When families ask about a companion urn, they’re usually asking two questions at once: “How does this work?” and “Will this feel right?” A double urn can be practical—two sets of cremated remains, one shared memorial—but it’s also deeply symbolic. It’s a way to say, in a single object, that a relationship mattered, that a story was shared, and that love doesn’t suddenly become separate just because time did.
Companion urns (sometimes called a double cremation urn, an urn for two, or a “two-person urn”) are designed to hold two individuals’ cremated remains in one memorial. Some styles hold both sets of remains in a single larger chamber. Others keep them side-by-side in separate compartments, or come as a coordinated pair meant to be displayed together. You can browse Funeral.com’s Companion Urns for Ashes collection to see how varied the designs can be, from warm wooden “memory box” styles to sleek metal urns and soft, ceramic-inspired finishes.
This guide is here to help you choose with clarity—especially if you’re balancing grief, logistics, and family dynamics all at once. Along the way, you’ll see how companion urns relate to other familiar options like cremation urns, keepsake urns, small cremation urns, and cremation jewelry, and how all of these can fit into thoughtful funeral planning.
Why companion urns have become more common
Cremation is now the majority choice for many families in the U.S., which naturally means more people are making decisions about what happens next—where the ashes will be kept, shared, scattered, buried, or placed in a niche. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025, and NFDA projects continued growth in coming decades. The Cremation Association of North America similarly reports a 61.8% U.S. cremation rate for 2024 and projects continued increases in the years ahead.
Those numbers matter because they reflect a shift in what families need. More families are choosing home memorials, scattering ceremonies, shared keepsakes, and flexible plans that evolve over time. On the same NFDA statistics page, a detail often surprises people: among those who prefer cremation, NFDA reports that many would like their remains kept in an urn at home, and some would like them split among relatives. That “split among relatives” option is one reason companion urns, matching urn sets, and keepsake sharing plans have become part of everyday conversations instead of niche requests.
What a companion urn actually is
A companion urn is a memorial urn designed for two people. In real life, that might mean spouses, siblings, parent and adult child, lifelong friends, or any relationship where families want the remains ultimately kept together. Companion urns generally come in three main styles:
- Single-chamber companion urns, where both sets of remains are placed in the same large interior space.
- Dual-compartment companion urns, where each person’s remains has its own separate chamber inside one urn.
- Side-by-side companion sets, where two full-size urns are matched and displayed together to symbolize togetherness without physically combining remains.
The right style often depends on timing. Many couples choose a companion urn while one person is still living, as part of proactive funeral planning. Others choose it after the first death, hoping to reduce future decisions for surviving family members. And some families choose a companion urn after both people have died, when they’re finalizing long-term placement in a niche, cemetery, or home memorial.
The question that matters most: combined urn or separate keepsakes?
It’s common to assume there’s a “correct” answer—one shared urn, because that feels like togetherness. But families are rarely simple, and grief can make “togetherness” look different for different people. Sometimes one combined urn feels perfect. Other times, separate urns (or a shared plan that includes keepsakes) is what keeps peace in the family and prevents regret later.
When a shared companion urn tends to feel right
A single memorial can feel comforting when a couple had a long partnership, when a family has a clear plan for final placement, or when both individuals wanted the same kind of remembrance. A shared urn can also reduce decision fatigue: one place to visit, one placement to coordinate, one item to protect and care for. If you’re early in the process and still choosing, it can help to first browse the wider range of Cremation Urns for Ashes so you see what “normal” sizes and styles look like before you decide on a double capacity option.
When separate urns (or a shared plan with keepsakes) can be kinder
There are situations where one shared chamber feels complicated—blended families, estranged relatives, adult children who want a personal memorial, or long-distance families where people want a way to honor both individuals without traveling. In those cases, many families choose one primary urn plus a plan for small cremation urns or keepsake urns so everyone has a meaningful connection.
Funeral.com’s collections for Small Cremation Urns for Ashes and Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes are especially helpful when you want a shared memorial approach without forcing everyone into one emotional model of grief. And if someone wants a memorial that travels with them into daily life—work trips, anniversaries, quiet mornings—cremation jewelry can be part of a balanced plan rather than a replacement for an urn.
How companion urn sizing works
Companion urn sizing is where many families feel stuck, because suddenly they’re dealing with cubic inches and capacity charts at the exact moment they’d rather not be doing math. The most common rule used by funeral professionals is the “one cubic inch per pound” guideline, which you can explore more gently in Funeral.com’s sizing guide: What Size Urn Do I Need?
For a companion urn, you generally add the two estimated capacities together and then give yourself a little buffer. For example, if one person was around 160 pounds and the other around 140, a combined capacity of at least 300 cubic inches is a reasonable starting point—often more, depending on the urn style and whether you want extra room for ease of transfer. Many companion urns are built specifically for this, which is why they’re often described as “large” or “double” capacity.
If you want a deeper sense of what cremated remains actually are (and why volume planning matters), Funeral.com’s Human Ashes 101 explains that “ashes” are primarily processed bone fragments—a detail also discussed by industry educators like CANA. The point isn’t to be clinical; it’s to help you choose a container that won’t create stress during transfer day.
And if the idea of transferring remains makes your stomach drop, you’re not alone. Many families choose an urn and then realize they don’t know how the transfer actually happens. This is where a calm, step-by-step resource can help: From Temporary Container to Permanent Urn walks through how families handle transfers without turning the moment into something scary.
