A Guide to Buying the Right Urn
An urn is a vessel that is used for storing the ashes of the departed and you can easily buy them online from trupointmemorials.com. While some prefer to scatter the ashes after cremation, some prefer to keep the entire or a part of the ashes as a keepsake. The urn can be kept in the house, family chapel, or any other place the person was associated with. Sometimes, the urn is also buried in the ground. What kind of urn you would buy depends entirely on the last wishes of the departed person or how you want to commemorate them. If you are not familiar about this, you can always search online to know more about affordable cremation services and if you can keep the urn of your beloved.
Here is a guide on how and where to buy an urn locally, as recommended by experts like Gary P Cubeta from Insurance for Final Expense.
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Material of the Urn
Choosing the suitable material for the urn is very important as it affects how you will store it. If you want to store the urn in your house, on a shelf, or on top of the fireplace, perhaps, then get a metal urn- one made of stainless steel, brass, bronze, or copper.
They come in carved engravings and look very poetic, despite their material exterior. Unbreakable ceramic is also a good option. The metal body will prevent the urn from shattering if you happen to tip it over during your home cleaning sessions.
On the other hand, if you are storing the urn away in a vault or a corner of a chapel, you can opt for more traditional urns made of marble, porcelain, granite. If you want to bury the ashes, choosing an urn made of wood or natural resin is a good idea since they are biodegradable.
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Size of the Urn
Choose an urn that matches the height, width, and diameter of the final resting place of the urn. Some churches or columbariums have specific measurements of the niches where the urns are to be kept. Or, if you are keeping the urn in a vault or if you are burying it in a family cemetery plot, even then, you should find out about the space available to fit the urn inside comfortably.
On the other hand, if the ashes are divided among siblings, you could buy several miniature urns to store the ashes in parts instead of investing in one large urn. One of the best things about purchasing an urn locally is measuring it precisely before buying it.
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The Capacity of the Urn
Depending on how much ash you will store or scatter away or the distance it takes to bring the ashes from the crematorium to the resting place, choose an urn that can hold the entire volume of ashes. Urns are usually available in sizes of 300 ml to 4500 ml.
The largest urn can hold up to 4 liters of ashes, and this is what the remains of an adult would generate. If you plan to store the ashes in their entirety, then this is a good size. Likewise, you can buy smaller ones if you want to divide the ashes or scatter some of them.
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Customization
When buying an urn locally, you can find out if you can have it customized to your liking. You can have the urn monogrammed with the departed person’s initials or the family crest. Or, you could have it engraved with some motif that had some special meaning for the person who passed away.
You can also buy unique, handmade ceramic urns that come with intricate patterns and motifs, and you can order them in colors or patterns of your choice. Urns today are available in many unique shapes like conical, spherical, or even cylindrical, and complete with the customizations, they look unique indeed.
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Cost of the Urn
The cost of the urn is a concern since most classic materials can come with a steep price tag. However, you can get some affordable metal urns too. Usually, the price of an urn would depend on factors like the finish, the size, the material, and the glaze. Customizations would cost extra.
Moreover, handmade ones are even more expensive than the dice-made conveyor belt-made ones. Try to find out about the costs from the local store. If you are ordering something a little out of the ordinary, then ask if there would be additional shipping charges over the standard costs.
If you are thinking of where to buy an urn locally, you should look at funeral homes or consult insurance advisors like Gary P. Cubeta from Insurance for Final Expenses. The urn is the final way of showing your respect to departed souls, and you will get all the assistance you need.