Caskets

Cremation Urns

Cemeteries

Burial Vaults

Alternative Resting Places

Embalming

Cremation Caskets

Most crematories require that the body be enclosed in a cremation casket or other acceptably rigid container, which must be strong enough to assure the protection of the health and safety of the operator.

The container should provide a proper covering for the body and meet standards of respect and dignity for the deceased. Some crematories will accept metal caskets, but most require that the casket or container be fashioned of a combustible material. The body is cremated in the same enclosure in which it arrives at the crematory.

Wood caskets are ideal for cremation. They are made of natural material that is befitting the nature-oriented or environmental concerns of many of the people who choose cremation. They are approved as a combustible container for the cremation chamber as well.

Your funeral professional will be happy to show you the wide selection of high-quality cremation containers available. You may also choose from a variety of urns in styles and materials to suit personal tastes.

Many families that opt to have their loved ones cremated rent a casket from the funeral home for the visitation and funeral, eliminating the cost of buying a casket. If you opt for visitation and cremation, ask about the rental option.

For those who choose a direct cremation without a viewing or other ceremony where the body is present, the funeral provider must offer an inexpensive unfinished wood box or alternative container, a non-metal enclosure - pressboard, cardboard or canvas--that is cremated with the body.

Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, funeral directors who offer direct cremations: may not tell you that state or local law requires a casket for direct cremations, because none do; must disclose in writing your right to buy an unfinished wood box or an alternative container for a direct cremation; and must make an unfinished wood box or other alternative container available for direct cremations.