At times we may wonder, what happens to our body after death? Most of us are familiar with traditional burial, where the body is peacefully laid to rest within a casket. With traditional burials, our body remains at rest within the casket in the designated plot. Though this method of burial has always been the most traditional and popular, times have begun to change. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (2025 Cremation and Burial Projections), 63.3% of people will opt for cremation while only 30.9 will choose traditional burials.
What is cremation?
Cremation is a flexible and affordable alternative body disposal method. During the cremation process, the body is exposed to a flame inside of a cremator. The flame reduces the body to its basic elements, usuallyreferred to as ‘ashes’. The ‘ashes’ can remain in an urn or can even be dispersed. Hayes Bros Funerals does provide cremation services. The cremation process time can vary, but generally it takes 3-5 hours.
Why the rise?
As mentioned earlier, cremation has taken the lead over traditional burial. Though the data has shown a steady increase for several years now, the question still remains, why? Why are more people choosing to be cremated? According to the HuffPost, 1. Cremation is “usually cheaper” than burial which attracts those who are “budget-conscious”, and 2. “Families no longer stay in the old hometown the way they used to.” Therefore, having a plot where the family no longer lives and may never visit doesn’t seem ideal.
Is there still a funeral?
Some people believe that cremation takes the place of a funeral/memorial service. However, that is inaccurate. Cremation is just the method used to dispose of the body. Families can still have a memorial service if they desire one. For those wanting to have a viewing, cremation can be done afterward. Cremation can be done prior to the memorial service which can allow more time for families to focus on planning the service. Those who choose to have their loved one(s) cremated prior to having a memorial service ultimately are not on the traditional burial timeline. A cremation memorial can be held weeks or even months after the death. This timeline is convenient for those who may be traveling from afar or for those simply wanting more time to plan.
What happens to our body after death?
To go back to the question asked earlier, “What happens to our body after death?” When it comes to cremation, the answer is basically “whatever we want to happen!” We can have our ashes flow freely at the beach or blow peacefully in the forest. Our loved ones can hold remains in an urn or even in jewelry. The possibilities are endless. The flexibility and freedom that cremation allows is why it is now the leader in body disposition. Hayes Bros Funerals is dedicated to providing high level service while giving families a peace of mind that their loved one’s body is well taken care of. When it comes to cremation, it is a regulated process with strict procedures that we follow to ensure we’re holding our services to the highest standard possible. In addition to following these standard procedures, we also keep a metal disk with a unique ID number with your loved one throughout the process, including during cremation (Read our FAQ page for more information).
Just like our website states, with Hayes Bros Funerals, there are many options open to you when it comes to honoring your loved one's life. We offer three (3) cremation options: direct, memorial and ceremonial. These options are completely customizable therefore, allowing you to honor your loved one in your own way. After the cremation and memorial services, there are a variety of choices for your loved one's final disposition:
- Interment means that you'll bury or entomb your loved one's cremated remains. This can be in a family plot, a memorial site, a cremation niche or urn garden, or in a variety of other indoor and outdoor locations. Ask our staff for a detailed list of interment possibilities.
- Graveside services are similar to those celebrated alongside a traditional ground burial, in which loved ones are present at the burial of the cremated remains and honor the deceased through memorial prayers or other meaningful tributes.
- Scattering allows you to spread your loved one's cremated remains in a memorial garden, a cemetery, over water, or across any other meaningful site. You also can choose to scatter some of the cremated remains and retain the rest in an urn for interment or another form of disposition.
- Placing cremated remains in multiple urns allows family members who are separated by distance to each feel the comfort of having their loved one's final resting place in a nearby location.
(Read our FAQ page for more information)
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