How Much Does a Cremation Urn Cost?

Memorial Cremations Urn

There are many things in life we simply don’t want to think about, and what happens to us or our loved ones after death is one of them. Despite that, we need to be aware of wishes and costs, to make the time much easier when it does unfortunately happen.

A cremation urn can cost anywhere from $10 to $250 depending upon your needs. Below I share some of my learnings about the cost for a cremation urn that will be helpful to you as you make your own decision.

Death comes to us all. While nobody wants to address the fact head on, being prepared will smooth the waters for your loved ones and make the grieving process easier. In addition, if you have someone close to you who is nearing the end of life, they may want to discuss their wishes with you. If cremation is the route you decide upon, there are many other sub-subjects to think about. Of course, if you’ve recently lost a loved one, commemorating them will be at the top of your list.

Cremation is often preferable to burial for many people, and this means that ashes can be kept in the home, close to family and friends. Of course, you need something to store the ashes in, and in this case, you’re looking at something called a cremation urn.

How Much Does a Cremation Urn Cost Overall?

It completely depends upon the urn itself as to the price is put on it. There are some decorative urns which are very low in cost, some under $10 even, however some more decorative pieces can cost anything up to and in excess of $250. It’s worth giving some thought to the amount of decoration you want on your urn, be it for your own ashes in the future, or the ashes of a recently passed loved one. Obviously, the more decoration, the higher the cost. The size also plays a part in how much the final price tag will be.

Some cemeteries will also ask you to purchase something called an urn vault. This is only necessary when you are burying the ashes in a cemetery itself. The vault is to protect the urn from damage whilst it is buried, and the cost can add anything up to $200 onto the cost of your urn. It doesn’t matter what type of urn you go for, the vault will be a flat cost according to that cemetery, and the amount of space your urn is going to take up.

How to Choose a Cremation Urn

There are several things you need to think about when you choose your urn. Firstly, you need to think about size. A regular urn is an adult sized creation urn and this will hold the ashes of a person who was adult sized, and weighed up to 220 lb in life. You could also op for a medium sized urn, if you’re going to divide the ashes between you and loved ones, e.g. if a parent dies and you want to keep some of the ashes in your home.

Another option is a smaller urn, called a keepsake urn. This is for when you are going to scatter most of the ashes, but you want to keep some for yourself at home. If the person is very tall or quite large, you can also find extra large sized urns. This would typically be for someone over 6 feet tall.

Size-wise, there is an industry standard which dictates the size of the urn, if you need a little help. This means that for every 1 lb of body weight, this will usually mean 1 cubic inch in terms of the amount of ashes. This should help you find the right sized urn.

Another thing to think about is design. You can find urns in various different materials, including wood, ceramic, and marble. It’s a good idea to spend some time researching designs and materials and go with one which makes the most sense to you. The brass urn is the most traditional, and this is one of the most popular as a result. You could also say that a marble urn has that regal look about it, which many people also flock towards. You could also go for glass, or ceramic, if you want something a little different.

Personalizing a Cremation Urn

Personalizing a cremation urn will really come to the fore when you’re going to keep it in your home. You can easily add in small details of your loved one, such as initials, engraving, symbols, anything which is important to you and your family, and which reminds you of your passed loved one with comfort.

Engraving can be on the urn itself, or it can be on a plate which is attached to the urn afterwards, usually around the neck of the urn, almost like a necklace. Some urns even have the capacity to include a photograph on the outside, and in that case you could choose a photo of just that person, or you could choose one of you and them together, or the entire family. It is personal choice and a personalisation option you can look into.

Of course, you don’t have to engrave things to personalize your urn, you can choose a colour which is specific to that person, a pattern, or a material that they loved. Basically it is about something which reminds you of that person and their likes and personality.

A Difficult Decision

Choosing a cremation urn is not something anyone wants to have to think about. In order to remember your loved one in the best possible way, it is something you do need to put some serious consideration into when the time comes. Choosing a urn which reflects their personality is the best way to remember them in the best possible way. Of course, the urn also needs to fit in with your decor if you are choosing to keep it in your home. In this case, colour and design is everything.

If you’re choosing to bury the urn, remember to check the price and dimensions of the urn in direct correlation with the guidelines set down by the cemetery. These vary from place to place, so we can only give you general advice. It’s simply best to talk to the cemetery in question and abide by their set down guidelines, to avoid problems and disappointment. This isn’t a time for extra stress and drama, so making sure that you’re abiding by guidelines is vital.

The range of urns offered will probably surprise you when you start to do your research. Once upon a time, this was simply about one color and one design, but nowadays you can choose an urn in a theme, e.g. flowers or sailing, and it can reflect the likes and passions of the person you are choosing to commemorate. You can also make sure that the urn you choose blends into your decor and becomes the pride of place piece, helping you to remember your loved one with the beautiful memories you’re sure to have in your mind.

Cremation Staff

We are a group of cremation and funeral professionals seeking to share our knowledge and help save you some time, some energy, and hopefully some money.

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