Choosing between burial and cremation is a decision many families face when arranging a funeral. Sometimes the person who has died made their wishes clear years before. Sometimes they only ever mentioned it in passing. And sometimes, there is no indication at all.
If you’re asking yourself, ‘should I choose burial or cremation?’, it can help to know that there isn’t a single right answer.
Burial may feel right because it provides a permanent place to visit and remember someone. Cremation can offer more flexibility, particularly when deciding what to do with the ashes afterwards. Personal beliefs, family traditions, religion, cost, practical considerations and, above all, the wishes of your loved one can all influence the decision.
It can feel like a lot to think about while you’re grieving. You don’t need to have everything worked out straight away.
At Rowland Brothers, we’ve been helping families across Croydon and South London with this decision since 1873. Our funeral directors can explain the different options, answer your questions and give you space to consider what feels right for your family.
What Is the Difference Between Burial and Cremation?
With a burial, your loved one is laid to rest in a coffin in a cemetery, churchyard or another suitable burial ground. Some families have an existing family grave, while others will need to choose and purchase a new burial plot.
With cremation, your loved one is cremated at a crematorium. The cremated remains, commonly called ashes, are then returned to the family or funeral director. You can decide what to do with them afterwards, and that decision doesn’t necessarily have to be made immediately.
Both can be part of a traditional funeral service, and both can be arranged in ways that are personal to the person being remembered.
Rowland Brothers can help families arrange both burial and cremation funerals, as well as discuss the options available for cremated remains.
Choosing Burial
For some families, having a grave to visit is a very important part of saying goodbye.
A grave gives loved ones somewhere physical to return to. It might become a place to visit on birthdays and anniversaries, or simply somewhere to sit quietly when you’re missing them. For some families, that shared place of remembrance becomes especially meaningful over time.
Burial can also be the natural choice when your loved one expressed a wish to be buried, perhaps because of their beliefs, family traditions or a connection with a particular cemetery or churchyard.
Read more: Arranging a Funeral
Choosing Cremation
Cremation is another common choice, and for many families, the flexibility it offers is reassuring.
One of the biggest differences is what happens afterwards. Once the cremation has taken place, you have a number of choices about the cremated remains. You don't necessarily need to decide straight away.
For example, the ashes could be:
- Kept at home in an urn
- Scattered somewhere that was meaningful to your loved one
- Interred in a cemetery or churchyard
- Interred in a natural burial ground
Sometimes a family knows immediately what they would like to do. Other times, they need a little longer.
That's completely understandable. There is no need to make another significant decision while emotions are still raw simply because the funeral has finished. Rowland Brothers can hold cremated remains while a family takes time to decide what feels right.
For some people, that extra breathing space is one of the main reasons cremation feels like the better choice.
Is Cremation Cheaper Than Burial?
Cost can be an important consideration when you're looking at burial vs cremation. Funerals can involve a number of different expenses, and it isn't always easy to see at first how they all fit together.
Generally, cremation can cost less than burial because a traditional burial plot isn't required. But there isn't a simple rule that says cremation will always be cheaper.
The overall cost depends on the funeral arrangements you choose. This might include the crematorium or cemetery, coffin, funeral service, transport, flowers and any memorialisation.
It's better to look at the cost of the whole funeral rather than comparing burial and cremation in isolation.
There are also different types of cremation. A direct cremation, for example, does not include a traditional attended funeral service. It can be a suitable option for families who want a simpler arrangement, although it won't be right for everyone.
Choosing a direct cremation doesn't mean compromising on care. With Rowland Brothers, your loved one is brought into our care locally and looked after by our own experienced team until the cremation takes place. A simpler funeral should never mean a lower standard of care.
Read more: Direct Cremation vs Traditional Funeral
The important thing is to understand what is included and what isn't, so you can make a decision based on what matters to your family rather than cost alone.
What Happens to Ashes After a Cremation?
This is sometimes a decision families only start thinking about after the funeral.
There are lots of possibilities, and what feels right will depend on the person and the family.
Some families keep their loved one's ashes at home. Others choose a particular place that held meaning for them and scatter the ashes there. Ashes can also be interred in a cemetery or churchyard, including an existing family grave where appropriate permissions have been obtained.
Natural burial grounds offer another option, providing a more natural setting among trees, grasses or wildflowers.
There are also many ways to create a lasting memorial. Families can choose from a wide range of options, including urns, keepsakes, memorial jewellery and traditional memorial masonry. Our team can show you the different options available and help you find something personal to your loved one.
Read more: Memorials | Memorial masonry | Urns and keepsakes
What If My Loved One Didn't Leave Any Wishes?
This can be one of the hardest parts.
If your loved one never said whether they wanted to be buried or cremated, it is very easy to worry that you're going to make the wrong choice.
Try not to put that pressure on yourself.
Think about the person you knew. Did they have particular religious or cultural beliefs? Were they connected to a certain place? Did they ever talk about funerals, cemeteries, cremation or what they would like after their death, even casually?
It can also be worth speaking to other close family members. Someone may remember a conversation you weren't part of, or recall a small comment that gives you a sense of what they might have wanted.
But sometimes nobody knows. And that's okay.
If there is no clear preference, the decision ultimately rests with the family. You are not expected to somehow discover a perfect answer that doesn't exist.
A funeral is about remembering and saying goodbye. The choices you make should help you do that in a way that feels meaningful and manageable.
Burial or Cremation: How Do You Decide?
There are several things worth considering when weighing up your funeral options in the UK.
Start with your loved one's wishes, if you know them. From there, think about what will be important to the people who will be left with the memories and, potentially, the responsibility of maintaining a grave or deciding what happens to cremated remains.
What About the Environmental Impact?
Environmental considerations may also come into the conversation.
Neither burial nor cremation is completely without environmental impact, and the difference can depend on the specific arrangements. For burial, factors can include the land used, the type of coffin and the management of the burial ground. Cremation involves energy use and emissions.
There are also different approaches within each option. Natural burial, for example, may appeal to families who want a more natural setting and a simpler approach to memorialisation.
If environmental concerns are important to your family, it is worth discussing the different choices with your funeral director rather than relying on a simple burial-versus-cremation comparison. The details of the funeral can make a difference too.
You Don’t Have to Make The “Perfect” Choice
When you’re arranging a funeral, there can be a temptation to think there is a correct way to do everything.
There isn’t.
The right choice is the one that feels appropriate for your loved one and your family. It might be a traditional burial, a cremation followed by a gathering somewhere meaningful, or something much simpler.
And if you aren’t sure, that’s a perfectly reasonable place to start.
A good funeral director should be able to explain the choices without pushing you towards one particular option. You can ask questions, take your time where possible and talk things through with the people closest to you.
Not Sure Whether Burial or Cremation Is Right for your Family?
Our experienced funeral directors can talk you through the choices, costs and practical differences without any obligation. Whether it’s a new grave, reopening a family grave or deciding what to do with ashes, we’ll explain everything clearly and let you decide in your own time.
Rowland Brothers has been caring for families across Croydon and South London since 1873, and we’re here whenever you need us.
Speak to your local Rowland Brothers funeral director or contact us today.
