An urn is the vessel or container used to hold cremated remains for the funeral, memorial service or internment. Families may also choose to keep the urn at home as a visual tribute to the memories of the one that has died. The styles, shapes and materials that urns are made from provide the opportunity to match the characteristics of the urn to the personality of the loved one it will be used to memorialize. Funeral service providers have access to urns made of marble, stone, natural materials, beautiful hardwoods, semi-precious metals, and synthetic materials that are crafted into simple profile shapes with a distinct look or an elegant hand crafted classic design – all unique in their own way.
Urns have become more innovative than the traditional round or square styles to shapes of objects that are very popular in our lives today and provide choices such as sports topics, striking art and nature concepts, music box and candle type, military service, motor sports, and an array of keepsake jewelry. More and more families are choosing to keep a small portion of the cremains with them either at home in a companion urn or in a beautiful piece of keepsake jewelry or keychain. Fashion styles of cremation jewelry grant an ongoing tribute to a loved one with the personal connection of a charm or locket. Scattering has been a very popular tribute for years where the cremains are ceremonially spread at a favorite site that was significant to the person or a place that has special meaning to the family. When the location is visited again, memories are filled with special thoughts that can have an individual meaning to each family member.
Unique urns for ashes are made of materials that dissolve into the water and are green friendly for water and sea burials. These urns can be kept safely at home until a location is chosen at sea or where it will breakdown naturally in the earth. When choosing cremation as a form of entombment, the family may decide on a niche in a mausoleum within a cemetery. Walls of the mausoleum have niches to hold urns, and are sealed closed for security and peace of mind. Visiting a cemetery can be appropriate in remembering a loved one and the niche would be engraved with names, dates of birth and death.
No matter what kind or style, the ultimate in personalization can be the engraving and inscriptions about the deceased on the urn. Elegant script or hand painted porcelain portraits can signify in detail the thoughts of a loved one with a special verse, message or picture. Biodegradable urns made of sand can have shapes sculpted from the sand as a part of the urn or stones attached that symbolize the solace of nature. Cremation is a popular choice within the funeral services of today and the urn can be a very personal way to create a lasting tribute of a loved one or family member.
