Blog | Baldauff Family Funeral Home

Q&A On Direct Cremation

If you are in the process of planning a direct cremation service in Lake Helen, FL for a loved one, or for yourself in advance, there are certain questions you might have. You certainly aren’t alone. Many people who go through the planning process have the same questions. Getting answers can help you make the best decisions for yourself and your family. Here are some of the answers, along with the questions, to help you get started down whatever path is right for you.

Is Direct Cremation The Most Cost-Effective Route?

Yes. Cremation is the least expensive disposition method and of the types under the cremation umbrella, direct cremation is the most cost-effective and has the lowest bottom line. Much of this is because there are very few products and services that go into the process, which cuts back on the cost quite a bit.

How Long Does Cremation Take?

Once the cremation process begins, it takes only a few hours for the body to be turned into ash-like remains. The intense heat (not flames) reduces the body into its basic elements. The height and weight of the person can change how long it takes, but generally, it’s only a few hours.

What Do People Wear For Cremation?

Cremation can be done with people wearing a variety of things. They can be placed into a cremation casket with nothing on, with a cremation gown on, with an outfit of their family’s choosing, or something brand new the family has purchased. As long as there aren’t certain elements on the clothes (like metal or plastic), it can be worn for the process.

Can Family Members Watch Cremation?

Often, yes, but that all depends on the cremation provider you choose. To avoid confusion, ask upfront before you commit to a cremation with a certain provider and find out later the family cannot view the cremation, but really wants to.

What Are Cremated Remains Like?

Remains are ground down after the cremation process and look much like ashes from a fireplace. They are coarse, like sand, and range in color from white to gray. They generally weigh anywhere from 4-8 pounds, depending on the person’s height and weight.

What Cremation Container Does The Provider Use?

The provider will use whatever urn you choose for your loved one’s remains, if you’d like. Otherwise, they will provide you with a simple container, like a box, for the remains.

If you have more questions about cremation services in Lake Helen, FL, that’s perfectly understandable. Contact the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory by calling (386) 775-2101. Don’t hesitate in asking us anything and everything you want to know. You can also visit with us in person at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL. We’d be happy to take you on a tour of our facility and talk through any other details you want to clear up. We want you to get the cremation you need for your loved one or for yourself as part of final plans. We’re here to help you through the planning process and beyond.

Funeral Homes Can Help With Urn Vaults

If you have decided to cremate a loved one, your funeral home in Lake Helen, FL can help you with every detail from start to finish. There are a lot of choices to make regarding the remains or ashes that will come back to you after cremation takes place. You can buy an urn and keep it at home, scatter ashes, place them in jewelry, or bury them. If you decide to bury the urn in a cemetery plot, you might want to consider getting a vault for the urn. The funeral home can help with that as well. Here are a few things they can help you recognize:

Urn Vaults Might Be Required

You probably don’t know nearly as much about cemetery rules as funeral homes do so your representatives can help you understand the rules. It’s possible that some cemeteries will require the urn to be placed in a vault before it is buried. You wouldn’t have a choice in that case. Even if you do have a choice, there are good reasons to include a vault in the burial process.

Vaults Are Protective In Nature

A lot of things happen underground as the years go by and a vault around the urn that contains your loves one’s ashes can protect them. The vault will act as a go between around the dirt, water, and other things that happen underground. There’s a lot of heavy equipment that goes around in cemeteries as well and the vault can help safeguard the urn from anything that happens around it.

Customizing Is Possible

Just as you can get an urn that is custom in nature, you can also get an urn vault with custom measures. You can get different materials and styles to make the vault more fitting to your loves one’s personality and style.

Costs Are Varied

As is true with the urns, there is a variety of costs available within the urn vault region. You can get vaults that cost the same as or less than an urn or you can get something way more expensive, all depending on what you want. There are enough options that anyone can find something to fit into their budget. And the funeral home can help fit you to the right vault for your needs and cost straights.

If you are looking into funeral homes in Lake Helen, FL, the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help you with all of your final service needs from start to finish. We can do cremation, of course, but we will also help you with finding the right urn and choosing an urn vault, if you so desire. We’re located at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL and we can show you some urns and vaults in person. You don’t have to purchase those products from us, however, and we can help point you in the right direction for what you want. You can also call with questions and for details at (386) 775-2101.

Questions To Ask Before Committing To A Cremation Service Provider

If you have decided that you want cremation services in Daytona Beach, FL for your own final disposition method, that’s a huge first step to make in planning your services in advance. However, next, you will want to find a cremation service provider so you can get your plans written down and ready for your family in the future. Before you commit to a certain provider, ask the following questions to ensure they are the right provider for your needs.

What Services Do You Have?

Before you assume the cremation provider has the services you want, ask! You don’t want to promise your cremation to them and then find out they don’t do something you really want. That’s a pain for you to have to switch to a new provider. Find out what services they have and get general price lists and packages so you can forego this headache later.

Can My Family Witness The Cremation?

If you know your family will want to see the cremation take place, or you think they might, you will want to see if that is an option. If it’s an option you want to at least have available to them, make sure the provider has it as a choice. If you don’t need that option, it doesn’t matter, and you don’t need to ask.

