What to Expect in Regards to Cremation Services in Alabama
The death of a loved one can be a difficult time for friends and family. It is not always a simple task to make the proper funeral arrangements in a short period of time. Do you go with Alabama cremation services? Is an in-ground burial the best option for your loved one? Perhaps, an above ground burial in a mausoleum is an appropriate choice. If no specific plans have been made in advance and your loved one never really had a preference for burial, consider cremation services in Alabama. A funeral specialist can walk you through the process no matter what part of the state you are in from Mobile in the gulf coast area to Florence in the northern area.
Defining Cremation
Cremation is a common practice that has been performed for thousands of years in many cultures and countries around the world. When you choose Alabama cremation services, you should understand the basic process. It is a simple one and the explanation can be shortened to the procedure by which the body is diminished to bone fragments and ashes by submitting the deceased body to intense heat. Once the process is completed, the ashes and remains, often called cremains, are placed into an urn that you agree upon in advance.
With cremation services in Alabama, an identification card or label is placed with your deceased loved one and it follows them throughout the whole process. This ensures that the cremains you receive after the Alabama cremation services are indeed your deceased loved one. The body is placed into a special container which will follow them even into the cremation chamber. These containers are specially made to not only bring respect and decorum to your loved one but also protection. It is after cremation that your deceased loved one's remains are placed permanently in a keepsake urn.
Decisions to Make about the Cremation Services in Alabama
The first decision to make after choosing cremation is the permanent storage of the cremains. Your funeral specialist can discuss the selections with you and lead you to a variety of urns to choose from or you can order your own from another source. Your choice can even be engraved with a special message, date or even bible verses.
Once you have decided on cremation services in Alabama, will you want a memorial service for your loved one? The cremated remains may or may not be present so you can choose to have a memorial service before cremation or even afterwards. The service can be held at the funeral home you are working with in regards to the Alabama cremation services, your church or some other designated place that might have been special to you and your deceased loved one.
Cremation with visitation is another option and can be merged with a memorial service as well. With cremation services in Alabama combined with visitation, you may decide to have people come visit the night before cremation with you and your deceased loved one. With this type of visitation, you may wish to have an open or closed casket in which to display the body. You could purchase a casket but renting one for a fee makes more sense since with cremation, a casket is technically not necessary. Your funeral specialist can help you with this task and work with you on a solution. After visitation, the casket is then removed before Alabama cremation services are employed and your deceased loved one is taken to the cremation chamber.
Of course, depending on the condition of the body or preferences of the deceased loved one, no visitation is required. The immediate family alone can have a brief time with the body, especially if embalming is not being done. Keep in mind though that under the state law of Alabama, there is a twenty-four hour waiting period from your loved one's death before cremation services in Alabama can be carried out whether you live in the Birmingham area or even Mobile. Your funeral specialist will advise you that it can up to forty-eight hours before the cremation remains are ready to be taken.
Other Information to Know about Alabama Cremation Services
Once your deceased loved one has been cremated, you will receive a certificate signed by the funeral home with your loved one's name and their date of death. The date of the cremation and the identification number that was assigned to them when they were first brought in to the funeral home for cremation services in Alabama is also included on the certificate. It is then signed by the funeral specialist that handled the cremation. In addition, the certificate is stamped by an official seal imprint.
If you are the spouse of the deceased, you would be required to sign the authorization for the Alabama cremation services to be performed in Huntsville, Tuscaloosa or wherever the services happen to be. If there is no spouse, then children related by blood must sign. And if spouse and children are not in the picture, then immediate next of kin available must sign the authorization. Paperwork can be faxed to immediate next of kin for authorization but it must be signed and witnessed by a notary public.
While this may be a bit uncomfortable to think about, you are probably wondering how much is left of your deceased loved one after the cremation services in Alabama. The answer is that it depends on their size at death. The cremains can weigh anywhere from three pounds to ten pounds. Cremation is typically less expensive than burying someone in a casket, especially if the urn holding your loved one's ashes is not buried but kept in a designated spot at home or even scattered at a place special to your loved one.
Don't try to deal with your deceased loved one's funeral on your own. Consult with a funeral specialist in or near your hometown such as Montgomery or Decatur in regards to Alabama cremation services. They can guide you through all the details from choosing cremation over burial to even securing funeral financing if necessary.
I found Heritage Cremation when I was calling funeral homes in the area to make cremation arrangements for my brother. The cremation cost was a big concern for me and compared to the other funeral homes I found Heritage Cremations had the best price and the most compassionate staff. I was a bit worried because the cremation services price at Heritage Cremation was so much less than the other cremation services I was quoted, but I have to say the cremation service was beautiful. Visitors actually complimented me on the cremation service, and the kindness of the staff at Heritage Cremation. 
