Things To Consider When Choosing A Cemetery
Planning for a funeral or burial can be a bit macabre, but burial planning is an essential part of life. If you don’t plan ahead, your family may end up doing something that you didn’t want. For some people, this isn’t a bad thing. However, most of us do want to have a say in where we will spend the rest of our time on earth.
When starting out a cemetery search, it can be frustrating to even narrow down the choices. Most areas will have a few different cemeteries to choose from – but if you are considering multiple areas, you may have even more choices. This isn’t something you want to take lightly, so here are some things to consider to help you narrow down your list:
Where Is The Cemetery?
One thing you want to consider is the location of the cemetery. Starting broadly, do you want it to be in your hometown, where you live now, or somewhere else altogether? This is a conversation that you may want to have with your loved ones. Does it matter if they come to visit your grave site? If it does, then you want to be somewhere that is convenient for them. Do you want to be buried with your husband or wife? If so, then you may need to compromise.
Once you narrow down where the cemetery will be, you have to think about where you want to be within the cemetery. Are there are features you want to consider? Near the bell tower? Is there a pond? How about near a tree? Think about the impacts of the root systems of a tree, any flooding from water bodies, or even bird droppings.
Another thing to consider is where the perimeter of the cemetery is. Many people think about road traffic and want to move away from that. However, you have to consider the land around the cemetery. There is a chance that the land could be sold and turned into something else. As a result, people try to go toward the middle of a cemetery if peace and quiet is something they desire.
Should You Purchase More Than One Grave site?
Sometimes, families will go together to get a lot in a cemetery. It could just be a larger section of land within a cemetery, it could be a few plots under one large stone, or it could be a separate section with a gate. There are plenty of options here. The best thing you can do is talk to the rest of your family to see if your ideas about location align. If they do, you may be able to get something nicer at a fraction of the cost.
What Are The Rules Of The Cemetery?
Every cemetery has unique rules about any number of things. You may want to find out rules pertaining to the following:
Religion: Some cemeteries only allow people of certain religions to be buried there. If you aren’t that religion and cannot prove it, your family may run into problems when you do pass away.
Headstones: Some cemeteries only allow flat headstones, which can be limiting. Others regulate the size or shape of the headstone. If you have always wanted an angel statue for your headstone, you may want to ensure that you can get it.
Perpetual Care: Some cemeteries require that there is a family member to take care of the gravesite, whereas others include regular maintenance as part of the fees. Find out what you are paying for before you make any decisions.
Green Burials: Increasingly, people are considering green burials that allow them to be placed in eco-friendly pods that either grow into something else or simply decompose. As this grows in popularity, cemeteries are getting more explicit in their rules.
Cremation: If you are considering cremation, you may want to determine if a cemetery has an area for urns or allows the burial of urns.
As you start your search for a cemetery, there are many different things to consider. Even starting to think about it is further than so many people will get before they need the cemetery. Doing the work now will help your family to fulfill your wishes when you do pass and it will protect them from having to make stressful decisions when they are mourning. Start your search now to ease your own mind and theirs.