A death in your family or the passing of someone close to you can be both shocking and exhausting. Being the person who must make decisions regarding a loved one's remains, particularly if they wish to be cremated, can be challenging. If you know your loved one wanted to be cremated and must now choose an urn for them, the details here should be considered in order to select an urn for sale that honors them and is suitable for you and others.

Size

If you've never dealt with cremains before, you may not have any idea how much they will weigh or what size container you'll need. Ask the funeral home or crematorium staff about the weight and volume you should expect so your urn selection is appropriate. Once you're sure what parameters you need to observe in terms of size, you can then avoid wasting time with urns that are too small. However, if the plan is to allow children of the deceased to share the cremains, smaller urns may be more appropriate.

Ultimate Location

Your urn choice should be made with the knowledge of its ultimate resting spot. The most important thing to think about is whether you're planning to keep the urn outside or store it in a prominent place indoors. Outdoor urns are typically those that are better able to handle rain, sun, snow and icy conditions. For example, steel, bronze and other metals could work. Marble is also suitable for outdoors. You might also want to think of biodegradable options. Indoor urns are often more fragile, made of material like porcelain.

Travel

If the death has happened in a remote location and you or other relatives will be carrying the urn through multiple airports, that could affect your urn choice. Urns lined with metal can present a major headache as you attempt to pass metal detectors. If you want everyone to travel without problems, ensuring you get an urn or mini-urns without metal is important.

Style

Of course, you should think about your loved one's personal style when you are picking out an urn. You can even customize the piece to better reflect the person who has passed on. If you do go ahead with customization, however, contact the manufacturer directly so you're certain that the piece will be completed and arrive when you need it.

Considering these issues now should allow you to focus on the important details surrounding a loved one's urn. Discuss your loved one and their cremains with funeral home staff who can enable you to make these decisions more easily.