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New Trends in Seattle, WA Cremation Services

Many of our clients are surprised to learn that cremation is fast becoming the most popular choice for memorializing a loved one, outstripping earth burial. That’s because when you choose cremation services in Seattle, WA, you’re getting services that are evolving to help you deliver a fitting tribute to your loved one. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, these are just a few of the new trends we’re embracing to better serve our families.

A Better Urn

How many times have you seen a movie or TV show with a hilarious mishap where grandma’s ashes go flying everywhere? That’s funny on the screen, but not in your home. Thankfully, cremation urns have changed a lot to be spill-resistant thanks to a stronger seal in the lid. We offer hundreds of stylish urns, many of which can be personalized with an inscription or have a unique artistic design.

We also offer a line of scattering urns, designed with a unique lid that opens slowly for easy and safe distribution of the ashes.

More Options for Interment

Many of our families choose cremation, but still want to have the remains laid to rest on the funeral grounds with the rest of the family. That’s possible thanks to an assortment of attractive cremation vaults, which serve as miniature coffins holding the remains that can be buried in a funeral service. Another option is spreading the ashes at a memorial garden, where a plaque can be laid listing all the people who rest there.

Eco-Friendly Options

Many of our families ask for a way to memorialize their loved one while having a positive impact on the environment. That’s why we offer Aquamation, or Alkaline Hydrolysis. This alternative to traditional cremation uses a heated alkaline solution to speed up the body’s natural decay, reducing the body to bone ash in only eight hours without the use of a powerful cremator.

For a more eco-friendly memorial option, we offer a pair of unique options. Biodegradable urns holding a tree seed are designed to break down in the earth, releasing the seed and incorporating the ashes into a growing tree. Coral balls are a unique option for sea burial, using a ceramic vessel that attracts sea life and turns your loved one’s memorial into a mini-ecosystem for coral and other organisms.

Flexible Timelines

One of the biggest challenges of planning a memorial service on short notice is getting everyone in one place. Cremation gives the family much more flexibility, as cremation can be done immediately and there’s no reason to hold the memorial service until everyone can get there. It’s common to hold a memorial service weeks or even months after the cremation, be it at our facility or at a personal location for a scattering ceremony. Cremation puts the timeline back in your hands.

If you’re interested in hearing how we’re working these trends into our cremation services in Seattle, WA, contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory to set up a consultation with our staff today.

How to Incorporate Food Into Memorial Services at Seattle, WA Funeral Homes

When planning to say goodbye to a loved one at Seattle, WA funeral homes, it’s natural to think back on the many good times you shared. Few things unite a family and create warm memories more than food, so many people are starting to incorporate food creatively into the celebrations of life they plan. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, we’re working to creatively incorporate these culinary traditions into the events we host.

How Is Food at a Memorial Service Arranged?

Few funeral homes have on-site kitchens or catering facilities, but they do have meeting and banquet halls ideal for hosting large events. To find the food to share at these events, the best approach is to partner with a local restaurant. That food can be brought in heated or to be reheated, and many funeral homes have deals with local restaurants to offer catering for memorial services at a reduced rate with funeral packages.

Simple Refreshments

Even before meals associated with memorial services were common, it was a regular decision to have a table of refreshments or light snacks at the memorial service. This can be put together from packaged or homemade treats, or brought in from a local bakery. This is especially common in Italian culture, where a cookie table full of traditional treats is a staple of any large family gathering.

A Collective Effort

If you want to skip a full catered dinner from a restaurant as a cost-saving effort, it’s possible to harness the help of your support system for a full meal. The potluck dinner takes the stress off the family and doesn’t leave anyone with too much work by asking every guest or close friends and family to bring a simple dish. These dishes are then combined into a makeshift family-style dinner for everyone to enjoy.

On-Site Catering

If your loved one had a favorite restaurant or one where some of the family’s most important moments took place, it’s easy to arrange a memorial meal with the staff. You can choose to have the memorial dinner on site at the restaurant if they have the proper facilities, or to have the food brought to our meeting halls. We have partnerships with many of the best local restaurants, and are happy to facilitate a partnership through our funeral director.

