Can you Attend a Direct Cremation?

When people book cremation services in Phoenix, AZ, for a loved one, they often imagine themselves standing beside the casket as it’s placed in the crematory. But can you attend a direct cremation?

The short answer is no. But that doesn’t mean it is always no, or that there aren’t other meaningful ways to honor your loved one.

Why you can’t attend a direct cremation

A direct cremation is a simple form of the disposition method that happens with zero fanfare or services. It is a more straightforward alternative to traditional cremation, where funeral homes allow families to be present in the room during the cremation.

The way it works, once you’ve made your arrangements with the direct cremation provider (which you can even do remotely), the rest is in their hands.

They will collect your loved one from their home or hospital, transport them to the crematorium, and complete the cremation. Once it’s complete, the ashes are returned to you.

As you can see, the process does not leave room for witnessed cremation. But that is not the only reason.

Because of the no-frills nature of direct cremation, many funeral homes choose to process the body outside of peak crematorium hours. The crematory is closed to guests, allowing the technicians to work without distractions.

This is with the caveat that every funeral home has its own rules and policies outside the industry’s standards. While the answer is likely to be no, there is nothing wrong in asking the crematory’s director if you can be present during the cremation.

And if they deny your request, there are other ways to memorialize and say your final farewell.

Other ways to honor a loved one

There are different reasons to witness the cremation of a loved one, including a desire to perform funeral rites like a traditional burial.

However, one of the benefits of direct cremation is you can honor their memory however you please after receiving the ashes.

You are not beholden to a timetable or ceremonial structure. You can take your time and give faraway relatives a chance to make travel arrangements.

It might be impossible to attend the cremation itself, but these are some of the other ways to honor your loved one’s remains and memory —

• Scatter their ashes at their favorite location. This could either be on land, from an airplane, or over the ocean.
• Inter their ashes in a columbarium niche or mausoleum. You can also bury the ashes in the ground at a cemetery.
• Keep their ashes in a dedicated space in your home. You can buy a personalized urn or make one yourself for this purpose.
• Turn their ashes into keepsake jewelry or memorial art like paintings, vinyl records, or tattoos.

If they left specific instructions on how they wish to be remembered, you could do that too. The most important thing is that the choice feels right for you and your family.

Another reason families wish to attend a direct cremation is the desire to see their loved ones treated with dignity. Hence, it is crucial to choose a direct cremation provider with an excellent reputation.

Well, that’s us. We’ve been offering cremation services in Phoenix, AZ, for years, and the families we serve always come first. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we make the direct cremation process easy and comfortable.