Planning a Scattering Ceremony

While many people choose burial or interment as a way to lay a loved one to rest, another relatively common option is the scattering of their ashes. Often, at some point in their life, a person will express the wish to have their ashes scattered in a meaningful place. Your provider of cremation services near Orlando, FL, can help you learn more about where you can scatter your loved one’s ashes, and they can also provide you with merchandise to make it a little bit easier to do. Here are some ideas for making a scattering ceremony more memorable.

You’ll want to consider who you wish to invite to the scattering ceremony. You might keep it very small and intimate, with just yourself and a few other close family members. On the other hand, you could open it up to a slightly larger group, where other family members and friends are welcome to attend. This will come down to your own preferences, and it might also depend on the location of where you are scattering. For instance, if your loved one wanted their ashes to be scattered at sea, and you only have access to a smaller boat, then you might be limited in space. In this same vein, you will also want to decide how you want to scatter the ashes. As their spouse or closest family member, you may wish to do the scattering entirely yourself. Otherwise, you might open it up to others who may wish to spread a small number of ashes, allowing each person to have their own sort of final goodbye.

Some other things to think about are whether you want to have a small service take place before the scattering, in which case you would need to find someone to lead it. You can incorporate other personal touches like a special song, or a meaningful toast in their honor. Think about the things that they loved in life, and see if you can incorporate them into their scattering ceremony in any way. You could invite family and friends in attendance to step forward and share a fond memory or story about the person who has passed. This can be an opportunity to honor their memory in more ways than one, and reminiscing together can be one of the most therapeutic things to do amidst your grief.

These are only a few ideas to get you started on planning your loved one’s scattering ceremony. Of course, you will also have to decide upon a location, which will take some planning in itself. Many places have certain rules or regulations about if, when, and where scattering may be allowed there, so it’s important to do some research ahead of time. Your provider of cremation services near Orlando, FL, can also help you with this because it’s likely they have some experience with local places when it comes to their rules for scattering. Then, you can move forward with returning your loved one to a place that held meaning for them in life.