Filling a cremation urn with a loved one's ashes can be either a daunting task or a helpful step in the process of letting go. In either case, the cremated remains need to be placed into the urn, so how does one go about this?
A few things to note:
- The remains will be given to you by the funeral home or crematorium in a plastic or cardboard "temporary urn", inside of which the remains will be contained in a plastic bag.
- Friends and family members are often willing or even eager to help.
- There are no bad questions; your funeral director, pastor, crematorium employee, and us at UrnsNW.com are willing to answer any questions you may have.
1. Ask your funeral professional to fill the urn
Once you receive the permanent cremation urn, simply take it in to your funeral professional and they will gladly fill the urn for you or help you with the process.
2. Ask a friend or family member to fill the urn
Often if you mention that you are not comfortable transferring the remains yourself, a family member or close friend may be glad to assist or even prefer to do it as a step in their own grieving process. Since each person processes the loss of a loved one in their own unique way, there is no shame in requesting or offering help in these matters.
3. Fill the urn yourself
As noted above, the remains will be inside a plastic bag within the temporary cremation urn, so should you decide to transfer the remains yourself you will not need to touch the ashes at all or fear that they will spill. Simply remove the bag from the temporary urn and place it into the permanent urn. The plastic bag will be sealed, so there is no need to seal the cremation urn unless you decide to pour in the remains.
Here is a video which can help you visualize the process of opening and closing an urn:
How to open a wooden urn
Learn more in our detailed article, with more videos: How To Open an Urn
If you have questions or concerns about opening or filling a cremation urn, please contact us (toll-free) at 877-900-5309 and we will be happy to answer any inquiries or assist you in any way