Gifts to Go

There is no greater way to let someone know you’re thinking of them then by sending them a gift you know they’ll enjoy. That’s why most funeral homes offer a selection of gifts ideal for sending your condolences to the family of the deceased. Flowers are the most common choice, but it’s becoming increasingly popular to send edible gifts instead. Fruit arrangements or chocolate assortments are sure to please and comfort a family.

Do you have ideas for how to incorporate food into your loved one’s celebration of life? Seattle, WA funeral homes are ready to help, so contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory for more information today.

Common Misconceptions About Mercer Island, WA Cremation Services

Cremation is gaining in popularity among people who are looking for a lower-cost alternative to burial that gives them more freedom to develop their own memorial plans. But when we talk to clients, we often find that they don’t know how cremation services in Mercer Island, WA have evolved. That’s why at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, we’ve put together this blog post to clear up some of the most common misconceptions.

Misconception #1 – Cremation Is a Small Industry Compared to Burial

It surprises many people to learn that cremation is more popular in the United States than burial, and is the most common option for handling remains. This is for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of finding burial space and the higher costs of burial. Cremation also gives people the chance to schedule memorials at their pace with no rush to bury, and offers more creative options for celebrating the deceased.

Misconception #2 – Cremation Is a No-Frills Option

As more funeral homes are adding their own cremation programs, cremation is evolving far beyond a simple program that cremates remains. While we do offer a basic cremation program that returns the remains to you quickly and lets you take over from there, we also offer a full memorial program paired with cremation. You’ll get full use of our facilities with options for visitation and viewing, along with a memorial service before or after the cremation.

Misconception #3 – Cremation Is Bad for the Environment

While cremators are powerful ovens that burn up to 1800 degrees fahrenheit, a new option is available for those who want a more environmentally friendly option. Aquamation takes a natural alkaline solution and heats it up gently to around three hundred degrees fahrenheit, which speeds up the body’s natural decay process. The body is reduced to mineral ash in eight hours, compared to three hours for standard cremation.

Misconception #4 – An Urn Is the Only Place to Keep Cremation Ashes

The classic cremation urn is still the most common place to keep remains, and new urns are designed to be more stable and durable to prevent those unfortunate spills. But more options are available for families that want a creative option. This includes splitting the ashes between smaller urns or into vials that can be carried on a person, or converting them into creative options like diamonds, fireworks, or ink.

Misconception #5 – Scattering Ashes Is Regulated

This depends on where you want to scatter the ashes, but as cremation ashes are sterile, you should have the right to distribute them at a meaningful location for your loved one. Any private park or lake should be an ideal location, unless it’s under special protection. Check with your local authorities if you have concerns, but spreading ashes in public places is legal. If you have a private location in mind, check with the property owner.

The market for cremation services in Mercer Island, WA is growing every day, and we’re ready to address your wishes and work with you to develop a perfect tribute to your loved one. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory for more information or to set up a consultation today.

A Joyous Celebration of Life at Mercer Island, WA Funeral Homes

When saying goodbye to a loved one, it’s natural to be filled with sadness. But a memorial at Mercer Island, WA funeral homes can also be a celebration of the life lived by the deceased, and at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory our doors are open to unconventional memorials and tributes. Here are some unique and memorable ways that people pay tribute to a life well-lived at our facilities.

Food for the Soul

There are few things that create more memories than food, and catered dinners at the memorial service or at an associated restaurant are a common tribute. There are multiple ways to arrange the food – common choices include homemade food made from the favorite recipes of the departed, a potluck catered by the friends and family, or a dinner brought in from a beloved restaurant enjoyed in life. Our extensive facilities can host anything ranging from a table of snacks at the reception to a full dinner.

