Most families don’t expect to be weighing body preparation choices while they’re still trying to catch their breath. The first calls are made, the timeline starts to form, and suddenly someone asks a question that feels both practical and deeply personal: “Do we need embalming?” Sometimes the real question underneath is, “How do we buy time for the people who need to get here?” or “Can we have a viewing without making choices that don’t fit our values?”
Embalming and refrigeration both slow natural changes after death. But they do it in very different ways, with different environmental tradeoffs, different price tags, and different implications for what comes next—especially if your plan includes cremation. And for many families, it does. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025. The Cremation Association of North America reports a 61.8% U.S. cremation rate for 2024, underscoring how common these decisions have become.
This guide compares embalming vs refrigeration in plain language—environmental impact, typical cost structure, and when each makes sense. Then it gently steps into the quieter part of funeral planning that often follows cremation: choosing cremation urns, cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, keepsake urns, pet urns, pet urns for ashes, and cremation jewelry like cremation necklaces—especially if you’re thinking about keeping ashes at home, a water burial, or simply figuring out what to do with ashes.
What embalming and refrigeration actually do
Both options are about time. Embalming uses preservative chemicals to slow decomposition and improve how someone looks for viewing. Refrigeration slows decomposition by keeping the body cold (similar to a medical or morgue environment), often paired with basic, non-invasive preparation.
If you’re trying to decide quickly, a simple comparison can help:
- Embalming can support an open-casket viewing and longer delays, but involves chemical use and additional preparation steps.
- Refrigeration body storage can be a practical alternative for short timelines or closed-casket services, but depends on available cooler space and the schedule of services.
- Either approach may be influenced by transport needs, facility policy, and how many days you need before final disposition (burial or cremation).
In real life, families often aren’t choosing “the best” option in the abstract. They’re choosing the option that fits a very specific combination of travel, religious or cultural practice, budget, and emotional comfort.
Environmental impact: chemicals vs. energy demands
When families ask about the environmental impact embalming, the conversation usually centers on chemical exposure and long-term downstream effects. Traditional embalming commonly relies on formaldehyde-based solutions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration classifies formaldehyde as a human carcinogen in workplace hazard guidance, and NIOSH (CDC) has published detailed controls for reducing formaldehyde exposure during embalming because of the health risks to workers. That doesn’t mean embalming is “wrong.” It means it is a chemical-based preservation method with a real footprint, and it’s reasonable to factor that into eco friendly funeral planning.
Refrigeration shifts the footprint away from chemicals and toward energy use. A refrigerated holding room draws power continuously, and over longer delays the energy demand becomes part of the cost—both financially and environmentally. The impact varies widely depending on the facility’s equipment, insulation, local energy mix, and how long refrigeration is needed.
For families specifically pursuing greener practices—such as natural burial preparation—many green burial education resources emphasize that embalming is typically not legally required. For example, the Green Burial Council notes that families may shelter a body without embalming and still hold a meaningful visitation under appropriate conditions. That doesn’t automatically make refrigeration “the green choice,” but it explains why “refrigeration-first” planning is common in green burial conversations.
Cost: what you’re paying for (and what you can ask for)
Families often search funeral home refrigeration cost or “how much is embalming?” hoping for one clear number. The more honest answer is that pricing is local and itemized, and two funeral homes can structure charges differently.
The most practical step is to ask for the General Price List (GPL). Under the Federal Trade Commission guidance on the Funeral Rule, funeral providers must give you itemized price information and required disclosures, including disclosures related to embalming. The underlying regulation also addresses embalming misrepresentations in 16 CFR § 453.3. In other words: you’re allowed to slow down, ask for the list, and compare.
Embalming charges usually include both the procedure itself and associated preparation work. Refrigeration charges may appear as “refrigeration,” “storage,” or “care of remains,” sometimes billed per day after a certain included period. If a funeral home tells you embalming is required, it’s reasonable to ask: “Is that a legal requirement, or a policy requirement for the kind of viewing we’re planning?” The Funeral Consumers Alliance also explains that embalming is not required by law in most cases and encourages families to ask about refrigeration as an alternative when appropriate.
