Why Do Funerals Cost More Than Cremation?

Funeral homes in Seattle, WA are there to help people meet final needs. While no one wants to think about losing a loved one, it will happen to everyone at some point or another. Death is a part of life and it’s important to address certain things about those final services when you have to plan one for someone you love. There are two main services to consider: funerals or cremation services. Both are honorable and respectful so there’s really no wrong choice, whichever way you go. But funerals do cost more than cremation services—why is that? There are many more services that funerals require, and here are a few that will drive up the price differences. 

The Need For A Cemetery Plot 

When you decide on a funeral, you will have to have a cemetery plot for your loved one’s burial. That’s the only option for a final resting place following a traditional funeral. Cemeteries charge for those plots, as well as for opening and closing them, any permits they need, maintenance fees, and so on. Those charges are going to drive up the cost of the service beyond what a cremation service would cost. 

The Casket Options 

You will also have to have a casket for your loved one to be buried in, as well as a vault that will go around that casket in the ground to protect it. While not every casket is hugely expensive, there is still a cost to even a basic casket. Those costs will be above what you would have to spend on a cremation service, or even for an urn, since the materials alone will be larger in cost than they would be for an urn. 

The Traditional Service Location 

You can have a memorial service after cremation for free in a park or family member’s home, but there are only certain places that you can hold a funeral, and those places are going to cost for having the service. You can have a funeral in a church or the funeral home, among a few other select locations. The location will likely cost, as will transporting your loved one, and there will be other costs involved with the services as well.

The Optional Embalming Process 

While embalming is an optional process, most people have their loved ones embalmed for funeral and visitation services. This process must be done by professionals and takes expensive chemicals that will drive up the costs as well. It is usually a good idea for open caskets so your loved one will look as much like they did in life as possible. 

Funeral and cremation services are both completely honorable, respectful service options and that is why funeral homes in Seattle, WA have both available to family members who need such services. If you want to have a funeral, Edline-Yahn & Covington Funeral Chapel is there to give you the price lists and options that will allow you to get what you want for your loved one’s final services.