Author Archives: Michael Bernardo

funeral homes in West Seattle, WA

Learning About Cremation Services From Funeral Homes

When you are interested in knowing more about cremation services, there are plenty of places you can go to get the information you crave. Whether you need to plan final services with funeral homes in West Seattle, WA or not right now, you can still get details. In fact, it’s almost better to get the information in advance so you are prepared for the future when you need those details. Here are a few ways to gather the details you want to know about, whether you need them right now or not.

 

Read Articles Online

One of the first place people go when they need information is to the internet. As long as you read articles from reputable sources, that’s a great place to start. You can find out what you need to know, or at least get a good start on the information you want before you move into the future and need those details.

 

Find Books At The Library

The library is always a good resource of information and the librarian can help you to find recent books written on cremation so you can get the relevant information you need on the process. You can browse the books there in the library or you can check them out and take them home with you to look things over with more time and care.

 

Talk To People Who Have Used It

If you have friends or family members who have chosen cremation for loved ones, or for themselves as part of a pre-plan, you might be able to get some information from them as well. They can talk to you about why they chose what they choose and how things went in the services around the cremation. Their first hand experience can really help you figure out how things operate and what you might want if you had a situation later on.

 

Meet With Funeral Directors

If you are really serious about getting details, one of the best places to call is the local funeral home. Funeral directors are there to help with final services, but they also want to help you find answers to questions about cremation or other related topics. They are there for you by phone and they can also meet with you in person to go through the questions you need to have answered.

 

funeral homes in West Seattle, WAIf you are looking for answers about cremation services, funeral homes in West Seattle, WA are there for you. The professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory help to provide services for people who have passed away. They also help to pre-plan services in advance. But they are also there to help with questions you might have, whether you need to plan services right away or not. They want you to have the information you need, whenever you need it. They are there to help with details even if you just want to know some things about the process, how it works, and whether or not you might want to consider it in the future.

cremation services in West Seattle, WA

Cremation Services Are Valuable

You may already know that cremation services in West Seattle, WA are way less expensive than funeral and burial services, and they are. They take a lot of the products and services out of the picture that you just don’t need when you go with cremation instead of burial. However, just because cremation costs less doesn’t mean it is any less valuable. In fact, it is just as honorable and respectful as a traditional route.

 

They Are Less Expensive

Cremation doesn’t cost less because it is worth less. It costs less because you don’t have to have as much involved in the process. You don’t have to embalm your loved one. You don’t need a burial plot in the cemetery. You don’t have to buy a headstone. You don’t have to have a funeral, and the list goes on and on. Taking all of those things out means the process isn’t going to cost as much, but that doesn’t take any of the honor away from the procedure.

 

Services Can Be Added

Cremation services can still give you the closure and final goodbye you need because you can indeed add services to a general cremation. You can have whatever kind of memorial you want after the cremation process is complete. You can still honor your loved one in a unique way and gather your family to mourn for them, or even celebrate their life. That’s very valuable.

 

Ash Scatterings Are Possible

There are things you can do with cremation that you just can’t do with the traditional route. For example, you can place your loved one in a special location through an ash scattering ceremony. These ceremonies are often small, intimate, and very meaningful. You can place your loved one in a location they loved when they were around when you and that will give you a spot to visit when you want to think about them or even talk to them.

 

There Are Permanent Memorial Options

It’s also possible to give your loved one a permanent memorial, though you don’t have to buy a headstone for them because there is no cemetery plot. You can have a plaque put on a park bench or you can buy a brick in a walkway where they spent a lot of time. There are plenty of options to consider to honor your loved one in a permanent and meaningful manner.