A Meaningful Donation

Was there a cause that your loved one was passionate about in life, whether they worked for it or just supported it? It’s common to ask for donations in lieu of gifts or flowers at a memorial service or through the online portal. While financial donations are the most common method for supporting a cause, it’s also possible to arrange a collective hands-on effort to benefit a charity as part of the memorial.

A Scattering Ceremony.

If you’ve chosen cremation as an alternative to burial, that gives you the opportunity to create a personalized final goodbye. If your loved one had a spot that they loved, like a favorite lake or a beloved park, a public spot makes an ideal place to scatter the ashes. This is possible for private locations as well, if it can be arranged with the property owners. Cremation ashes are sterile and legal to scatter in most locations.

A Musical Farewell

It’s common to have speakers and testimonials at a memorial service, but there are more colorful alternatives to the traditional speakers. If your loved one had a passion for music, it’s easy to arrange a tribute performance either through guests putting on a show or through guest musical artists. Multimedia tributes like videos set to music can also be arranged through our digital services team.

Lasting Tributes

Ideal for those who had a passion for the environment, there are many options for creating all-natural tributes that serve as living memorials. For those who chose cremation, a biodegradable urn can release tree seeds once planted, creating a towering tree that will last decades and create a memorial space for the family to visit. Coral balls are a sea-based alternative that creates a hospitable space for sea life to create an ecosystem on a unique-shaped receptacle for the ashes.

Our experienced staff can help you facilitate these unique options at Mercer Island, WA funeral homes. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory for more information on our services or to set up a consultation today.

Everything You Need to Know About Aquamation With Renton, WA Cremation Services

Cremation has grown fast as the most popular option for memorializing the deceased, outstripping earth burial. But as concern over the environment grows, many people are wondering if there’s a way to so it without the emissions of a cremator. When you choose cremation services in Renton, WA, consider Aquamation as an all-natural alternative. Here’s everything you need to know about this new cremation treatment.

What Is Aquamation?

Aquamation, or Aqua-cremation, is a cremation alternative that eliminates fire and uses an alkaline solution to break down the body. The treatment simulates the body’s natural decay process, accelerating it and breaking a body down to bone ash in only hours. Because it’s all-natural and doesn’t involve a furnace, there are no greenhouse emissions and the treatment is environmentally friendly.

How Long Does Aquamation Take?

Aquamation uses a heated alkaline solution, and it can take place at either 200 or 300 degrees fahrenheit. The hotter treatment will be complete in under eight hours, while the 200-degree one takes eighteen to twenty hours and is an overnight process. This can be compared to a flame cremation taking up to three hours.

Can Aquamation Be Combined With a Memorial?

Yes, all the amenities that are available with our cremation process are available with Aquamation. We offer a direct cremation service that will return the ashes to you quickly, but we also offer a mix of affordable packages and a la carte services. If you want visitation, a viewing, or a full memorial, it can be arranged before or after the aqua-cremation process. We can even embalm the body, because all fluids are broken down by the solution.

What Are the Ashes Like?

The bone ash that is left after Aquamation is similar to the substance left after traditional cremation, although you’ll receive up to thirty percent more because less is broken down by high heat. While the process is gentler to the remains than traditional cremation, the ashes are still safe and sterile, with all organic material removed to leave only the mineral core of the bones. That makes them ideal for scattering if desired.

What If My Loved One Has Metal Implants?

This is a common concern we hear if someone has a pacemaker installed, or metal knee or hip replacements. Aquamation is a gentle process, and as such the implants do not need to be removed before the process. Instead, the alkaline solution won’t affect the natural metals and will instead wash them clean. After the process is complete, they can be removed and recycled, or returned to the family.

What Are the Environmental Benefits?

Cremation burns at an extremely high heat, emitting carbon from the furnace and releasing mercury from the burning of the bones. Because Aquamation uses a gentler heat and a natural chemical reaction, it has no major environmental impact. The slower pace and alkaline solution breaks down the body without powerful energies.

Is Aquamation right for you as an option for Renton, WA cremation services? Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory to learn more or set up a consultation today.

