Choosing Cremation

Learn About Cremation

People choose cremation for any number of reasons – cultural and/or religious tradition, personalization, simplicity, cost, time, among others – but only you can decide if it's the right decision for you or your loved one. Use these pages to learn about cremation:​

• Cremation Services
  A traditional funeral or a celebration of life, at the funeral home or a country club, with a funeral professional or on your own, led by a celebrant or a religious leader – your arrangements should include your preferences to create a meaningful ceremony. Learn more about your options for services with cremated remains.
• Memorial Options
  Many people prefer cremation for the variety of memorial options it offers. Learn about keepsakes, permanent placement, scattering, and more to find a memorial option that's right for you.
• The Cremation Process
  Cremation is the mechanical, thermal, or other dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments. This page is intended to help you more fully understand what happens during cremation.
• Alkaline Hydrolysis Process
  Alkaline hydrolysis is an emerging cremation technology with a unique process.

Plan a Cremation

​Choosing cremation is only the first of many decisions when planning final arrangements. This section is designed to guide you through the general decisions, before making arrangements with a cremation professional:

• Arranging for Cremation
  Choosing cremation is not the only decision you'll need to make – this page lays out the four key decisions to help guide this process.
• Planning and Payment
  Deciding to plan ahead provides time to educate yourself and inform your loved ones of your wishes. This page provides pros and cons about planning.
• Choosing a Provider
  Many factors go into choosing a cremation provider. Get an introduction to the different providers and questions to ask to make a decision you can feel confident about.
• Transporting Cremated Remains
  Traveling with or shipping cremated remains domestically and internationally can require special containers, paperwork, and handling depending on the origin and destination locations. This page provides a useful starting point to answer your questions.