 

cremation services in West Seattle, WAWhen you are working on cremation services in West Seattle, WA, if you are even a little uncertain about the process, remember that it is just as honorable and respectful as a funeral service and that it brings a lot of value to the table itself. The professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory encourage you to take your time in deciding as cremation is a permanent process that cannot be reversed. But it is a great choice that is used in about half of the cases today. Families can find nice ways to honor their loved one that are unique and special after cremation is complete.

cremation services in Bellevue, WA

Unique Cremation Urns To Consider

One of the things to remember about cremation services in Bellevue, WA is that when you have your loved one cremated, you get to choose what kind of container they get for their remains after the cremation process is complete. Choosing a cremation package means they can automatically get a simple container from the funeral home, but you might want something more for them. There are a variety of urns on the market, many of which are unique, but there are other choices, too, that feel even more customized and unique. Here are a few to consider:

 

A Planter Pot

If your loved one had a green thumb, why not have their remains placed in a planter pot. You will think of them every time you see the pot and the plant that you grow in that pot will be all that much more special. New life will be growing out of their death and that can be meaningful to your whole family.

 

Wind Chimes

If you like the sound of the wind chimes in the breeze, it can feel right to you to have your loved one’s remains placed inside the chimes or in another part of the fixture. Your loved one is always present and blowing around in the wind on your porch, making beautiful music. Perhaps you spent a lot of time having chats with them out there and that’s fitting for you.

 

Hollowed Out Books

If your loved one always had their nose in a book, or if they had a favorite they adored, having a hollowed out book might be a nice way to keep their ashes safe and in a special location. You can place the book on a shelf with other books or in a special place of honor in your home. It’s a nice way to honor that person and keep them in a location that is unique and special.

 

Memorial Jewelry

Cremation jewelry is becoming more popular and it’s a nice way to keep your loved one as close as possible. You can get jewelry in many different materials and styles, but in general, they are usually pendant, heart, or cross shaped. You can put a little bit of your loved one’s remains in the jewelry and actually wear it to keep them close to your heart.

 

Stuffed Animalscremation services in Bellevue, WA

If you have lost a child, or if your child has lost someone special to them, having remains placed in an urn within a stuffed animal can give you, or them, something to snuggle and hug when you want to think about that person.

 

There are lots of other options for unique urns and final resting containers for your loved one. You could place them in holiday ornaments to hang on the tree, within a musician instrument they adored, or even in a tackle box. The options are endless. After cremation services in Bellevue, WA, talk to the professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory for even more choices and you can find something fitting for your loved one.

Funeral homes in Bellevue, WA

Choosing A Caterer For A Funeral Home Reception

When you have a final service for a loved one, traditions generally call for a visitation, a funeral service, a burial, and then, a reception. The reception is a nice time for your family to gather, mourn together, catch up, and just spend more time with one another. Funeral homes in Bellevue, WA are there to help you with every detail of the planning process and can often offer suggestions for caterers if you are going to have a reception after. Here are some of the things you will want to look into as you check the options.

 

Check The Service Options

If you are considering a certain company for the catering service, you will want to check the service options they have available. Do they offer meals large enough for the group you will have? Do they deliver, set up, and clean up? You will want to ensure that whatever you want from the caterer, you can get from that company before you move ahead and are disappointed that they don’t actually do what you need.

 

Look At Prices

It’s important to check the price lists for the meals you are considering so you will see that you can afford what they offer. The reception is often one of the last thing you plan as you need to make sure your loved one is taken care of first, and you might not have a lot of funds leftover for this part of the process. Make sure the prices are in the right range for your budget.

 

Consider The Meal Options

IF you have a certain kind of meal in mind, perhaps something your loved one liked or something that would be good for almost anyone in the family, you will want to be sure that the company you are considering has that type of meal. Look through the options and be sure they have something fitting. If you have someone with allergies to nuts or something else, you might want to consider that in the meal as well.

 

Look Into Drop Off Options

Funeral homes in Bellevue, WAThere are catering companies that offer full services, but if you are on a budget, you might want to see if the restaurant offers drop off options as well. You may have people offering to help with the process and if they can serve, set up, and even clean up, all you really need is the food from the company that cooks it.