A Greener Way of Working With Renton, WA Funeral Homes

The environment is on everyone’s mind, as we all strive to minimize our impact on the environment and find a more conscious way of everyday life. That extends to working with Renton, WA funeral homes, as more of our clients ask for green-conscious memorials and funerals for their loved ones. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, we strive to meet our clients’ needs, so here’s how we’re incorporating environmentally-friendly traditions into our offerings.

New Takes on the Funeral Procession

The traditional funeral procession is a dramatic statement about how many people knew and cared about the deceased – often involving a mile of cars a mile long. But while this is an impressive opening to the funeral, it also means a lot of car fumes. That’s why people are looking into alternative vehicles for the funeral procession, ranging from electric cars with low emissions to horse-drawn carriages for an old-fashioned twist. You get all the dramatic flair of the traditional procession while making a statement for the earth.

Green Takes on Cremation

If you and your family opts for cremation over burial, it doesn’t need to include the powerful cremator oven if you want to avoid the emissions. The new process known as Aquamation uses an alkaline-based solution to accelerate the natural process of decay and reduce the remains to bone ash in under a day.

Post-cremation, environmentally-friendly methods for memorialization include biodegradable urns that will release seeds when planted and transform the remains into an impressive tree.

Fundraising for a Good Cause

Many clients choose to use their online memorial page to raise money, either for funeral costs or a charity near and dear to the deceased. Many environmental charities are seeing fundraising partnerships, and a link on your page can raise money for the environment or endangered animals, among other causes. If you’re not seeking gifts or flowers from mourners, asking them to donate in the name of the deceased is an appealing alternative.

Natural Arrangements

While the flower arrangement is a classic part of any funeral or memorial service, an eco-friendly alternative gives all the benefits with the added plus of a living tribute. Alternative arrangements like flowering shrubs can be placed at the grave or memorial still alive in their pots, adding beauty and grace to the ceremony. They can then be planted either at the graveside or another location.

Natural Burials

If you choose a traditional earth burial for your loved one, you can minimize the impact on the environment by choosing coffins made from recycled wood. These coffins are designed from pre-used wood but then varnished or painted to make them indistinguishable from traditional coffins. If your loved one was a tree-lover, they would appreciate the fact that their final resting place made good second use of one.

Do these options appeal to you for a green funeral service and memorial at Renton, WA funeral homes? If so, contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory for more information or to set up a consultation today.

Creative Uses for Ashes After Cremation Services in Seattle, WA

One of the advantages of choosing cremation services in Seattle, WA is that you and your family have more options for honoring your loved one. While our staff is available to plan a full memorial, we also offer a basic cremation package that is ideal for those who want to handle a personal memorial at home or at a meaningful location.

Whether you choose traditional cremation in our powerful cremator or the eco-friendly Aquamation ashes, cremation ashes are sterile and safe and can be used in many creative ways. In this article, we’ll look at some unique ways these ashes can be used to celebrate your loved one’s life and passions.

Ink and Paint

If your loved one was artistic in life, they can continue to help those closest to them create after their passing. Cremation ashes can be mixed into art or ink and be used to paint a tribute or write a letter or a sheet of music. Ashes are neutral in color and won’t affect the texture of paint or ink if mixed smoothly.

An Eternal Tribute

One of the most popular options for cremation ashes is to have them made into jewelry, especially diamonds. We can put you in touch with a third-party jewelry company that takes cremation ashes and compresses them into small diamonds. These near-indestructible stones will last and make an eye-catching piece of jewelry, eliminating the risk of an urn being spilled.

Out With a Bang

For those whose loved ones lived life on the wild side, there’s a more explosive option for honoring them. Third-party companies can create fireworks that incorporate cremation ashes, making it possible to turn the remains into a dazzling display. This is a perfect way to end a memorial service with a tribute that lights up the night sky.

