Losing a loved one is a very difficult experience and making arrangements for their final resting place is not the easiest of tasks, especially while grieving. When it comes time to select a cremation urn you may find yourself overwhelmed with the vast selection of options available. Today’s urn options go well beyond function to serve as beautiful, personalized symbols that represent your loved one’s life and legacy. Choosing the best urn for you and your loved one is a deeply personal decision, but an essential part of the memorial process. Here are a few important factors that will help you select the right type of cremation urn to memorialize your loved one.

1. Choose Your Price Point Establishing your funeral budget can help you narrow down the selection of cremation urns fairly quickly. You will find a wide array of prices, so determining your budget from the beginning can help guide your research and decision-making. Remember, with the various materials in the market today, cost doesn't necessarily equate quality or style. Many wonderful urns made of pewter, brass and natural materials such as palm are available at our free urns page. At the same time, unlimited customized designs are available at prices often ranging into the thousands. Higher priced urns are typically crafted from precious materials such as bronze, gold or marble and include personalization options like engraving. Even if your budget is unlimited, you may find the perfect urn for significantly less.

2. Decide on a Display or Resting Place

An essential factor in the selection of a cremation urn is determining where the urn will be kept after the funeral or memorial service. Choosing a memorial urn that will be displayed in your home serves a very different function than one that will be buried. If the urn will be displayed in an indoor environment, most styles are appropriate. There are even many highly decorative, beautiful cremation urns made of colorful glass, crystal or porcelain that look like handcrafted pieces of art and will complement your décor. If the intent is to bury the urn or display it somewhere outdoors, like in a garden, you will need to buy something more durable such as a metal or marble urn. Cremation urns of any kind are suitable for burial if they are housed in an urn vault, which varies in price depending on the form. If you are planning to scatter ashes or have a water burial, look into scattering bio travel urns. These types of urns are biodegradable and are designed specifically to slip into nature without a negative impact on the environment.

3. Consider Style & Customization Traditional cremation urns are typically made of materials such as metal, wood, stone, glass or ceramic. But, you do not have to stay within bounds of tradition if you feel that your loved one would be better memorialized with a unique or customized cremation urn. Many options are available to commemorate your loved one’s personality and style. You may want to choose a patriotic urn to honor a veteran from the armed services, a sports urn to pay tribute to an avid golf or football fan or an urn designed as a motorcycle or car for a transportation enthusiast.

Cremation jewelry is very popular, and the most personal and custom-designed option. Due to the size, several pendants or lockets can be made and worn by family or friends. If you want something unique, but still a more traditional urn, consider adding a photo of the deceased or engraving a special poem into the urn. Once you've determined the style of cremation urn you need, the final factor to consider is the volume the urn must have in order to hold your loved one’s ashes. Generally, you’ll need around one cubic inch of space for every pound of body weight prior to cremation. If you’re still not sure which size to choose, lean towards the larger option. Cremation urn options are extensive, personal and continually growing. No matter what type of urn you choose to memorialize your loved one, it will create a special and lasting memorial. Funeral information and advice is also available on your iPhone or Android. See our mobile application today.