Category: Articles

The death of a close friend or relative can release feelings of loss and intense sadness. While adults may struggle to deal with these feelings, children can have an even harder time coping.

If you have recently lost a loved one, you may be concerned about how their death may impact the children in the family. Children can often struggle to understand death, so adults must be there to offer the support and guidance the child needs to overcome their loss. Below is a guide to some of the things you can do if you know a child who has lost a loved one.

1. Be Honest and Clear When Breaking the Bad News

Breaking the news of a death to a child can be extremely difficult. Because the news will likely be upsetting, you may be tempted to put off telling a child about the death.

However, you should never delay informing a child that a loved one has died. Any delay increases the risk that the child will discover the news from someone else or by accident, which could increase the level of trauma and distress they feel.

When breaking the news to a child, try not to sugar-coat the message by using vague terms such as saying that the person has passed away or gone to the other side. While using these terms may make you feel better, the terms might confuse a child who may take them literally.

If you do use a vague term, the child might fail to understand that the person has died. Instead, you should be honest and clear with the child, and you should not shy away from the words death or dead. Using these words will ensure the child understands what has happened.

2. Give Them Space, but Be Ready to Listen

Take the time to listen to how your child is feeling to be as supportive as possible. You should never presume that you know how the child is feeling. Instead, you should spend time sitting with the child so that they can explain their thoughts and feelings to you.

If the child does not feel ready to talk, you shouldn’t put any pressure on them to do so. Grieving for the loss of a loved one takes time, and you must respect this fact. By giving the child love and attention, you can help them to understand that you will be there for them when they are ready to talk.

3. Ask If They Want to Be Involved in the Funeral

You shouldn’t force a child to attend a funeral. Doing so could result in severe emotional harm. Equally, you should never prevent a child from attending a funeral service if they wish to do so.

A good starting point is to ask the child about the level of involvement they would like to have. If the child does want to be involved, they will likely come to understand some aspects of cremation or the funeral service. And by allowing them to play a small part, you can help them to deal with their grief.

For example, you could ask the child which types of flowers should be used as part of the funeral wreaths or perhaps to read a short poem or draw a picture for display during the service.

If you’d like to find out more about planning a cremation or funeral service, you should contact us today. Our dedicated staff will be happy to offer you help and support during this challenging and turbulent time, and we can help you as you help your child through the grieving process.

There are many reasons why families choose to keep a cremation urn outside. You may be considering it because your loved one was an outdoor enthusiast, or perhaps you just feel more comfortable keeping ashes out of the home.

Whatever your reason for purchasing an outdoor urn, it’s important that you buy one made from the right material. Wood urns may be a timeless and beautiful option for storing cremains, but wood is very sensitive to changes in moisture and temperature. This makes wooden urns unsuitable for outdoor placement. Thankfully, there are many other options available that are perfect for use outside.

If you’re in the process of selecting an urn for your outdoor memorial, here are the top three options to consider.

Metal Urns

Given that metal is such a durable and resistant material, it should come as no surprise that metal urns are one of the most common choices for outdoor memorial spaces.

One of the biggest benefits of metal urns is that they can hold their shape under large amounts of pressure. Alongside making them capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions, this strength also means metal urns can be buried underground without cracking or collapsing.

However, metal isn’t without its downsides. Popular choices like copper urns, brass urns, and lead urns will all gradually form a layer of rust, tarnish or patina over time, giving them a green or grey appearance. Some people find this natural reaction attractive, but if you would prefer your urn to keep its original colour for years to come, you will have to clean and wax it regularly.

If you’ll be keeping the urn in a cemetery urn garden and visiting it periodically, a stainless steel urn is a good choice because it will keep its original colouring with less frequent maintenance.

Stone Urns

The other most popular material outdoor urns are made from is natural stone. Like metal, stone comes in many varieties, and it’s strong enough to withstand the elements.

Many families opt for marble urns because of their natural, unique patterning. If you do choose marble, it’s a good idea to opt for a lighter colour (white, grey or beige) as dark marble will fade noticeably in the sun over time. For a stone urn with longer-lasting colour, opt for one made from slate or granite.

If you intend to bury a stone cremation urn outdoors, you may need to use a burial vault to stop any cracking or breakage. While stone may be strong above ground, some stone urns cannot withstand the pressure of being buried underground without a protective vault to protect them.

Memorial Rocks and Foliage

For families who would like to create an attractive, natural memorial garden around their loved one’s earn, another great option is a memorial rock or stump.

Usually crafted from resin, these memorial urns are made to look like boulders, tree stumps, and other natural features. Inside, however, they are hollowed out with space to store cremated remains. Since resin is highly durable and impervious to sun, these urns will remain looking their best for years to come.

