Hiring a Funeral Specialist for Planning Cremation Services in Tennessee Can Be a Great Help
A traditional casket burial in a cemetery is what most people know and are comfortable with due to familiarity, but Tennessee cremation services offer an easy time for grieving loved ones. If you want an affordable, respectful option for taking care of a deceased loved one, talk with a funeral specialist about cremation. Services in Tennessee don't legally require assistance of a funeral director or specialist but their consulting help can truly lighten the load you are carrying.
Benefit of Hiring a Funeral Specialist
If death is not something you typically deal with, working with someone who does can be helpful. A funeral professional will understand the rules, regulations and laws governing Tennessee cremation services. Instead of being blinded by paperwork and unexpected delays because of your lack of knowledge of funeral and cremation laws, you are basically escorted through the entire process.
A funeral specialist can also provide a list of possible ideas when planning cremation services in Tennessee. Do you want a direct cremation for your loved one or have a public viewing and visitation? What about the possibility of a religious service or memorial service at a later date? They can help you plan for the best choice that would not only honor your deceased loved one respectfully but also appease family and friends too.
Legal Requirements for Tennessee Cremation Services
The paperwork is perhaps when the aid of a funeral specialist is especially important. For instance, did you know there is a hierarchy in regards to next of kin handling funeral arrangements for the deceased? With cremation services in Tennessee, a cremation authorization form must be filled out and completed by an authorized agent or next of kin. This means that a standing Power of Attorney would trump the first next of kin, who is typically the spouse. And if there is no spouse, children over the age of 18 are next in line. Next, would be the deceased's parents, adult siblings, adult grandchildren and then the grandparents.
Another legal requirement in regards to Tennessee cremation services is that a medical examiner must sign the paperwork authorizing cremation along with the local department of health. In most cases, this is simply a formality but this legal requirement is in place in the event of an accidental or suspicious death. Your funeral specialist could take care of this for you as well as arrange transportation of your deceased loved one from place of death to crematory facilities.
A Detailed Process for Cremation
A meticulous process is followed by the crematory once your deceased loved one is taken there. With cremation services in Tennessee, all completed paperwork is carefully reviewed and the deceased has a permanent identification tag placed with them to ensure that the cremated remains you ultimately receive are indeed your deceased loved one. By state law, only one body at a time can be cremated so there is no chance of a mix-up. So with Tennessee cremation services, the identification tag is removed only during the cremation itself. Once time in the cremation chamber is completed and the remains have cooled, the identification tag is placed with the remains.
You have the choice, as next of kin, to receive your loved one's cremated remains in a temporary container provided by the crematory or in an urn chosen in advance. Before cremation services in Tennessee are performed, it would be wise to consider what you plan to do with the remains. If the goal is to eventually scatter the cremated remains or ashes in a special place, the temporary container might suffice. However, if you choose to keep the remains in your home, bury them in a cemetery plot or even store them in a niche within a religious vault or columbarium, an urn is definitely the wise decision to choose.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy in Regards to Scattering Cremated Remains
There are no explicitly stated rules in regards to scattering your deceased loved one's ashes after Tennessee cremation services. It is suggested that if you want to scatter the ashes on private land that you get permission from the landowner. With public land, it would be wise to consult with local government to see whether or not a special permit is needed for that city, town, county or district before cremation services in Tennessee. State or public park lands are popular choices and most of them just ask that you be respectful. For instance, do not scatter ashes within 100 yards of well-traveled paths and roads.
You do have some alternatives to scattering the cremated remains of your loved one. While planning cremation services in Tennessee, look into any memorial gardens or areas that allow you to scatter or bury the ashes on their grounds. In remembrance, the ashes could be placed within a piece of furniture or a structure such as a statue or bench. If several loved ones wanted a memento of the deceased, some ashes could be sent to a jewelry company that makes commemorative jewelry pieces. This option would require some planning during the course of the Tennessee cremation services.
While the paperwork is not difficult to fill out, it is easier to plan a deceased loved one's cremation services in Tennessee with some professional consulting help of a funeral specialist. Their job is to anticipate any problems and deal with legalities so that you can concentrate on the living - the family and friends that are hurting just as much as you. Take comfort that with Tennessee cremation services, your deceased loved one is handled with respect and honor.
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. 