 

There are lots of things to consider around the services you are going to have with funeral homes in Bellevue, WA and the caterer you use for the reception after those services can be an important part of the day as a whole. The professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory organize final services on a daily basis and we have good relationships with caterers around the area. If you know what kinds of things you want, let us in on those wants and we can offer suggestions to help you get the right fit.

cremation services in Tukwila, WA

Cremation Service Product Options

When you decide that you want to have cremation services in Tukwila, WA for a loved one, you will get a cremation package from the funeral home. That is really all you have to have for the process. The packages include everything you need. But the funeral home will also have plenty of product options in case you want something else outside of the package. Here are some of the product options you have that you can add to the package, if you so choose.

Urns

One of the most popular things you might want to add to the cremation package is an urn. While the package will include a simple container for your loved one’s remains, having an urn can make the process feel more special and customized. You can choose an urn of any kind and you can have it engraved, get a certain color or material, and other such things. There’s a wide range of options on price and style.

Scattering Tubes

If you know you want to scatter your loved one’s ashes, you can do so from an urn or a simple container from the funeral home. But the process is easier with a scattering tube, which is designed to help you with that scattering process. If you look at the options through the funeral home, it can make things simpler when you go about the scattering process.

Burial Vaults

If, instead, you have decided that you want to bury your loved one’s urn in a cemetery, you might want to get a burial vault to put around their urn to protect it. Some cemeteries even require these vaults so the grounds’ integrity is held up over time. This box will go around the urn in the ground.

Cremation Jewelry

There are some families that want to scatter some ashes, and keep some ashes. Cremation jewelry is a nice way to keep ashes as close to you as possible. The small urns on the jewelry pieces hold a little bit of ashes and they can be a real keepsake. They are also nice to share parts of your loved one with other family members.

cremation services in Tukwila, WA

Thumbies

If you want something special of your loved one to keep, you can have a thumbie made. This is a piece that includes a finger or thumb or even handprint of your loved one. It can become something really special that you pass down through generations to remember your loved one.

If you are organizing cremation services in Tukwila, WA for a loved one, it’s important to get the cremation package lined up first as that will take care of any needs they have. You also want to at least consider the other things you need for their services, or things you just want to add on for your own peace of mind. The professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory have plenty of options for various products and you can also get these items from other vendors and we will still use them.

funeral homes in Tukwila, WA

Pre-Planning Final Services With Funeral Homes

There are two basic ways to go about final services with funeral homes in Tukwila, WA. One way is to simply wait until you pass on and let your family deal with the fall out and the plans. The other way is to plan your own final services yourself in advance, so everything is ready for the future. If you are thinking of creating your own pre-plans, here are some things to consider.

Figure Out Why You Want To Pre-Plan

It’s wise to think about why you want to pre-plan your services because when you tell your family about the plans, they might want to know. Plus, having a reason will spur you to move forward and complete the plans so you are prepared for the future. Your reasons might be so that you can get what you want, in the end. They might be because you want to save your family from that burden. There are lots of reasons and none of them are ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. But it’s nice to have them in mind as you move forward.

Relieve Your Family Of Cost Burdens, Too

When you plan ahead, you have the option of paying for your services once they are in place, if you want to. That’s not a necessity, but if you are trying to relieve your family of future burdens, you can take it a step further and relieve them of cost burdens, too. They don’t have to make any plans because the funeral home already has them. They also don’t have to pay for the plans you have lined up. It’s a nice thing to do for your family.

Get Everyone’s Wants And Wishes Lined Up

If you plan ahead of time, you are able to get your say into the plans and get what you want. But you can also talk to your family and see what they might like to have happen. You can take a poll, ask for requests, and get the details in order. Your family can tell you what they’d like and you can take the details and put it all together so everyone gets what they want. It’s all lined up and ready for the future.

funeral homes in Tukwila, WA

Have The Details In Order

It’s nice to have everything ready because you really never know when you are going to pass on. It can bring a sense of peace to you that everything is in order and that you won’t have to put pressure on your family to make plans when the time comes.