Love on the Skin

Because cremation ashes are sterile, there is no risk to the skin from having them incorporated into tattoo ink. If you’re someone who likes skin art, it’s increasingly common to get a tattoo honoring a departed loved one. Some tattoo parlors can take cremation ashes and mix them into the ink used for the tattoo, creating a permanent and meaningful tribute.

A Towering Tribute

For our eco-friendly clients, there are few things more inspiring than a fast-growing tree. That’s why companies are now offering a line of biodegradable urns that incorporate the ashes into a container holding seeds. When planted, the urn slowly breaks down and the seeds are released, growing into a tree that incorporates the remains. For generations to come, loved ones will have a living reminder of their loved one.

These are only some of the creative options that can celebrate your loved one’s legacy, and when you choose Seattle, WA cremation services we’re happy to help you pull off the perfect memorial. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory to set up a consultation at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

Benefits of Working With Funeral Homes in Seattle, WA

When planning a funeral or celebration of life, there are many things to keep in mind to make fond lasting memories. This can be overwhelming for a family dealing with grief, which is why funeral homes in Seattle, WA stand ready to support you in this difficult time and provide the professional experience you need for the perfect memorial. When you work with Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, here are some of the benefits you’ll get.

Experienced Staff

A business is only as good as the people running it, and the point of entry for our business is our experienced funeral director. A funeral director’s dual responsibility is to provide comfort and compassion in a difficult time while also serving as a professional who knows the ins and outs of funeral planning. Our funeral director is backed up by a skilled team of technicians who prepare the body and run our crematory, ensuring your loved one is treated with the utmost respect.

Quality Products

Whether you choose burial or cremation, we believe your loved one’s final resting place should reflect the love you had for them. We offer a wide line of classic caskets coming in a variety of styles, and they serve as an ideal centerpiece for a dignified memorial. For those who choose cremation, we offer a catalog of artistic urns that can be inscribed for a personal touch and are ideal for a permanent place on your mantle.

Flexibility and a Personal Touch

Every life is unique, and we believe a funeral or memorial service should reflect that individuality. We’re happy to work with clients to develop personalized tributes that decorate the chapel, ranging from things as small as crafts made by the departed to as large as beloved motorcycles. For those who choose cremation, we can divide the ashes as the family desires, placing them in jewelry or vials for distribution among the loved ones.

Special Cases

At our funeral homes, we work with clients who have unique needs and want to customize their funerals. Our multilingual staff is ready to work with a diverse local base and incorporate cultural traditions into memorial services, and we’re a popular choice for those who want to bring their own effects to the memorial process.

Our staff is also well-versed in working with the military, and we can arrange military funerals that accommodate the standard and enhanced military details. We’ll obtain the military-issued headstone and burial flag without you having to deal with government red tape.

Green Options

Many clients who choose cremation are looking for a carbon-neutral option, and our Aquamation option is just as effective without the burning process. It uses an alkaline solution to reduce the body to bone ash without the powerful cremator. We also offer a line of green urns and caskets for those who want to lay a loved one to rest without impacting the environment.

If you’re looking for an assist in planning a burial or memorial service, Seattle, WA funeral homes can help. Contact Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation Services in Mercer Island, WA

Many people are choosing cremation as an alternative to traditional burial when planning or pre-planning funeral services. Some of the advantages of cremation services in Mercer Island, WA include savings on traditional burial and a smaller footprint that allows for creative uses of the remains. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, our experienced funeral home director and staff are ready to answer your most commonly asked questions about cremation.

Can I Still Have a Funeral With Cremation?

Yes, our cremation packages include options for all the amenities that come with traditional burial. Before the body is cremated, we offer the change for the loved ones to visit, and after we’ll arrange a full memorial service according to your wishes. Cremation services can be as involved or as basic as you want, and our basic cremation package is an ideal choice for those who want professional care for the body but are planning a private memorial at home.

What Are the Advantages of Aquamation Versus Traditional Cremation?

