There’s a moment many families don’t expect after a cremation. The paperwork is complete, the calls slow down, and suddenly you’re holding a temporary container that feels both ordinary and profound. It can be comforting to have your person close and also disorienting to realize the next decision is yours what to do with ashes, when to do it, and how to do it in a way that feels gentle instead of overwhelming.
You’re not alone in needing guidance here. Cremation is now the most common choice for many U.S. families, and the National Funeral Directors Association projects a U.S. cremation rate of 63.4% in 2025, with burial projected at 31.6%. These trends shape how families memorialize, often with more personalized, flexible plans than past generations.
What comes next doesn’t have to be one big, final decision made in a single week. For many families, the most respectful plan is a now-and-later approach. You might keep the ashes safely at home for a while, then scatter or bury them when the timing feels right, or divide a small portion for keepsakes while placing the rest permanently.
The first thing to know: there’s no single correct choice
When you picture a final resting place, you might imagine a cemetery. But after cremation, families often choose something more personal: a shelf at home, a scattering place that mattered, a cemetery plot with a companion marker, or a water burial ceremony. Each option can be done with dignity, as long as you’re thoughtful about three practical factors.
First, where the ashes will ultimately live home, cemetery, nature, or multiple places. Second, what container best supports that plan cremation urns, a scattering vessel, a temporary travel urn, or cremation jewelry. Third, permissions. Not every meaningful location is automatically legal for scattering or placement, even when your intentions are loving.
If you’re starting from zero, it can help to browse options while you read. Funeral.com’s main collection of cremation urns for ashes is a helpful overview because it includes full-size, sharing, and specialty designs in one place. If your loss is a beloved animal companion, you’ll find purpose-built pet urns for ashes created specifically for pets.
Keeping ashes at home, with comfort and safety in mind
For many families, the first instinct is simple: keep ashes at home. Not forever necessarily, just close, where grief can soften at its own pace. This can be especially meaningful when there are travel plans, family disagreements about what to do next, or a desire to wait for a season that fits a summer lake trip, a birthday, an anniversary.
The key is making home feel safe and intentional, not precarious. Everyday life is busy. Kids climb. Pets knock things over. Guests visit. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep ashes at home. It just means your container choice and placement matter.
A full-size urn is often the right foundation if you’re keeping the majority of remains together. If you prefer a smaller footprint, or you’re planning to share ashes later, many families choose small cremation urns that fit comfortably on a bookshelf or in a cabinet.
For a deeper guide to the real-life details placement ideas, etiquette with visitors, kids and pets, and long-term planning Funeral.com’s Journal article is a steady companion Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally.
Sealing, handling, and the container inside the urn
One detail many families don’t realize until the urn arrives is that the ashes typically come in a sealed plastic bag inside a temporary container. Transferring can be simple, but it can also feel emotionally intense, especially if you weren’t expecting to do it yourself.
If you’re going to transfer or divide remains at home, a calm no-rush setup helps. Choose a stable table, use a tray or towel to catch any dust, and have a small funnel or folded paper ready. Funeral.com’s step-by-step guide covers tools, closure types, sealing tips, cleanup, and portioning for keepsakes and jewelry How to Transfer Ashes into an Urn: Step-by-Step Tips, Tools, and Safety.
If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, it’s normal to ask the funeral home to transfer the ashes into your chosen urn before you take them home.
Sharing ashes without turning it into conflict
Sometimes the most respectful plan is also the most practical. Not everyone grieves the same way, and one family member may want a permanent urn while another needs a scattering moment. Sharing doesn’t have to mean dividing a person. It can mean giving multiple people a place to bring their love.
That’s where keepsake urns come in. These are small vessels designed to hold a token amount of ashes, often used alongside a main urn or scattering plan. If you’re sharing pet ashes, there’s a dedicated collection of pet keepsake cremation urns.
For guidance on how families decide what portion goes where and how to avoid misunderstandings, the Journal guide is helpful Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns: When Families Want to Divide Ashes.
Scattering ashes, legally and respectfully
Scattering can feel like release. For some families, it’s the first moment that resembles a ceremony a place, a few words, a breath of air, a sense that love is being returned to the world.
But the phrase scatter ashes legally matters, because scattering rules depend heavily on location. The most important principle is permission. Private property usually requires the owner’s consent. Public lands may have restrictions. Certain protected areas can have permitting requirements.
If you’re thinking of a national park, it’s important to know that many parks require a permit for scattering. The National Park Service guidance on scattering ashes explains that permits are typically required and rules exist to protect resources and minimize conflicts with other visitors.