If you are working with funeral homes in Tukwila, WA on your own final services, you may have your reasons for wanting to move forward. Whatever they are, they are valid. And the professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory are here to help you through the planning process. You can take your time, talk to family, and really think the whole process through to get everything you want planned out and ready for the future.

cremation services in West Seattle, WA

Budgeting For Cremation Memorial Services

When you are trying to figure out what you want for your own cremation services in West Seattle, WA, or you have to plan for a loved one who has passed on, it’s important to budget your way through the planning process so you don’t end up with charges that are way above and beyond what you can afford. Here are some tips to help you figure out what you need to get, and how much you can spend on each thing.

Organize Items

There are several things that you are going to need for a memorial service and you might want to organize the items, separate them out, and decide how much of the budget goes to each. For example, if you want to have an urn for your loved one, you will want to have that as part of the budget. You might put food in the budget as well as chairs if you need to rent some, decorations, or other such things.

Describe What Is Needed

Putting ‘chairs’ or ‘an urn’ on the list of things you need to budget for is a start, but you need to know more about what you want in order to truly budget for it. One urn can cost very little while another costs a lot. What do you want in the urn? How many chairs do you need and what style do you want to rent? Describe the items you want and need to make it easier to find the right thing at a price point that works for your budget.

Figure Out Amount Necessary

It’s a good idea to take each thing you are going to need and figure out what a relatively reasonable budget is for that item. You don’t want to budget something way lower than you can get anything for. Look up some urns, chair rentals, food options, and so on and see what amounts are reasonable. Then, you can set a budget that will actually be worthwhile for your purposes.

Estimate Final Costs

Once you know the cost ranges, you can estimate what you need for each and set a budget. That will help you have a generic final cost range that will help you to gather the money you need, whether you have it in savings or you need to ask loved ones to help.

cremation services in West Seattle, WA

Figure Out Real Costs

As you choose items within each budget price range, you will build the final costs and figure out what you are going to end up with. Some things may cost at the top of the budget range you set for that item while other things might cost closer to the bottom of the range. You won’t have an exact number until everything is in place.

When you are ready for memorial services after cremation services in West Seattle, WA, the professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory are there to help you through the ideas and options, including the various prices that you need to figure out for your budget.

funeral homes in West Seattle, WA

Customizing Funeral Home Memorial Services

When you are trying to decide what to do with a loved one, funeral homes in West Seattle, WA are there to help you with the details from start to finish. But you want to ensure that you are able to do something customized and special for your loved one. There are plenty of service options to consider and the packages will help you get a basis of the things you need for your loved one. But it’s important to make the services special so they feel like they suit your loved one’s style. You want to have the service that feels just like them. Here are a few things you can do to customize funeral or memorial services.

Add Decorations

When you are working on the space for the service, the funeral home has lots of options. You can decorate those rooms however you want. You can also have the memorial service in another location, like outside in a park, in a family home, or wherever else you want that would feel special for everyone who attends. Decorations in certain colors or with certain items on them can make the day feel that much more customized and special.

Set Up A Memory Table

You want to remind everyone why they are there and who they are honoring. Setting up a memory table that shows pictures and items your loved one liked can help everyone get in the right mindset and remember special times with your loved one. There’s no denying who they are there for when they see all of those special things.

Share A Video Of Pictures

The memorial video is often one of the most special things about a service. Put together a video with pictures, music, and perhaps even some video clips. You can have it playing in the background of the service continually, or you might have it as a part of the service so everyone can watch at the same time. You may even want to make copies of the video so people can take it home with them to watch it again another time.

funeral homes in West Seattle, WA

Put Out Special Food

What foods did your loved one adore? You can make the day even more customized by putting out some of the foods they liked to remind everyone of them. If they couldn’t get enough pizza, there’s nothing wrong with getting some pies for everyone to adore. If they were a dessert lover, have a dessert buffet. It can make the day feel that much more customized.

 

When you are working with funeral homes in West Seattle, WA on final services, the professionals at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory are here to offer ideas and suggestions that can help you customize each part of the process for your loved one and your family members. Even if you do the same things someone else has done, it will be special because it honors your particular loved one. And you can make the day even more unique by customizing certain options.

cremation services in Bellevue, WA

When You Might Feel Better About Cremation Services

When you lose a loved one, it can be hard to decide on cremation services in Bellevue, WA on their behalf if you didn’t know what they would have wanted. But there are certain circumstances that might make you feel better about that option over a traditional burial. Here are a few to consider. 

