Choosing An Urn

Choosing an urn for cremation is a complex process. Blair Mazzarella Funeral Home understands as we speak daily with bereaved relatives. You may have many questions concerning the topic that much more likely haven't occurred to you yet.

Quick Tips For Choosing An Urn

We hope this advice will help you select an appropriate urn for a cremation.

1. Think About The Burial Site

Before deciding on an urn style, grieving families should consider where they intend to lay the cremated remains of a loved one. What are your plans for the urn? Will you bury it, keep it at home/in a niche, or spread the ashes?

Since the urn is just a placeholder, you may want to check out the options for scattering urns/scattering tubes, water burial urns, or more affordable urns. If the urn is going to be "on view" in your house, you might want to focus on its aesthetics. If the urn is going to be put in a columbarium niche, it must be the right size for the niche.

2. Select The Correct Size

Think about the size and storage space available. An urn suitable for an adult is the most common option. Ashes of a person weighing up to about 220 pounds can be placed in an adult urn no later than a day after the cremation. When ashes are shared between a large group of individuals or among youngsters, medium-sized urns are required.

Keepsake urns are intended for holding only a small portion of cremated remains as a memorial. There are urns made to their specifications (over 6 feet tall) for those who are very tall or robust in build. Before deciding on an urn, finding the exact dimensions of the niche at the church or columbarium where the urn will be placed is essential.

3. Choosing An Urn Style Or Material

Many materials, including marble, wood, and brass, create urns. Most individuals select a cremation urn for its aesthetic appeal, whether it be the classic style of a metal urn, the homey feel of a wooden box, or the regal air of natural marble.

Browse our selection of glass, ceramic, and raku urns if you require a one-of-a-kind or artistically-decorated urn. If you value durability, go for marble or cultured marble. If you are taking a flight? Pick an urn made of anything that can be scanned by x-ray (wood/paper/cultured marble).

You may find comfort in the smallest of things that serve as reminders of a lost loved one. You may add a special touch to many urns by engraving them with a name or a piece of art.

For more information about choosing an urn, our customized funeral services, or help with preplanning your funeral, contact Blair Mazzarella Funeral Home.