Cremation can be a respectful way to give your departed loved one all the privileges of a traditional funeral at a much more affordable cost.  But, given that the process is still new to some folks, it’s understandable to have some reservations regarding the procedure.

Using this guide, we’ll provide a brief explanation of the cremation process and what you can expect.  Throughout this article, we’ll also provide some useful references for funeral-related services and the like.

Exploring the Cremation Process

Cremation Documents

In New Zealand, cremations cannot be carried out until a series of forms and certificates have been presented.  These documents include the certificate of cause of death, an application for cremation, a certificate of medical practitioner, and permission to cremate form.

Since these documents can be quite difficult to gather, many bereaved families will often hand over processing responsibilities to their funeral home or director.  Once the above documents have been gathered, all that’s left is to pay the local cremation fee and prepare the deceased.

Preparing the Deceased

Bodily preparation usually entails cleaning and dressing the deceased and removing any articles of clothing or jewelry that cannot be incinerated.  Unless specified otherwise, the collected jewelry will then be returned to the bereaved family, to do with as they please. 

In some cases, the deceased will first be embalmed in order to prepare them for a wake or reception ceremony.  After this ceremony has been concluded, the deceased will then proceed to the next phase of cremation.

The Cremation Chamber

In order to ensure that the deceased will be reduced to nothing but ashes, the cremation chamber is specially built to sustain temperatures of 980℃ for several hours.  This means that the deceased can be placed in the chamber without needing to be removed from their casket.

Once the remains have been reduced to ashes, they are put through a grinder and made into a fine ash powder.  Lastly, these remains are transferred into an urn or container and returned to the bereaved family to be scattered or kept.

It’s worth noting that ashes in New Zealand cannot simply be scattered in any public space.  Local councils will only allow ashes to be scattered in scattering gardens, memorial sites, waterways, parks, and private property.

Why Choose Cremation?

As stated earlier, cremation presents a cost-friendly alternative to standard religious burial practices.  Where most burial ceremonies can run as high as $8,000, cremations will usually be between $525 and $900.

This makes it significantly easier to cover the cost of such proceedings without having any type of insurance policy.  With that said, it is still highly recommended that one explore the possible insurance options available with a qualified broker or insurance agent.

Preparing an insurance policy in advance will not only help you cover the cost of a cremation, it can also provide a bit of financial security for your loved ones upon your passing.  

That wraps up our guide to cremation, we sincerely hope this guide will make things easier for you if you should ever find yourself faced with the choice of a burial or a cremation for your loved one.