Memorial rocks and foliage are the best option if you want something that blends effortlessly with the surrounding environment. When positioned near trees, flowers, or other rocks, they’ll be indistinguishable from the natural features in your memorial garden. This makes them a great choice for loved ones who were passionate about nature and gardening during their lifetime.

If you’re beginning the process of saying goodbye to a loved one and you need help with urns, cremation, and other funeral arrangements, contact Cremations Only for compassionate, experienced funeral services.

When you’re organising a funeral, you need someone to lead the service. While this was traditionally a role for religious representatives such as ministers or priests, this isn’t as much of a requirement today. As an alternative, more people choose non-religious celebrants to take charge of funeral services. For example, you can hire a celebrant to do this for you. Here, you can learn more about what celebrants are and how they can enhance your cremation service.

The Role of a Celebrant

Like any funeral celebrant, celebrants run the memorial service. They make sure that everything happens on time and in the right order. Celebrants can take on various roles based on how you want it to run. For example, they often talk about the person who has died, give readings and lead the mourners in any songs used during the service.

Unlike ministers or priests, they are non-religious. They don’t push a belief in a God or life after death but provide a scientific view on human existence. Therefore, if you hire a celebrant, they will lead the funeral service from a non-religious slant. Their sole focus is on celebrating the life of the person who has died.

The Benefits of Hiring a Celebrant

There are many reasons why a celebrant is ideal for your funeral plans. Here are just a few to consider:

You or the Deceased Aren’t Religious

If the person who died didn’t have a specific belief, then using this kind of celebrant makes sense. If the deceased didn’t attend church and wasn’t religious, then they may have requested a non-religious funeral.

Even if the deceased didn’t specify what they wanted, you may feel hypocritical giving them a service led by a religious representative if this goes against their beliefs. You may simply want to use the service as an opportunity to commemorate them and to close the chapter on their life before the cremation.

They Create a Personal, Intimate Environment

Also, many people find that a humanist ceremony is more personal and intimate than a religious one. While religious ceremonies include God and the afterlife, the sole focus of a humanist-led service is the deceased. People may be more comforted and may get better closure if the service feels like a fond farewell.

You also don’t need to worry if you hire a celebrant who didn’t know the deceased. Experienced celebrants are skilled in talking about people they never met. In fact, most rarely lead services for people they knew. It is the celebrant’s job to get to know the person they’ll be talking about before the service.

They Are Skilled in Highlighting the Life of the Deceased

Celebrants spend plenty of time with you talking about the deceased, so they can plan what to say during the service. As well as finding out relevant facts to mention in the eulogy, a good celebrant will listen to your stories and weave them into a unique speech that honours the deceased’s life and achievements.

So, for example, the celebrant may intertwine biographical details with stories, anecdotes and comments from family and friends about the deceased. The celebrant can gather these details in meetings or, if you prefer, will talk to you over the phone or by email.

If you’re unsure about certain details of parts of the deceased’s life, then ask the celebrant for a list of the basic biographical information they need before you meet with them. This gives you the chance to talk to other members of your family or friends who may be able to fill in gaps for you.

If you don’t know a celebrant and are worried about hiring someone you’ve never met or seen leading a service, then contact us at Cremations Only. We work with sympathetic and skilled celebrants who help you craft the perfect service for your loved one.

For many families, choosing and buying an urn is one of the most important and significant parts of planning a cremation and laying a loved one to rest. However, many people are unsure of when the best time to buy an urn is.

If you’re looking for guidance, here’s all you need to know about the two main time frames for buying a cremation urn.

Option 1: Buy the Urn Before You Need It

While some people aren’t comfortable with the idea of buying an urn before it’s needed, it can be a much less stressful option. The majority of people who buy urns in advance are those suffering from terminal illness or approaching their later stage of life. For these people, buying an urn in advance offers many benefits.

Why Buy in Advance?

Buying an urn in advance is often cheaper because there’s plenty of time to shop around and find a good deal. Since you won’t be in a rush to receive the urn, you also won’t need to pay extra for expedited shipping. On top of cost savings, buying an urn before it’s needed brings many people peace of mind. They take comfort in knowing that their families won’t need to go through the logistics of finding the perfect urn while they’re grieving.

What are the Downsides?

Of course, this option isn’t without its downsides. One of the main disadvantages is that it’s difficult to inscribe an urn purchased in advance. Most urns are inscribed with a loved one’s date of passing, but you can’t have this date inscribed while the person is still alive.

However, if you do choose to buy an urn in advance, you have a few solutions available: opt for no inscription, choose an urn that can be inscribed at a later date or decide on a general inscription with no date of passing.

