Cremation With a Viewing: How It Works

Families often choose cremation for its flexibility—then immediately wonder if they can still have a viewing. In many cases, the answer is yes. Cremation describes the disposition method, not the shape of the goodbye. A viewing, visitation, or funeral service can happen first, with cremation afterward. That blended approach is increasingly common. The National Funeral Directors Association projects the U.S. cremation rate will be 63.4% in 2025, and the Cremation Association of North America reports a 61.8% U.S. cremation rate for 2024.

This guide explains what cremation with viewing typically looks like, what questions to ask, and how today’s choices connect to what comes next—especially when families begin searching for cremation urns, cremation jewelry, or guidance on what to do with ashes.

What “cremation with a viewing” actually means

Most of the time, “cremation with a viewing” means the viewing happens first. Your loved one is present for a viewing, visitation, wake, or funeral service, and then cremation happens afterward. Some funeral homes call this traditional cremation.

The other common timeline is cremation first, then a memorial service with the urn present. This can help when travel, scheduling, or family needs make a later ceremony feel more manageable. If you want a calm comparison of both approaches, Funeral.com’s Journal guide on whether cremation happens before or after the funeral walks through a clear timeline and common exceptions.

How cremation with a viewing works, step by step

After a death, the funeral home or cremation provider brings your loved one into care and guides the family through the authorization steps required for cremation. Paperwork varies by state, but it always centers on consent from the legally authorized decision-maker and the documentation needed for the crematory and death certificates.

Preparation is the part many families fear asking about. If a public viewing is planned, some providers recommend embalming; others may support a shorter, private goodbye with refrigeration, depending on timing and circumstances. The Federal Trade Commission explains that no state law requires routine embalming for every death and that refrigeration is often an acceptable alternative—while also noting that some funeral homes may have a policy requiring embalming for a public viewing. When you ask, it helps to separate what is required by law from what is provider policy and what is simply a recommendation based on timing.

Then comes the “casket question.” A viewing does not always mean you must purchase a casket that will be cremated. Many funeral homes offer rental caskets for viewings, with a removable interior insert used for cremation. The FTC also explains that no state or local law requires a casket for cremation and that providers offering cremation must make an “alternative container” available. If the language feels muddy, Funeral.com’s guide on the difference between a cremation container and an urn can make the next conversation feel much clearer.

After the service, the provider schedules the cremation and later returns the cremated remains—often in a temporary container if you have not selected an urn yet. For many families, that handoff is when urgency eases and the next decisions can be made more gently.

Choosing an urn after cremation: options families actually use

When families begin searching for cremation urns for ashes, they are usually trying to match an urn to a plan: keeping the urn at home, placing it in a cemetery niche, burying it, scattering, or sharing with relatives. If you want to browse broadly first, Funeral.com’s cremation urns for ashes collection is a helpful starting point.

If the plan involves sharing, a second household, or a compact memorial space, small cremation urns can be a practical fit. If multiple family members will hold a meaningful portion, keepsake urns are designed specifically for that purpose. For a steady walkthrough of materials, sizes, and placement, see Funeral.com’s guide on how to choose a cremation urn.

Keepsakes you can carry: cremation jewelry and shared memorials

Some families want one urn and no more decisions. Others want a shared plan that gives children, siblings, or close friends something tangible. In that shared approach, cremation jewelry can feel especially personal because it holds a tiny, symbolic amount of ashes.

Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces collections focus on designs intended for ashes, with closures and compartments made for that purpose. If you want a gentle primer on how it works, what it holds, and who it tends to help most, the Journal’s Cremation Jewelry 101 guide can help you choose without rushing.

Pet urns for ashes and pet keepsakes

Pet loss can feel just as personal as any other loss. If you are looking for pet urns, pet urns for ashes, or pet cremation urns, Funeral.com’s pet cremation urns collection is a helpful starting point. For sizing and style guidance, see the Journal guide Pet Urns for Ashes. If you want a sculpted tribute, explore pet figurine cremation urns. And if the family wants to share a portion among multiple households, pet keepsake cremation urns offer smaller memorial options designed for sharing.

Keeping ashes at home, scattering, and water burial

After cremation, the decision that lingers for many families is simple to say and harder to answer: what to do with ashes. Some families choose a long-term plan immediately. Many choose “home for now,” then decide later when grief is not as sharp. The National Funeral Directors Association reports that among those who prefer cremation, common preferences include burial or interment (37.8%), keeping the remains in an urn at home (37.1%), and scattering (33.5%), with many families choosing a mix of options over time.

If keeping ashes at home feels right, it can help to think about stability, privacy, and day-to-day handling. Funeral.com’s practical guide to keeping ashes at home covers safe placement and common household considerations in plain language.

If your ceremony involves the ocean, water burial usually means placing ashes into a biodegradable, water-soluble urn that dissolves over time, rather than releasing ashes directly into the wind. Funeral.com’s guide to water burial explains how the two approaches differ in practice. For the legal framework, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that burial at sea of cremated remains must take place at least three nautical miles from land and that the EPA must be notified within 30 days after the burial.

How much does cremation cost when there is a viewing?

Families ask how much does cremation cost because the word “cremation” can mean very different service levels. When you add a staffed viewing and ceremony, costs often increase due to facility time, staff time, and potential preparation services. As a national benchmark, the National Funeral Directors Association reports a 2023 median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation.

For a clearer view of common line items—what is typically included, what is optional, and which add-ons change totals fastest—see Funeral.com’s Cremation Cost Breakdown. It can also help to remember that the FTC Funeral Rule gives consumers the right to receive an itemized General Price List and to select only the goods and services they want.

A simple funeral planning checklist for cremation with a viewing

These five questions tend to prevent surprises and make the rest of the choices feel calmer.

• When will cremation occur in our plan, and what could delay it?
• What preparation do you recommend for the kind of viewing we want, and what is optional?
• Do you offer a rental casket, and what does that fee include?
• What will the ashes be returned in if we do not choose an urn immediately?
• Can we review the itemized General Price List before we decide?

Once those answers are clear, families can move into the personal choices—urn style, keepsakes, and long-term placement—without feeling rushed. Many begin with a secure home urn and revisit the bigger “forever” decisions later. That is funeral planning done with care.

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