Funeral.com’s Journal guide helps you think through locations and etiquette in plain language Scattering Ashes: Laws, Locations, and Meaningful Ideas for Saying Goodbye.
A word about scattering containers
Many families picture simply opening an urn, but most traditional urns aren’t designed for clean, controlled scattering. A scattering-focused vessel often called a scattering tube or scattering urn can make the moment calmer and less messy, especially in windy conditions.
If you’re planning a nature-forward farewell, Funeral.com’s collection of biodegradable urn options includes designs for water and soil, plus scattering-ready containers.
Scattering at sea and water burial ceremonies
A water burial or scattering at sea appeals to many families because it feels elemental waves, horizon, quiet. It’s also one of the clearest examples of how meaningful and regulated can overlap.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency oversees burial at sea under federal rules. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that cremated remains must be buried at sea no closer than three nautical miles from land and that notification is required after the burial.
If you want a practical walkthrough distance rules, reporting steps, and ceremony planning Funeral.com’s guide is built for exactly that Scattering Ashes at Sea: Laws, Safety, and Ceremony Ideas for Ocean Farewells.
For families who want the ritual to feel softer and more paced, a water-soluble biodegradable urn can be part of the ceremony itself, floating briefly before dissolving. This Journal piece helps many readers visualize how the ceremony often unfolds Understanding What Happens During a Water Burial Ceremony.
Burying or interring cremation ashes
If scattering feels too final, burial can feel grounding. Some families choose to bury ashes in a cemetery plot, place them in a columbarium niche, or inter them on family property where permitted. This is often called interment of ashes, and it’s the option most similar to traditional burial in terms of permanence and a designated place to visit.
Cemetery rules vary. Some cemeteries require an outer burial container for urns, and some specify which materials can be buried. If burial is part of your plan, it helps to choose an urn with the destination in mind, especially if it needs to fit a niche or meet durability requirements.
Funeral.com’s Journal guide is built around these scenarios home, burial, scattering, travel, sharing so you can match the urn to your plan How to Choose a Cremation Urn That Fits Your Plans.
If you’re leaning toward an earth-friendly approach, this guide explains what biodegradable can mean in soil and what timelines often look like Do Urns Decompose? Biodegradable Urns, Burial Timelines, and What to Expect.
Memorial jewelry and the small ways people stay close
Sometimes a full-size urn feels too big for daily grief. Families may want one small, wearable memorial that turns love into something portable, especially for adult children living far apart, military families, or anyone who travels.
That’s where cremation jewelry comes in. cremation necklaces and pendants typically hold a tiny amount of ashes, sealed in a small inner chamber. The emotional effect can be outsized: a discreet way to carry a connection into regular life without needing to explain it to anyone.
For practical guidance on materials, closures, filling, and what waterproof really means in real life, this Journal guide is worth saving Cremation Jewelry Guide: Best Necklace Styles, Materials, Filling Tips, and Shopping Checklist.
Planning realities families don’t talk about until they have to
Even when your heart knows what it wants, logistics still matter. If you’re feeling stuck, it can help to name what’s actually holding you back. Sometimes it’s travel. Sometimes it’s disagreement. Sometimes it’s budget.
If you’re wondering how much does cremation cost, it may help to separate the cremation itself from memorial choices like urns, jewelry, and ceremony expenses. Funeral.com’s cost guide breaks this down in everyday terms How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options.
And sometimes, what you need most is permission to take your time. The Cremation Association of North America describes its long-running statistics work as a way to track evolving cremation trends across the U.S. and Canada. In plain terms, more families are navigating exactly what you’re navigating: we chose cremation, now what.
A gentle way to choose: match the container to the plan
When decisions feel heavy, simplicity helps. Instead of asking what urn should I buy, start with what is our plan for the ashes right now.
If you’re keeping the ashes at home for a while, a secure, display-friendly urn (full-size or medium) tends to be a calming option. If you’re sharing among relatives, keepsake urns and memorial jewelry make sharing possible without turning the process into chaos. If you’re scattering, a scattering-ready container or biodegradable urn can make the moment feel deliberate instead of messy. If you’re burying, confirm cemetery requirements before choosing material and size.
If you’d like to browse options based on your plan, these links are a helpful starting point. Funeral.com’s collections for cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, and keepsake urns are useful when you’re keeping or sharing. For pet memorials, start with pet urns for ashes. If your plans include wearing a small portion, cremation jewelry is designed for that purpose. For earth or water ceremonies, explore biodegradable urn options made for scattering and burial.
Closing thought
After cremation, your next steps don’t have to be perfect to be respectful. They just need to be thoughtful and safe, shaped around your family, your values, and the kind of remembrance that feels true.