 

Your Loved One Was Disfigured 

If your loved one was in an accident that left their body disfigured, you might not want to have an open casket at a funeral anyway. That can make you feel good about cremation as the better option. You don’t have to worry about the state of their body in any way. You can cremate them and remember them for the wonderful person they were before the accident. 

 

Your Loved One Suffered A Long Illness 

If your loved one’s body wasn’t very good to them in that they had a long illness, you might want to rid them of their body entirely by going with cremation. Their body was riddled with an illness and you want that illness to be completely eradicated through the cremation process. It can be a cathartic way for you to rid them of the illness and let them go in peace. 

 

You Want To Remember Your Loved One As They Were 

It is helpful for the closure process, for some people, to see their loved one in the casket. You can easily recognize that the person is gone and not coming back. It is also a chance to say a final goodbye. However, not everyone likes to see the person they loved in that state. They are never going to look exactly the same as when they were alive. If you want to remember them how they were during their life, cremation might feel like the better fit for you. Go ahead with cremation and you can place pictures of them in their prime around the service and remember them that way. 

 

Your Loved One Wanted Cremation 

cremation services in Bellevue, WA

Whether you want cremation for your loved one or not, if you know they preferred that as their final disposition method, it will make you feel good about using the option on their behalf. You want to make sure their needs are met and you want to go along with their final wishes. 

 

When you are trying to decide what kind of services to have for your loved onecremation services in Bellevue, WA are an honorable, respectful choice to make. You might feel good about that option in certain circumstances and it might feel like the perfect fit for your loved one’s situation. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, we aren’t going to make any decisions for you, but we will offer you idea and options until you make a choice for your family. Then, we will support your plans with compassion and carry them out however you see fit. We want you to be able to honor your loved one in the way you want.

funeral homes in Bellevue, WA

What Can You Ask Of A Funeral Home?

If you have never had to work with funeral homes in Bellevue, WA before, it can be a hard experience. You have lost a loved one and you are trying to plan their final services while grieving and dealing with all of the emotions that come with that. If you are using the professionals to their fullest, that can help, but you might not know what you can ask of a funeral home. Here are a few things you can most certainly ask. 

 

Anything 

The funeral home professionals are there for you, every step of the way. They want to support you with compassion the whole time. You can ask anything of them…anything at all. There might be some things that they can’t do, and they will let you know that. They will advise you as to who can help you with those requests, or they will tell you why they can’t perform the tasks you have asked about. But there’s no shame in asking and seeing what they can do if you aren’t sure. 

 

Help Distributing Flowers 

After the services are over, the funeral home is still there to help you with tasks to wrap things up. You may have ordered flowers yourself and there might be plenty that people have sent to the funeral home for the services. You need to figure out what to do with those flowers and the professionals can help. You can tell them who gets what arrangement and they will make sure those people take those flower home with them. If there are left over items that no one wants to keep, you can direct the funeral home as to where you want the flowers taken for donation and they can do that for you as well. 

funeral homes in Bellevue, WA

 

Advice On Grief Resources 

Funeral homes deal with final services all of the time and they have a lot of expertise on grieving as well. If you want extra help, or you know someone in your family that needs it, you can ask the funeral home for advice. If you are looking for a grief counselor, they can give you names, references, and opinions on which counselor is the best for your situation. If you’d like to be set up with a grief support group, they can tell you when and where those groups meet and which one might meet your needs and so on. 

 

The funeral homes in Bellevue, WA are filled with compassionate people who truly want to help you through one of the hardest times you’ll go through around the death of a family member. If you aren’t sure what they can or will do for you during the process, it’s okay to ask. If there are certain things they don’t cover, they will help you figure out who can help you and they will allow you to move forward in the way you feel is best for your loved one and the rest of your family.