An urn is a vessel that is used to hold the ashes of the departed after cremation. Buying an urn locally is a good idea because you can see it for yourself before purchasing. It is also a deeply personal experience, and you should consider a few things before buying one.
If you wonder where to buy an urn locally, Gary P. Cubeta of Insurance for Final Expense suggests asking around in the local funeral homes.
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Here are some things to consider before buying one.
This is the guiding factor behind buying the urn. Are you going to keep the urn in your home, on a shelf that will act as a memorial? Are you going to keep the urn at a family burial ground? Or are you going to scatter the ashes? Are you going to travel with the urn or distribute the ashes among those who are left behind? Select one that will be best suited for your plans about what you will do with the ashes.
Urns come in various materials, and one of the advantages of buying them locally is that you get to see firsthand how they look and feel. They can be made of granite, marble, glass or crystal, wood, ceramic, or metals like brass, bronze, or stainless steel. However, you should choose the urn material based on how you will keep or spread the ashes.
If you want to keep the urn at home where it has to be handled frequently for cleaning, or you have to travel with it, then go for a metal urn to avoid breakage. If you want to keep the urn at a mausoleum or a family burial ground, a ceramic, marble, or glass urn will go well with the setting. If you are thinking of burying the urn, go for biodegradable options like wood.
If you want to bury the urn, then you have to check the cemetery requirements. Most cemeteries now only allow biodegradable urns to be buried. Hence, buying one made of wood or clay would be well suited.
If the cemetery requires a vault, then you should buy an urn that will fit inside it. In that case, you need to find out about the size of the vault. This is also true if you want to scatter the ashes in the water, and the urn will go with it.
You should check the Federal Clean Water Act that requires that ashes be scattered at least three nautical miles from the coast. It is always a good idea to review regulations to determine if you are legally permitted to bury an urn, even on private property.
The size of the urn is essential for various reasons. If you plan to keep the urn in a mausoleum, and there are specific niches where they will be kept, you should ask about the measurements before trying them out. Each has a particular height and width, and your urn should fit into it comfortably.
On the other hand, if you think of distributing the ashes among the family members, you should buy multiple smaller urns rather than investing in a single, large one.
You should also check if the urns meet the Transportation Security Administration requirement. For example, wood plastic or glass is best suited for air travel as metal urns can be stopped during X-ray checks.
While the principal purpose of the urn is to hold ashes, there might be variations to it. Do you want to keep the ashes in their entirety? In that case, you should opt for a full-sized urn that can hold about 200 cubic inches of ashes.
However, if you only want to keep a small part of the ashes, you can buy keepsake urns. If partners have deceased, you can get companion urns specially designed to hold the ashes of partners.
If you wonder where to buy an urn locally, Gary P. Cubeta of Insurance for Final Expense suggests asking around in the local funeral homes.
- Consider the Resting Place
- Material of the Urn
- Check Cemetery Requirements
- Size of the Urn
- Purpose of the Urn
Here are some things to consider before buying one.
Consider the Resting Place
This is the guiding factor behind buying the urn. Are you going to keep the urn in your home, on a shelf that will act as a memorial? Are you going to keep the urn at a family burial ground? Or are you going to scatter the ashes? Are you going to travel with the urn or distribute the ashes among those who are left behind? Select one that will be best suited for your plans about what you will do with the ashes.
Material of the Urn
Urns come in various materials, and one of the advantages of buying them locally is that you get to see firsthand how they look and feel. They can be made of granite, marble, glass or crystal, wood, ceramic, or metals like brass, bronze, or stainless steel. However, you should choose the urn material based on how you will keep or spread the ashes.
If you want to keep the urn at home where it has to be handled frequently for cleaning, or you have to travel with it, then go for a metal urn to avoid breakage. If you want to keep the urn at a mausoleum or a family burial ground, a ceramic, marble, or glass urn will go well with the setting. If you are thinking of burying the urn, go for biodegradable options like wood.
Check Cemetery Requirements
If you want to bury the urn, then you have to check the cemetery requirements. Most cemeteries now only allow biodegradable urns to be buried. Hence, buying one made of wood or clay would be well suited.
If the cemetery requires a vault, then you should buy an urn that will fit inside it. In that case, you need to find out about the size of the vault. This is also true if you want to scatter the ashes in the water, and the urn will go with it.
You should check the Federal Clean Water Act that requires that ashes be scattered at least three nautical miles from the coast. It is always a good idea to review regulations to determine if you are legally permitted to bury an urn, even on private property.
Size of the Urn
The size of the urn is essential for various reasons. If you plan to keep the urn in a mausoleum, and there are specific niches where they will be kept, you should ask about the measurements before trying them out. Each has a particular height and width, and your urn should fit into it comfortably.
On the other hand, if you think of distributing the ashes among the family members, you should buy multiple smaller urns rather than investing in a single, large one.
You should also check if the urns meet the Transportation Security Administration requirement. For example, wood plastic or glass is best suited for air travel as metal urns can be stopped during X-ray checks.
Purpose of the Urn
While the principal purpose of the urn is to hold ashes, there might be variations to it. Do you want to keep the ashes in their entirety? In that case, you should opt for a full-sized urn that can hold about 200 cubic inches of ashes.
However, if you only want to keep a small part of the ashes, you can buy keepsake urns. If partners have deceased, you can get companion urns specially designed to hold the ashes of partners.
If you want something more customized, choose an urn that can be personalized with a monogram or an inscription. It is best to buy these urns locally so that you can customize them as you like, even adding a picture of the deceased. You can also purchase urns with religious themes for those who were very devout.
Buying an urn is a very personal and emotional experience. Ask where to buy an urn locally to get some inputs from the seller based on your needs and circumstances. It is one of the last things you do for the ones departed, so choosing the suitable urn will help you pay your respects in a very personal way.
Buying an urn is a very personal and emotional experience. Ask where to buy an urn locally to get some inputs from the seller based on your needs and circumstances. It is one of the last things you do for the ones departed, so choosing the suitable urn will help you pay your respects in a very personal way.
