Planning a Meaningful Scattering Ceremony

It’s important to respect and honor a person’s wishes when it comes to how they wanted to be laid to rest. Some people want to be buried in a cemetery, next to the rest of their family members. Others may want to have their ashes interred in a columbarium niche. There are many people who want their cremated remains to be spread in a meaningful location. If your loved one has chosen cremation services near Evanston, IL, as their method of disposition, they may have wanted their ashes to be scattered. If this is the case, you can put together a special scattering ceremony in their honor. 

You’ll have to make plans according to where they wanted their ashes to be scattered. Depending on where you’re planning to go, you might have to get permission, or you may need to find out what kind of regulations there are for spreading ashes. Some people want their cremated remains to be spread at sea. This is always permitted, as long as you are able to take a boat to travel at least three miles away from the shoreline. The location can also partially dictate how many people can come. You might want to keep it small and intimate, with only you and a few other close family members in attendance. You might want to open the invitation to a larger group of people, allowing more loved ones to say goodbye. 

When it comes to the actual scattering itself, you can either have everyone take a small amount of ashes to scatter individually, or you might choose to do it all yourself while everyone else witnesses it. You can incorporate meaningful things into the scattering ceremony, like a special song, prayer, poem, or story. You might want to have a brief service prior to the scattering. You could have a special toast in their honor, or you could ask those present to step forward and share a memory of the departed. There are many different ways to personalize a scattering ceremony and make it a meaningful and memorable tribute to your loved one. If you are scattering their ashes at sea, you could purchase a biodegradable urn. These are made of eco-friendly materials that break back down into the environment in a natural way. You place the ashes inside and place the urn on the water, where it will briefly float and then gently sink to the bottom of the sea. 

These are just a few ideas that you can incorporate into your loved one’s scattering ceremony. This is a time for you and your family to say goodbye to your loved one’s remains, in a place that held meaning for them. It can be an opportunity for everyone to reminisce and share fond memories of the person who has passed. Your provider of cremation services near Evanston, IL, can give you guidance and offer any merchandise you might want to purchase. They can give you advice about where to go and how to go about scattering your loved one’s cremated remains. Then, you can take comfort in the fact that they have been returned to a place that they loved in life. Learn our company difference now.