After the passing of a dear friend, it can be difficult to know where to turn or what to do, but by surrounding yourself with your friends and family to give you plenty of moral support is certainly one way of helping you through one of these very difficult times.
If you were very close to your friend in the sense that you were practically family, their relatives may call upon you to help with funeral arrangements or may even ask you to pick out an urn. This is a big responsibility, but is also a decision you don’t need to rush.
How to Choose an Urn
Material –
Urns made from glass, ceramic, metal, wood or biodegradable materials are all really popular and come in a variety of shapes and sizes for different uses. Urns that are designed to be on display can look more “ornamental” than “urn-like” and can be a beautiful little memento of the person that has passed.
Glass urns can be beautiful when the light catches them, ceramic urns have a lovely traditional appearance to them, metal urns are sturdy and can be decorated in various colors and patterns, and wooden urns can be engraved if that is what you wish. Biodegradable urns aren’t made for display but they can be buried in special places such as under memorial trees.
Shape –
Urns are generally made into practical shapes either to make burial easy or to make finding space to display it a lot simpler. Make sure that you look at a mixture of urns before you pick a shape so that you can be sure you have chosen the right one.
A traditionally shaped cylinder urn with a dome top is a simple yet classic style and this means that it will come in a range of materials, most traditionally brass or other metals.
Color –
Depending on the material that you choose, you will have a wide range of colors to choose from so that you can truly reflect your friend’s personality in your choice of colors. Bright colors for example will show that your friend is remembered for his or her bubbly and fun loving personality.
Pattern –
All kinds of patterns are available to choose from on a range of urns. Simple stripes will allow you to use a variety of colors, whereas flowers, hearts, or stars etc can add a more decorative touch to an otherwise plain urn.
Price –
Ask how much the family of your friend is planning on spending on the urn itself. Offer to put some money towards it or buy it yourself if this makes you feel better. Extra details such as engravings or plaques may cause the urn to cost more money than usual. Urns tend not to cost a lot of money overall, but always set a budget before you spend more than you can afford.
Tips For Choosing The Right Urn
Don’t rush into choosing an urn; the crematorium or funeral director will hold the ashes for you until you have made your decision.
Think about where it is going to be displayed so that you can pick out a color and material that will suit its use.
Consider scattering the ashes – if this is what you are planning to do with your friend’s ashes, choose a special location and also make sure that the urn supports this in a dignified way.
Memorial Keepsakes
If the urn is more of a job for the family, you can at least look at keepsakes which will help you and those around you remember that special person as they were in life.
Jewelry is a popular choice for keepsake items and they can be very subtle yet beautiful ways o remembering someone that was special to you. A necklace for example can have a pendant with ashes in, or a plain locket with a picture contained inside it. Other people like to opt for plain pendants with their friend’s initials engraved on them for a discreet yet meaningful touch. The best thing about jewelry is that it can be hidden and is also small enough to keep with you at all times so that you can always feel like you have that special person’s memory with you always.