If your larger plan includes cremation, cost conversations often widen quickly: transportation, paperwork, cremation fees, a service (or not), and then memorial choices like an urn. If you’re also asking how much does cremation cost, Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? can help you see which fees are typical and which are optional add-ons.
When embalming makes sense
Embalming is most often chosen for one of two reasons: time or presentation. If your family wants an open-casket viewing, embalming is commonly recommended because it can help with appearance and maintain stability over a longer visitation window.
Embalming can also make sense when there’s a longer delay before services—especially when scheduling, transport, or extended family travel means you need extra days. Sometimes it’s also used when long-distance transport requirements or logistical constraints make refrigeration impractical. Still, it helps to separate “helpful” from “required.” Funeral.com’s Journal guide Do You Really Need Embalming? walks through when embalming is truly necessary, when it’s optional, and what alternatives can look like.
One compassionate way to decide is to name what you need the most. If what you need is a gentle, familiar viewing because it’s how your family says goodbye, embalming may be the option that supports that goodbye. If what you need is simply time to gather people for a memorial that will be closed-casket—or will happen after cremation—refrigeration may fit better.
When refrigeration makes sense
Refrigeration is often the quieter solution: fewer chemicals, less invasive, and frequently sufficient when the timeline is short or when the service will be closed-casket. It can also be a practical fit for families pursuing green burial preparation or a simple, direct cremation plan.
If you’re wondering how long can a body be refrigerated, the most reliable answer is: it depends on time, facility capability, and local requirements—so ask directly about the number of days included, any per-day charges, and whether there are scheduling constraints. Refrigeration also tends to align well with families who want time for a private family goodbye without a public viewing, or who plan a memorial service after cremation rather than before it.
In many cases, refrigeration is part of “keeping your options open.” It can give you breathing room to decide whether a viewing is necessary, whether the service will be before or after cremation, and how your family wants to handle the memorial pieces that come next.
How these choices connect to cremation and the decisions that follow
Even when a family feels confident about cremation, the days after the cremation can bring a new kind of uncertainty. The cremated remains are returned, and the question becomes less about logistics and more about meaning: Where will they rest? Who will hold them? What will feel comforting a month from now—not just today?
This is where families begin looking for cremation urns for ashes, and where “urn shopping” becomes something more tender than it sounds. If you want a wide starting point, Funeral.com’s Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is designed to help you compare materials and styles without rushing the decision.
Choosing cremation urns for ashes with your real plan in mind
The most helpful question isn’t “What urn is best?” It’s “What are we actually going to do with the ashes?” A home placement plan is different from a cemetery niche plan. A scattering plan is different from a plan that includes traveling by plane. A shared family plan is different from a single-home plan.
If you want a steady walkthrough, Funeral.com’s Journal article Cremation Urns 101 explains types, materials, and how to match an urn to placement—whether that means keeping ashes at home, burial, scattering, or a water burial.
Many families start with a full-size urn, then realize they also want a smaller option for sharing. That’s where small cremation urns and keepsake urns can be gentle solutions rather than emotional flashpoints. Funeral.com’s Small Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is built for families who want a more compact footprint without losing the feeling of permanence. And when the goal is sharing—siblings, children, or multiple households—the Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is designed for holding a symbolic portion.
Small cremation urns vs. keepsake urns: why “small” can mean two different things
A detail that surprises families is that “small” can mean either “compact but significant” or “tiny and symbolic.” Some small cremation urns are meant to hold a meaningful portion with a more discreet display. Keepsake urns are usually designed for a smaller, shareable amount—enough to feel close, without requiring you to divide everything into equal parts. If your family is navigating that emotional math, it’s okay to choose a plan that feels fair rather than perfectly symmetrical.
When you’re ready for a deeper guide on choosing, Funeral.com’s Journal article How to Choose the Best Cremation Urn walks through size, material, and budget considerations in a way that keeps the focus on what families actually do day-to-day.
