Where families can go for answers.
Print and share this planning guide with family, friends and your funeral director as you finalize your plans.
Burial
Burial provides a permanent place for future visitation. Depending on the type of urn being buried, you may be required to use an urn vault to prevent the grave from settling and help with general gravesite maintenance and appearance. Urn vaults are available in a variety of materials including cultured granite, metal, concrete and composite materials or a combination of materials. Urn vaults are available with a variety of interiors, including smooth or textured finishes as well as fabric choices. Urn vault styles are available that can be personalized to help honor your loved one.
Monuments and Grave Markers
Also called headstones, grave markers are used in cemeteries to memorialize and identify the gravesite of the person who has died. To personalize the funeral service, you may want to personalize the grave marker. You can include a poem, a drawing or a short phrase that defines the person who died.
Monuments and grave markers are available in a variety of materials, including natural stone, concrete and bronze. Styles can range from very simple to very ornate as single markers or companion monuments.
Cemetery Plots
Cemetery Burial
Perhaps your family already owns a cemetery plot where the person who has died will be buried. If not, maybe you’ve noticed a nice local cemetery. Your funeral director will know which cemeteries are nearby and would best meet your needs. He or she can help you purchase cemetery plots appropriate to your needs.
Traditionally, families have chosen to bury their loved ones in a cemetery. With the growing number of cremations, more families are choosing to bury the cremated remains as a way to provide a permanent place for future visitation.
Entombment also takes place at a cemetery. It is placement of the casketed body in an above-ground structure called a mausoleum. When a casket is entombed, it is placed in an enclosure (called a crypt) and the front is usually sealed and faced with either marble or granite.
Many families choose burial or entombment at a nearby cemetery because it allows them to visit the gravesite as often as they would like. This helps them continue to feel close to the person who died, while still acknowledging they have died.
Because so many aspects should be considered when purchasing a cemetery lot, you may want to consider discussing the options in advance. Questions you may want to consider include:
- Does the lot meet my religious requirements?
- Are there any restrictions I need to consider based on the type of monument or burial vault?
- Does the lot include perpetual care and maintenance?
- Are lots available in the same location to provide for burial of the entire family?
