any documentation regarding burial plots or preplanning arrangements

Spend Time and Ask Questions

Although working out all of the logistics and such for after the death is important, spending time with your loved one while they are still here is top priority. Make time to sit with them and enjoy their company, Ask them questions about their childhood and life, their hopes and fears, and say what is on your heart and mind. You don’t want to get so caught up in making plans that you miss out on the time you have left with them.

If you would like more information for preplanning your loved one’s cremation services in Irving, TX, we are available anytime.

When making plans for your own, or a loved one’s cremation services in Dallas, TX. one of the things that will need to be decided is what type of urn you would like to have. As you begin looking at the different types of urns, you will see one option that is very popular is the biodegrade urn.

These urns can come in a variety of materials and design and you may wonder if this is the right choice for you. Since urns are not something we purchase every day, and epically biodegrade ones, we are going to look at when this type of urn may (and may not) be the best choice for you needs.

What is a Biodegradable Urn?

A biodegradable urn is a vessel to place your loved one’s cremains. This urn is different and unique in that it is made to break down over time and completely dissolve which leaves a very small or no carbon footprint. This can be very attractive to environmentally friendly people and can also be required to be used in certain situations.

These urns can be constructed from materials like paper, which is very delicate, to bamboo which is much more durable. These urns, depending on the material, are made to break down within minutes to months, even years. With biodegradable urns being so popular, there are various styles and designs to choose from.

When Should a Biodegradable Urn Be Used?

So when should a biodegradable urn be considered? Really, whenever it is interacting with the environment in a way that it needs to break down. In some cases, such as when ashes are sent out to sea, a biodegradable urn is required by law and no other urns are allowed.

Other situations when to use a biodegradable urn include times when the family would like to bury the ashes in a plot as with a ground burial. This could be in a cemetery or on family or other permitted land. Also these urns are needed when the family would like to plant a tree and use the ashes.

When a Biodegradable Urn Should Not Be Used?

Since these urns are designed to break down over time, they are not suitable for certain circumstances. For instance, you would not want to use a biodegradable urn if you were placing it in a columbarium nice or a family home as you want those urns to stand up to the test of time. In those cases, a traditional urn made from metal, glass, or wood would be more appropriate.

Where Do Your Buy a Biodegradable Urn?

Luckily these urns are very common and popular and as such can be found to purchase very easily as most urn providers offer a biodegradable option. If not, a simple search online can yield several options of companies that have a variety of options available.

If you would like to know more about biodegrade urns or cremation services in Dallas, TX., call us anytime and let one of our cremation directors answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Ground burials have been around for over thousands of years all over the world. While they still remain popular today, cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX. are becoming just as common. One reason individuals and families choose this type of body disposition is because of all the options it provides on where the remains can be laid to rest.

If the family would like to keep the ashes together, they can be placed in a columbarium niche, kept in someone’s home, placed in a mausoleum or even buried. However, families also have many options when it comes to releasing the ashes. The most popular include casting, trenching, water, and sky or ariel. Today we are going to explore these ways in more depth.

1. Casting

Many families may choose to have a casting ceremony. This ceremony is much like that of a memorial service or funeral with people speaking giving eulogies, reciting poems, etc. However, at the end of the ceremony the ashes of the deceased will be cast into the air. This is what most people think of when they imagine ashes being released. This act can be very therapeutic as it can offer those who attend a visual representation of their loved one’s spirit being carried off by the wind.

2. Trenching

The second most popular ceremony is what is called a “trenching” ceremony. This ceremony takes place as it would with a casting ceremony expect the ashes are not released into the air. Instead, a hole or trench is dug into the ground prior to the ceremony, and the ashes are scattered inside.

After the remains are in the trench or hole, the family will then cover them with the dirt. The family could have one person to do this task, or take turns, shoveling a small amount of dirt on top. Some families my even allow those guests who want to, to also have a turn.

3. Water

If the deceased loved the beach, ocean, or other body of water, their family may choose to hold a water ceremony. This is where the ceremony is held and then the remains of the loved one are set out to sea. This is done by having the ashes inside a biodegradable urn and placing the urn in the water. Some biodegradable urns will dissolve almost immediately releasing the ashes while others can take a few minutes to even days before the sink and dissolve completely.

4. Sky or Aerial

While once these ceremonies were not very common, as cremation in general is growing as far as body disposition, sky ceremonies are also increasing. With this ceremony, the loved ones ashes will be released into the air from things such as helicopters, hot air balloons, planes and even hang gliders.

Final Thoughts

Even though these ceremonies are becoming more common and more popular, they still may be illegal in some places. That is why it is best to work with a director for cremation services in Farmers Branch, TX. or another private company that specializes in these ceremonies. If you would like to organize one yourself, just make sure to check with local law enforcement before you perform your ceremony to ensure you are not breaking any laws and have all required permits.

A popular reason for people choosing cremation services in Irving, TX. is that they want their ashes returned back into nature. Many people may even know the exact spot they wish for this to happen. For the families of the loved one, releasing the ashes can be a very beautiful tribute as the wind carrying the ashes away signifies the deceased’s spirt being lifted into the heavens. We are going to look at how this act can help those left behind to heal.

Casting Ceremony

When ashes are released into the wind (as opposed to being buried or sent to sea), it is called “casting”. A casting ceremony is simply the ceremony that happens before the act of casting the ashes. These services can be a small, intimate affairs with just immediate family present, or could be a large event that is open to the public allowing anyone who wishes being able to attend.

These events can also be structured like that of a funeral or memorial service with eulogies being delivered, prayers or readings being recited and music selections being played or sung, or be a more simple, unorganized event where guests may take turns sharing a favorite memory about their loved one.

How Casting Ceremonies Help Us to Heal

No matter how large or small, organized or free low the casting ceremony is, these events can be very beneficial to those who attend. These ceremonies can aid in our healing by:

Assist with closure and saying goodbye- Death is never an easy thing to process. Having a visual of the ashes being released can help our brains, and our hearts, come to terms with what has happened.

Helping accept the new reality- Once we can begin to feel closure, these ceremonies can help us accept this new reality and begin to learn how to navigate through it.

Being around others who feel the same way-When you experience grief it can often time feel like you are all alone in your pain. Being around others who are also grieving the same loss as you can bring comfort in knowing you are not alone.

Provide a set time of remembrance- When you attend a casting ceremony, that is the only thing on your mind at that time. You are typically not thinking of things like work, chores, homework or errands but instead, your focus is on your loved one. This is wonderful to let your mind be consumed by their memory, talk about them with others, and remember all the good times.

Final Thoughts

If you are planning a casting ceremony it is important that you first check with the location to ensure it is legal to release ashes there. While most places do allow for this, many only do so when the proper permits have been acquired.

To learn more about casting ceremonies as well as cremation services in Irving, TX, give us a call anytime as one of our cremation providers is happy to talk with you one-on-one.