Cremated Remains
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After a cremation, the crematorium will prepare the cremated remains (often referred to as ashes) and return them to the funeral director or directly to the family, depending on the arrangements made.
When Will the Ashes Be Ready?
Cremated remains are not usually available immediately after the funeral. Your funeral director or the crematorium will let you know when they are ready for collection. This is often within a few days, although timescales can vary between crematoria.
Who Can Collect the Ashes?
Your funeral director will explain the arrangements made during the funeral planning.
The ashes may:
- Be collected by the funeral director.
- Be collected by the person named on the cremation paperwork.
- Be retained temporarily by the crematorium if requested.
If someone other than the person named on the paperwork wishes to collect the ashes, please discuss this with your funeral director or the crematorium in advance.
What Can We Do with the Ashes?
Families have many options, including:
- Keeping the ashes at home.
- Burying the ashes in a cemetery or churchyard.
- Interring the ashes in a family grave.
- Scattering the ashes in a meaningful place (with the landowner's permission where required).
- Placing the ashes in a memorial garden.
- Keeping them in a memorial urn.
- Incorporating a small amount into memorial jewellery or glass.
- Dividing the ashes between family members, if appropriate.
- Placing them in a columbarium or dedicated ashes vault, where available.
There is no time limit on making your decision. Many families choose to wait until they feel ready.
Choosing an Urn Ashes can be placed in a wide variety of urns, including:
- Traditional urns.
- Wooden urns.
- Ceramic urns.
- Metal urns.
- Biodegradable urns.
- Keepsake urns.
- Scatter tubes.
Scattering the Ashes
If you wish to scatter ashes, think carefully about the location.
Before scattering ashes:
- Make sure you have permission if the land is privately owned.
- Check any local regulations.
- Consider weather conditions, particularly windy days.
- Think about whether other family members would like to be present.
- Consider whether you'd like a quiet private moment or invite family and friends to be part of the occasion.
Some crematoria also have dedicated gardens where ashes may be scattered or buried.