Traditional cremation is done in a cremator, a powerful oven that burns the remains down to sterile bone ash. With an oven that goes up to 1,800 degrees fahrenheit, the process is done in under an hour. Aquamation is an alternative that uses an alkaline solution to break down the body and speed up the process of decay. While it takes longer – an average of two and a half hours – it produces the same result and has a lower carbon footprint for environmentally-minded clients.

Can I Have the Remains Buried or Interred?

For clients who have a family plot or crypt, a common concern when choosing cremation services is whether they can keep the family together. It’s common for cremation containers holding the ashes to be placed underground in a ceremony similar to a burial, or in an above-ground mausoleum. This offers the benefits of a fixed place to gather, but with a smaller space footprint and a lower cost.

What Are My Options for Storing the Remains?

If you choose to take the remains home, the most common option is a large centerpiece urn that can sit on a mantle as a way to keep your loved one close. The urns come in a wide selection of artistic designs and can be personalized with inscriptions. For those who want to divide the remains between multiple loved ones, we offer smaller urns or vials that can be worn on the person. We can also work with third-party companies to arrange for the ashes to be turned into jewelry.

Is It Safe and Legal to Scatter the Ashes?

Many clients want to scatter the remains at a place that was meaningful to the departed. We offer a selection of scattering urns to make this easier. Cremation ashes are sterile and can be safely scattered, and there are no laws governing the scattering, so any public place should be acceptable. If you have a private location in mind, consult with the owners first to arrange a scattering.

We’re happy to answer any other questions you might have at a consultation about cremation services in Mercer Island, WA. Contact us in person at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, only a 15-minute drive from Mercer Island, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

Planning a Veteran’s Funeral With Funeral Homes in Mercer Island, WA

When a veteran passes on, their families are often brought comfort by seeing how the military values their loved one’s service. A full military funeral is an inspiring thing, and when you work with funeral homes in Mercer Island, WA, we’ll work with the military to deliver an intimate but impressive memorial. At Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory, no detail is left unfinished when setting up a military funeral with honors.

What Is Included in a Military Funeral?

Every military funeral consists of the playing of Taps and the presentation of a folded United States Flag. This will be done by a military detail of at least two members of the Armed Forces, assigned as a funeral honors detail. At least one member of the detail will be from the branch that the deceased represented, and the level of honors will be determined by the veteran’s status. We can accomodate full military honors, a 7-person detail, and standard honors.

Who Is Eligible for a Military Funeral?

Every United States military veteran who served in combat or in peacetime is eligible for a military funeral if they were discharged in a way other than dishonorable. This includes former military members who completed a term of enlistment or required service, including those who were discharged due to injury or medical condition.

To establish veteran eligibility, we recommend obtaining a DD Form 214, which shows the date and status of the veteran’s discharge from the military. This form can be obtained from the National Records Center. Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also eligible.

What Does the Government Provide?

The government will provide a burial flag and a headstone free of charge for everyone eligible for a military funeral. Headstones will come inscribed with the name, lifespan, and details of service and come in granite and marble. Flat markers are also available in granite, marble, and bronze. The headstone or marker can be placed in a military cemetery free of charge or in a private cemetery by arrangement with the owners.

The burial flag provided by the government can be draped over the casket or accompany the urn for those who choose cremation. It will be presented to the next of kin or the person designated by the veteran.

Can I Personalize a Military Funeral?

Yes, and this is one of the big advantages of working with funeral homes rather than directly with the government. We can fuse the ceremony and respect of a military funeral with the personal touch you’re looking for. The wake and ceremony can include a customized tribute to the life you loved one lived before and after their time in the military, and conclude with the military honors that celebrate their contributions to the Armed Forces.

If you’re looking to plan a military funeral for a loved one or pre-plan your own honors, Mercer Island, WA funeral homes can help. Visit us at Columbia Funeral Home & Crematory at our offices at 4567 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle, WA, 98118, only a 15-minute drive from Mercer Island, or reach us on our website or by phone at (206) 722-1100.

Call now: 1-206-722-1100