How Are The Deceased Handled?

You want a cremation provider that takes the utmost care with the individuals who have passed away. They should talk about how they transport people, how they are cared for before the cremation takes place, how they are treated during cremation, and how the remains are collected and stored after. You want to know all of those details to ensure they have the processes in order to take the kind of care of you that you deserve and want.

If I Pay Now, Do Prices Increase Later?

Most cremation providers will allow you to pay for your cremation in advance by utilizing today’s prices. They will not charge your family more later if the prices rise in the future. But it is a good question to ask to ensure that is the case. If you want your family free of burdens, you don’t want a provider that is going to charge them fees to make up the difference in the future.

If you are ready to move forward with cremation services in Daytona Beach, FL, the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to answer these and any other questions you have for us. We understand your plans are important to your future and to your family. Visit us in person at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763 and we can help you get things in order. You can also call first, ask questions, and get some ideas to talk over with your family before you move forward. You can reach us at (386) 775-2101 and we’ll help you in any way we can.

What Funeral Homes Provide To Plan Cremation

When you are looking into pre-planning your own final services with funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL, you might guess that there are going to be certain paperwork elements involved. The good news is that your professionals at the funeral home can help you with any step involved in the process, so you have everything you want lined up and ready to go. Here are a few things they will provide to help you get things in order.

Price And Package Lists

Before you make any decisions, you will want to know what package options the funeral home has and what prices are involved. They should be completely transparent about that. The packages are all-inclusive and provide everything you absolutely have to have for a cremation. However, you can also customize anything you’d like or change things around. One thing many people change is the simple container the funeral home uses for remains. Instead, they like to buy an urn of their choice and that’s fine. You can use the price lists to forge your way through any changes you want to make.

Vital Information Document

The funeral home will want to know all of your vital information so they can keep a record of it and have it on file so they can process the death certificate when the time comes. The cremation can’t move forward after you pass on until the death certificate is issued in an official manner. These details will include your statistics, like your full name, social security number, birth date, and so on.

Appointment Form

This form will allow the funeral home to carry out the cremation when the time comes. Your family will have consent forms to fill out as well, but this form is your way of saying that you appoint the funeral home to do this process for you. It’s a necessary form that they can provide and keep on file for the future.

Ideas And Suggestions

Once you have some of the basics worked out, the funeral home can also provide you with ideas and suggestions based on things that seem to interest you. If you might want to set up a memorial service, they can offer suggestions that might appeal to you. They won’t make decisions for you, of course, but can help you weed out ideas you like from those you don’t.

If you are ready for pre-planning, funeral homes in Daytona Beach, FL, like Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here to help. We want you to have your plans in place so you can have peace of mind that your family has nothing to worry about when your time comes. They will know what you want and won’t have the burden of planning themselves. Visit us and take a tour at 1233 Saxon Blvd, Orange City, FL 32763, or start out by calling with questions at (386) 775-2101. We’re here to help you plan, however fast or slow you want to take the process.

Cremation Services Are The Right Choice If…

If you are going back and forth as to what final services you should plan for your loved one, it can definitely be a hard decision to make. Keep in mind that both main final disposition methods are perfectly respectful and honorable. If you choose cremation Services in Deland, FL, you can feel good about the choice you have made on behalf of your loved one if the following items are true.

Your Family Agrees To It

If you aren’t sure what your loved one wanted, but your family is completely agreeable towards cremation, it’s the right choice for you. You want to make sure your family is okay with the option you move forward with and cremation will feel like the better choice if everyone agrees to it.

It’s What You Can Afford

You don’t want your loved one’s final services to be about costs, but those definitely have to play a role in what you decide. Traditional burials are going to be more expensive so if cremation is what you can afford, it’s the right choice. There’s nothing wrong with choosing this disposition because of costs, either. It’s perfectly honorable and a good way to show your loved one the respect and dignity they deserve.

The Services Are Better Served By Cremation

If you want to have a memorial a month from now or you would like to have a celebration of life in a park for your loved one, cremation makes those goals easier to reach. There are certain services that simply go better with cremation and if you decide on services of those natures, cremation is the best option. Grief is hard to take on alone and you don’t need to go at it alone.

You Know Your Loved One Was Okay With It

Whether they indicated that they wanted cremation for sure or not, if you at least knew that your loved one was okay with the idea of cremation, that can make it the right option for your family. It’s hard to guess what someone wanted if they never really said, but if your loved one attended the cremations of friends and mentioned that the services were nice and they never directly opposed it, you can feel more comfortable choosing it for them.

When you are ready to work on cremation Services in Deland, FL for a loved one, the professionals at Baldauff Family Funeral Home and Crematory are here for you. We won’t make any decisions for you, but we can lay out the options so you can make decisions based on what you feel is best for your family. Give us a call at (386) 775-2101 and we’ll give you the information you need to move forward. You can also set up a time to speak with our funeral director in person. You can tour our facilities as well at 1233 Saxon Blvd Orange City, FL 32763. We want to show you our compassion and support as you go through some of the harder times you will face. Visit our website for more information about us at Baldaufffuneralhome.com.