Breaking Down Interment Options for Families Planning Ahead

Have you ever wondered what interment options are available when planning ahead for yourself or a loved one? It’s a big question that goes beyond choosing a cemetery plot, today’s families have more meaningful and personal options than ever. Whether it’s a family grave, a serene green burial, a symbolic scattering, or a cosmic journey into space, understanding the choices helps you align arrangements with values and traditions.

1. Traditional In-Ground Burial

This classic option involves embalming (optional), a casket, and burial in a cemetery plot. Key considerations include:

• Cost: Fees cover land, grave opening/closing, vaults, and marker installation.
• Space: Plots may accommodate multiple family members.
• Maintenance: Ongoing upkeep managed by the cemetery.
• Cultural Norms: Ideal for those who value rituals like headstone placement and regular visits.

It’s important to confirm regulations around embalming and vault requirements, as these vary by location.

2. Mausoleum & Above-Ground Entombment

Mausoleums, indoor or outdoor buildings with sealed crypts, provide above-ground interment:

• Benefits: Less maintenance, weather protection, architectural beauty.
• Cost Considerations: Often more expensive upfront than in-ground plots.
• Personalization: Niches can be customized with plaques, lighting, and floral attachments.

As an elegant alternative, mausoleums combine permanence with dignity.

3. Cremation with Urn Placement

Cremation families can choose to inter an urn in a cemetery plot similar to traditional burial, often with a vault or liner:

• Cost: Lower than full burial due to smaller plot size.
• Options: Urns can be buried, entombed in mausoleums, or kept at home.
• Regulations: Some cemeteries restrict urn types or require liners.

This choice blends tradition with cremation’s flexibility.

4. Columbarium Niches

A columbarium is a purpose-built structure housing urns in niches:

• Advantages: Less expensive than ground plots, ideal for compact remains.
• Features: Niches often include nameplates and are located in serene memorial spaces
• Maintenance: Managed upkeep ensures guardian care for the niche environment.

Columbaria provide accessible, dignified settings for remembrance.

5. Scattering Gardens

Designated areas in cemeteries or parks set aside for scattering cremated remains:

• Emotional Closure: Offers a communal space to celebrate and remember.
• Cost: Generally lower than plot interment, with no need for vaults.
• Options: Families may install memorial benches or plaques.

Scattering gardens balance environmental practicality with a physical place to visit.

6. Natural or Green Burial

Green burials emphasize ecological restoration and simplicity

• Bodies are interred without embalming in biodegradable materials.
• Irrigation, chemicals, and vaults are avoided.
• Often located in conservation preserves with GPS markers or natural stones.

It’s the most eco-conscious way to return one’s body to the earth.

7. Burial at Sea

Whether full-body or cremated remains, burial at sea is a profound choice:

• Legal Requirements: Governed by EPA and maritime law.
• Symbolism: For ocean lovers or veterans, the sea can be a powerful resting place
• Ceremonial Value: Offers closure in a majestic natural setting.

Sea burials meet environmental standards while honoring personal ties to the ocean.

8. Memorial Spaceflights

 Celestis pioneered memorial spaceflights, offering a unique cosmic farewell

• Earth Rise& Earth Orbit Services: Capsules orbit the planet, returning to Earth in a shooting-star finale.
• Luna Service: A spacecraft delivers remains to lunar orbit or surface.
• Voyager Service: Deep-space missions send ashes or DNA into perpetual solar orbit.
• Cost & Logistics: Packages range from ~$3,500–$13,000 and include ceremony and tracking.
• This option is ideal for science lovers, Star Trek fans, or those who wish to transcend earthly limits.

Families may also combine space flights with traditional interment, so a portion returns to Earth.

9. Hybrid & Creative Options

Custom blends include:

• Urn burial + scattering ceremony.
• Memorial benches with urn compartments.
• Artificial reefs, cremains within reef-forming structures.
• Memorial jewelry and keepsakes after cremation.
• Digital memorials linked to columbaria or graves via QR codes.

These reflect modern values of personalization, remembrance, and environmental care.

Comparing Interment Options: What to Consider