Option 2: Buy the Urn When You Need It

People choose not to buy an urn in advance for many reasons. Some feel uncomfortable dealing with death before it happens, while others may not have the time or money to plan ahead. In other cases, a passing comes suddenly, leaving you to plan a funeral and cremation you didn’t expect.

Thankfully, buying an urn only when it’s needed isn’t uncommon, so you have multiple options to choose from if you find yourself in this scenario. The two most common options are to buy an urn from your funeral home or to buy one online.

Why Buy From the Funeral Director?

One of the easiest and most stress-free options is to buy an urn through your funeral director of choice. They will usually have an online or offline catalogue for you to browse through, and some funeral homes will have a selection of urns you can view in person. Funeral directors often have wholesale deals with urn suppliers, so you should be able to find an affordable option without difficulty.

Why Buy Online?

Alternatively, you can buy an urn online from an independent supplier. Expedited shipping can be costly, but you’ll have an infinite number of options to choose from. This makes online urn shopping the ideal for families in search of an urn that perfectly fits their loved one’s life and legacy.

What are the Pros and Cons?

Buying an urn after your loved one’s passing doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, gathering together with friends and family to select the perfect urn can be a helpful part of the healing process.

However, you should be aware that you may not be able to get a highly personalised urn on time if you don’t purchase in advance. Hand-crafted wood and ceramic urns, for example, can take over a month to produce.

If having an artisanal urn is important to you or you’re struggling to make a quick decision, you can often rent a temporary urn from your funeral director or agree to receive the cremains in a cardboard or plastic box to give you more time.

If it’s time for you to say goodbye to a loved one and you’re looking to begin the process of funeral arrangements and urn selection, Cremations Only can help. For experienced and compassionate funeral direction services, call us at 1300 311 747 or view our urns and funeral options online.

You have a lot of options when choosing flowers for your loved one’s casket spray. For some, choosing a set of flowers that look pretty is enough. You may also like to remember the person with their favourite flower. However, if you aren’t sure what to opt for, you may like to pick flowers that convey a specific meaning.

While not everybody is well-versed in flower language, you may be comforted knowing that your loved one is surrounded by flowers that are subtly tailored to them and their life. Here are a number of popular flowers and their meanings to guide you in your selection.

Lilies

Lilies — especially white lilies — are often seen at funeral services. They symbolise rebirth, which can be a comforting idea to those remembering the life of a loved one who has moved on. However, lilies can also symbolise motherhood and femininity, purity and a joy for life. If you wish to give the casket spray a unique feeling, you could choose lilies of brighter colours to reflect your loved one’s personality and vibrancy.

Roses

While often associated with romance, roses can also be a good choice for a casket spray — either alone or in a mixture of other flowers. These beautiful flowers are available in a wide variety of hues and shades, perhaps allowing you to select your loved one’s favourite colour.

Roses symbolise timelessness and love, which are pleasant associations as you remember somebody so important to you.

Gerberas

Gerbera daisies are beautiful, simple flowers that have a bright and happy appeal, adding a positive and warm tone to this celebration of your loved one’s life. They are somehow a less serious flower, perhaps suiting those with young and joyful spirits.

Different colours convey different meanings. Red is for love. Orange and yellow are for happiness and joie de vivre. Pink denotes admiration, perhaps of a romantic kind. And white symbolises youth and purity of spirit. These colours can be mixed together to speak best about your loved one.

Baby’s Breath

As part of a larger display, baby’s breath can make a pleasant contribution to your loved one’s casket spray. Most commonly seen in white, these flowers have a connotation of everlasting love and freedom — a fond message to send at this difficult time.

Zinnias

Vibrant, unusual and pretty, zinnias could be the perfect choice for a less sombre casket spray. In a mixture of colours, these flowers symbolise remembering and thinking of an absent friend and being grateful for your time together.

However, if you stick to a single colour, yellow zinnias denote remembering someone every day. Because these flowers are so colourful and warm, they are perhaps best suited for remembering those with larger-than-life personalities and warm spirits.

Periwinkles

These smaller pink- and purple-toned flowers may be a good addition to a broader display. The colours are soft enough not to disturb traditional whites and reds, but they may also fit in amongst brighter casket sprays.

Periwinkles are said to carry the message that your time with loved ones is precious and should be cherished. They also invite you to reminisce about those times gone by. This makes them the perfect accompaniment as you remember the person whose life you are celebrating.

Of course, the choices are limitless, and you can select any casket spray which best represents your loved one — but conveying some of these meanings, even in a subtle way, could be a nice way to guide your choices.

If you are seeking to discuss your cremation-only funeral arrangements with a compassionate and experienced company, please contact us at Cremations Only. We work with an amazing florist, and our caring and experienced funeral directors are on hand to advise you on all aspects of the process.