If you are in the beginning stages of planning for your final arrangements, you may be trying to decide whether or not cremation will play a role in them. While more people are opting for cremation than ever before, the process is still somewhat mysterious, unlike the more familiar funeral and interment process. This unique and informative list of questions may be helpful in offering you a better understanding of the cremation process. 

Is a traditional viewing possible when opting for cremation? 

The erroneous assumption that it is not possible to have a traditional funeral service with an open-casket viewing when opting for cremation is a popular one. However, the truth is that it is entirely possible to have the body prepared for viewing and laid out in a rental casket for the service and then transported to the crematorium afterward. 

What happens to jewelry during the cremation process? 

Jewelry, along with medical devices such as pacemakers and medication pumps are removed from the body prior to it being placed in the crematorium chamber. Additional metal items, such as the plates and screws commonly used to repair bones, will also be removed prior to the beginning of the cremation process. 

Are the remains clothed during the process? 

While there is no hard rule, most crematoriums wrap the remains in a fabric shroud, burnable container, or casket before it is placed inside the chamber for the actual cremation. 

What is left after the cremation process is complete? 

After the cremation process has completed, the cremains are collected and placed into a machine called a cremulator, which then pulverizes them into an ash-like consistency. The cremains are then packaged according to the directives left by the deceased or their family members. Urns, special containers, or even plastic bags can safely be used to hold and transfer the cremains. 

Are there ecological benefits to cremation that should be considered? 

Ecological benefits are one of the most common reasons for choosing cremation over a traditional interment process. When the cremains are legally scattered or kept privately by a family member, the body is not taking valuable space from future generations and no fossil fuels or labor hours will be needed to maintain a grave site. 

The final decision on whether you should opt for cremation or a more traditional service followed by interment is a very personal decision. To more fully understand each option, take time to meet with someone at a cremation service in your area.