Bereaved families often follow two basic steps: get a death certificate, and then arrange for a funeral. However, today, there are those who choose to break this tradition of organising a memorial service and opt for direct cremation or direct burial, without a ceremony.
Although there are many reasons why some families choose this, here are the most basic ones.
- Because of financial reasons
The traditional way of commemorating a loved one’s passing is becoming less common, largely due to its high cost. To mitigate the financial burden of funeral expenses, many individuals opt to set aside a specific amount of money when creating a will. This serves a dual purpose: it ensures there are ample funds for a dignified farewell, and it also aids in potentially avoiding probate in Florida or their place of residence.
However, it’s important to note that this approach is viable for those who have the financial means to allocate for their end-of-life expenses. For those who may not have the resources to do so, a direct burial becomes a more affordable option. This alternative is less elaborate than a traditional wake, requiring fewer preparations and incurring fewer fees. There are also fewer fees. People would just have to look for coffins for sale instead. That is a great way of ensuring that your loved ones are able to rest comfortably.
- It is an escape from grief
Many would agree that seeing the body of the loved one is the most difficult part of a wake, especially if it is an open coffin ceremony. Direct burial or cremation, therefore, prevents the family and other invited loved ones from seeing the body, which, in a way, provides relief and an escape from grief.
Of course, there will be mourning, but having the body directly cremated or buried allows the bereaved to cope perhaps faster because the process needed to arrange for such is much shorter. Funeral service providers like Your Funeral Choice can get this arranged within just a few days, as opposed to arranging for a memorial service, which takes longer.
- It prevents the cancellation of a succeeding event
Some families who opt for direct burial or cremation choose to do so to prevent the cancellation of an event that has been scheduled to occur even before the death. In other words, these families do not wish to postpone any presumably joyful succeeding event because of the expected or otherwise death of a loved one.
- It allows a grief free “celebration”
There have been stories of families choosing to skip a memorial service so that they can commemorate the death of a loved one in a happier and joyful way, like a send-off, instead of in a mournful manner. There have been reports of families dressing up as the favourite characters of the departed, to honour the personality of the grieved. Such families might also be interested in preparing beautiful gravestones and memorials to celebrate the life of the departed to the fullest of their capabilities, instead of hosting a funeral that dwells on the sadness of the moment.
- Other personal reasons
Famous people like English singer and songwriter David Bowie requested, before their death, to not have a funeral. There are many underlying reasons behind this, which may be a combination of the aforementioned, or completely personal, which only his family and their loved ones know.
There is a continuing shift in the way some milestones and life events are celebrated or commemorated. Because there are no laws governing tradition, it is mainly up to the person and the family whichever way they see fit to remember the death of a precious person in their lives.
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