Pet urns for ashes: honoring a companion who was family
The loss of a pet can change the shape of a home. Bowls stay in the same place out of habit. Walk times feel empty. And then a practical decision arrives: choosing pet urns for ashes that feel worthy of a relationship that was, in every meaningful way, family.
If you want a broad look at options, Funeral.com’s Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes collection includes traditional urns, keepsake sizes, and decorative styles. Some families find comfort in an urn that looks like a classic memorial vessel. Others want something that reflects personality—playful, dignified, unmistakably “them.” That’s where pet cremation urns like figurine designs can feel especially right, and the Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is built for that kind of tribute.
If multiple people want a share, Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes can make the “sharing” conversation gentler. And if you’d like a supportive walkthrough, Funeral.com’s Journal article Pet Urns 101 explains how to choose based on size, style, and how you want to remember your companion.
Cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces: a private way to carry love
Sometimes a shelf feels too public. Or the person who is grieving the most is also the person who can’t sit still in grief—they have to go back to work, back to school drop-off, back to ordinary life. Cremation jewelry can be a quiet bridge between remembrance and daily life, especially pieces like cremation necklaces that hold a very small, symbolic amount.
For families exploring styles, Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry collection includes necklaces, bracelets, charms, and rings designed for secure keeping. If you already know you want a necklace-style tribute, the Cremation Necklaces collection narrows the focus to wearable pendants and designs made for everyday comfort.
Because jewelry is worn and handled, it’s normal to worry about filling and sealing. Funeral.com’s guide Cremation Jewelry 101 explains how pieces are typically filled, sealed, and cared for so you can feel secure about wearing them.
Keeping ashes at home, water burial, and the question of “what now?”
After cremation, many families spend a surprising amount of time circling one decision: keeping ashes at home. It can feel grounding to create a small, respectful place—a photo, a candle, a letter, a memorial urn that feels right. It can also raise real questions: Is it safe? Is it legal? How do we handle visitors, children, or pets?
If that’s where you are, Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home walks through safety, respect, and practical considerations in a steady way. And if you’re still deciding what to do with ashes, the Journal article What to Do With a Loved One’s Ashes compares scattering, burial, home keeping, keepsakes, and jewelry options.
For families drawn to water—an ocean ceremony, a lake, a river, a place that mattered—water burial planning often includes biodegradable urns designed to float briefly and then dissolve, or to sink in a controlled way depending on the design. Funeral.com’s guide Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns explains how these urns work and what to consider for a water ceremony. If you want to browse eco-focused options, the Biodegradable & Eco-Friendly Urns for Ashes collection is curated for families who want a gentler return to nature.
How to make the “right” choice without carrying extra guilt
When families are weighing embalming and refrigeration, they’re rarely only weighing chemistry and energy. They’re weighing what the goodbye needs to look like. They’re weighing who needs time to arrive. They’re weighing budget and beliefs and whether an open-casket viewing will help or hurt. And if cremation is part of the plan, they’re also weighing what happens after—whether the ashes will be kept, shared, scattered, buried, or carried.
One way to reduce pressure is to connect the decisions into a single, realistic timeline. If you’re planning a viewing before cremation and it needs to be open-casket, embalming may support that plan. If the service will be closed-casket, or if the memorial will happen after cremation, refrigeration may be a simpler fit. Then, once cremation is complete, the memorial choices can be handled in a calmer way: choosing cremation urns that fit your home and your values, adding keepsake urns or small cremation urns for sharing, selecting pet urns when the loss is a companion, and exploring cremation jewelry when you want closeness that goes with you.
If you’re feeling stuck, start with the gentlest question: “What will make the next two weeks easier?” Sometimes the best choice is the one that gives your family time, clarity, and a goodbye that feels honest. The rest—how you keep, share, or honor the ashes—can unfold with more steadiness once the immediate rush has passed.
And when you’re ready to move from decisions to options, Funeral.com is here as a guide. You can begin with cremation urns for ashes, compare small cremation urns and keepsake urns, explore pet urns for ashes, or learn about cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces. There’s no “perfect” way to do this—only the way that fits your people, your love, and your life.
