Choosing Your Loved One's Urn

By: Matthew Funeral Home
Monday, July 22, 2024

When choosing an urn for your loved one’s cremated remains, there are many aspects to consider. Urns come in an array of shapes, sizes, colors, styles, and materials. It can be difficult to figure out which one will be right for your family member. Your funeral director will be able to help you pick the right urn for your loved one. 

Urn Sizes

Urns come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Some are large and vase-like; while others are compact cubes. Most urns are made to fit the average amount of cremains. If you have decided to place the urn in a niche in a cemetery columbarium, you should see what constrictions they require. Otherwise, the size you pick should be one that can fit comfortably in your home while properly storing your loved one’s ashes. 

Most urns will come in a variety of standard sizes. Adult-sized urns will cover most people. Larger-framed or taller individuals may need an extra large-sized urn. Medium urns are most often used for keeping a loved one’s ashes divided among several family members. 

Lastly, keepsake urns are small urns meant to hold only a small amount of ashes. A family that wants to scatter the ashes of a loved one might also keep a small portion of their loved one’s ashes at home in a keepsake urn.

Urns For Display or Function

If you plan on displaying the urn in your home, then you should pick an attractive, but respectful urn. Urns are often displayed at home on a mantle,  on a shelf, or maybe on your dresser. The urn you choose to display in your home should be solemn and beautiful. Many urns are meant to be displayed in this fashion. 

On the other hand, there is a wide variety of urns simply meant to serve the purpose of holding remains. Some of these may be buried or placed in a columbarium. These urns are often more plain but still well-crafted. 

Engravings

Many urns can be engraved to display your loved one’s name and more. You can have the urn itself bare the engraving, or you have the information placed onto an attached placard. Your loved one’s name, birth date, death date, a quote, or even an image can be added to an urn via engraving. 

Materials

Urns come in a variety of materials. Brass, ceramic, wood, and marble are generally the most common choices. Glass and aluminum urns have become more popular in recent years, too. Each urn material has its pros and cons, but marble is a common choice. Marble urns can be engraved without worrying about the carvings wearing down. They are very durable. A marble urn can also be buried at a grave rather than in an urn vault; depending on the cemetery’s rules. Ceramic, wood, and marble urns can come in a variety of colors. Some will have engraved designs on them as well. 
If you plan on taking the urn on a plane, such as to scatter the ashes or bring them home with you, make sure that you pick an urn that can be x-rayed. Wood and marble can be x-rayed, whereas most metal urns cannot.

Keepsake Jewelry Urns

Keepsake jewelry urns are a way to keep your loved one with you at all times. Often, these are pendants, bracelets, or rings with a hollow pocket to house a small amount of a loved one’s ashes. A family may wish to give several relatives a keepsake piece after a loved one’s death. It is a way to honor your loved one’s memory and keep them in your thoughts.

For over 50 years, Matthew Funeral Home has been serving the Staten Island community. We can help with almost every aspect of your loved one’s memorial service. Our family is here to serve yours, every step of the way.

Leave a comment
Name*:
Email:
Comment*:
Please enter the numbers and letters you see in the image. Note that the case of the letters entered matters.

Comments

Please wait

Previous Posts

Grief and Tragic Backstories in Media

From superheroes to romantic comedies, many movies and TV shows rely on tragedy to help us connect or sympathize with characters. Grief of some form, or a tragic past leads a character on a path. E...

Alcohol Use and Coping with Grief

While in grief, many people turn to things that can comfort or distract them. It is not uncommon for some people to reach for alcohol in this way. For many people, alcohol can serve as a way to avo...

Apathy and Grief

On this blog, we often talk about how grief is a complicated emotion, and how everyone experiences it differently. However, we don’t often talk about grief and apathy. Apathy is a state of numbness...

Etiquette for Donating In a Loved One's Name

Some individuals or their families request donations to charity in place of flowers during the bereavement period. Most families will appreciate the donation in their loved one’s name. Especially i...

Grief and Losing Online Friends

In our technology-based world, more and more people have developed friendships completely in cyberspace. Consistent communication with gaming partners, online community members, and more allows us ...

Sending Sympathy Meals to a Loved One

When a friend or family member passes away, it is a common practice to send sympathy meals to the immediate family. Sympathy meals show your support for the family while providing them with food. W...

Validating Feelings of Grief

Grief is one of the most complex and misunderstood emotions for people to experience. One way to help your loved one cope with their grief is to validate their feelings. Supporting a loved one who ...

When a Loved One Receives a Terminal Diagnosis

When a loved one finds out that they have a terminal illness, it can be overwhelming to navigate the next steps. It can be difficult to know where to start. Preparations for care, end-of-life servi...

Preplanning: Taking Charge of Your Own Funeral

There are many reasons to preplan your funeral, from mitigating costs to making your funeral easier for your loved ones upon your passing. But one important aspect of preplanning your funeral is es...

When is Grief Good?

Grief can make us feel like a great weight rests on our shoulders. Grieving can be a challenging, and often overwhelming, experience. Although grief is brought upon us by loss and sorrow, is it tru...