Whether you have decided to plan your own funeral or need to plan that of another, the next question is: where will you go? There are a number of crematoria in southern California. How can you decide which Riverside crematorium to use? Here are a few factors to use when making this difficult decision.

Services Offered

While it is a given that a Riverside crematorium will be able to cremate your loved one, there are a number of additional services they may be able to offer. For example, they may be able to provide flowers for the funeral or deliver baskets of sweets to your family as they mourn. You could arrange for them to publish your obituary or send memorial jewelry to your loved ones. Depending on the facility, they may be able to hold memorial services or religious funerals on site. This simplifies the logistics involved. They can generally handle the transportation of flowers to the funeral as well as that for the body. They might be willing to drive family members to the funeral home or supervise the viewing of the body.

Total Cost

Many people choose cremation because it costs less than burial. This is especially true in densely populated areas like southern California. You don’t have to search for a burial plot or face the agonizing dilemma of digging into an existing plot to bury another loved one there. You can also bury one or more sets of cremated remains in an existing plot, and it would cost less than burying an existing coffin. You can choose to rent a casket for a viewing, and you can choose how simple or fancy the urn will be.

Location

In most cases, people choose to have the wake or funeral at the funeral home, though this may be done at their personal home or a sacred place. You might choose a Riverside crematorium that is close to your church, home or hospital in order to minimize the amount of travel required for everyone involved. Then you’re making it easier for friends and family to attend. If you want to have your ashes scattered in the forest or at sea, your family will have all the time they need to make the arrangements once the cremation is done.

Reputation

While few people want to read customer reviews online when planning a funeral, you can’t afford to add to stress by receiving poor customer service or dealing with mistakes made by funeral parlor staff. Always ask for recommendations before you choose a Riverside crematorium.