Materials that work well for companion urns
The materials you choose should match your plan, not just your taste. Some families want an urn that will live in the home for decades. Others want an urn intended for burial or niche placement. And some families want a “for now” plan—keeping ashes at home while they decide on a cemetery, a scattering ceremony, or a future placement when both loved ones have died.
If you want a broad, practical comparison, Funeral.com’s Cremation Urn Materials Guide is a helpful companion read. For companion urns specifically, these materials tend to come up most:
Wood companion urns
Wood companion urns often feel warm and “home-like,” especially in box styles that resemble a memory chest rather than an object people associate with death. They’re also easier to place on a shelf or in a cabinet without feeling visually harsh. Wood can be a wonderful choice for home memorials and for families who want a piece that blends into everyday life.
Metal companion urns
Metal urns—brass, bronze, stainless steel—tend to feel sturdy and timeless. They’re often chosen when families want long-term durability or anticipate eventual placement in a niche or cemetery setting. If your family expects to move homes or relocate remains later, metal can offer peace of mind because it generally tolerates handling and travel better than more fragile materials.
Ceramic and stone-inspired companion urns
Ceramic and stone-inspired designs often feel artistic, calm, and personal. Some families choose these when they want the urn to feel like décor or art rather than a “container.” The tradeoff is that ceramic can be more vulnerable to impact, so if you have young children, pets, or frequent moving, you’ll want to place it thoughtfully and consider how it will be handled over time.
Personalization: names, dates, and the details that make it feel real
A companion urn is one of the few memorial objects where personalization can feel especially meaningful, because it acknowledges two lives at once. Families often choose engraving with both names, dates, or a shared phrase—something that reflects the relationship rather than just individual identity. If personalization is part of your plan, Funeral.com’s Engravable Cremation Urns for Ashes collection can help you focus on options designed for that purpose.
In practical terms, personalization can also reduce confusion later. When a memorial is clearly marked, it’s easier for future generations to understand what it is, how it should be treated, and why it matters. That’s especially important if your family is choosing keeping ashes at home now with the intention of future placement elsewhere.
How companion urns fit into real-world funeral planning
Many families don’t realize until they’re in it that urn selection is only one part of a bigger decision tree: service planning, timing, family travel, paperwork, and cost. If you’re in the stage where you’re also asking how much does cremation cost, it can help to separate “service costs” from “memorial items,” because families often blend those categories in their minds and feel overwhelmed. Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost? breaks the cost conversation into understandable pieces, without implying there’s a single “right” budget.
For broader context, the NFDA reports on its statistics page that the median cost of a funeral with cremation in 2023 was $6,280 (and $8,300 for burial with viewing). You can see that data directly from the National Funeral Directors Association. Numbers don’t make grief easier, but clear expectations can reduce financial panic when decisions feel urgent.
In companion urn decisions, the most common planning challenge is timing: what happens after the first person dies, if the intention is a shared urn later? Some families choose a dual-compartment urn and place one set of remains in one side, leaving the other compartment empty until the second death. Others prefer a single-chamber urn only after both deaths, and in the meantime they use a standard-size urn for the first person, or distribute a small portion into keepsake urns for family members. There’s no wrong answer—just choices that fit your family structure and emotional reality.
Keeping ashes at home, sharing, and what to do with ashes when you’re not ready
One of the quiet truths of grief is that families often need time before making permanent decisions. It’s common to keep ashes at home for months or even years—especially when the plan involves two people and the timeline is unknown. If you’re considering keeping ashes at home, Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home covers placement, safety, and how to navigate different comfort levels within the family.
And if you’re still asking the bigger, heavier question—what to do with ashes—you might find it comforting to start with a clear overview. Human Ashes 101 walks through the options in a way that makes space for uncertainty, which is often the most honest place families are standing.
Water burial, scattering, and legal considerations
Some companion urn decisions are connected to ceremony: a planned scattering at sea, a lakeside farewell, or a future ritual when both partners have died. Families sometimes assume they can simply “go to the beach” and release ashes, but rules can apply—especially in U.S. ocean waters.
For sea ceremonies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that burial at sea under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act has specific conditions, including that placement must occur at least three nautical miles from shore. You can read the guidance directly from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If this is part of your plan, Funeral.com’s guide Scattering Ashes at Sea can help you think through wind, timing, vessel options, and how families build a meaningful moment around the practicalities.
When families say “water burial,” they may mean different things: scattering into water, using a biodegradable water urn, or holding a ceremony near water while keeping ashes intact. If you want a gentle, step-by-step sense of how these ceremonies often unfold, Understanding What Happens During a Water Burial Ceremony offers a grounded walkthrough without turning your goodbye into a checklist.
Where cremation jewelry and keepsakes fit in companion plans
A companion urn is a “together” choice, but many families also need “individual” comfort—something each person can hold in their own way. That’s where cremation necklaces and other cremation jewelry can complement a shared urn plan. It’s not uncommon for one person to want the shared urn at home while another prefers a tiny portion in jewelry so they can feel close without needing to visit a single location.
If you’re exploring those options, you can browse Cremation Jewelry and Cremation Necklaces, and you may also find it helpful to read Cremation Jewelry 101, which explains what these pieces are (and what they aren’t) in a way that respects the emotional weight behind the decision.
A note for families navigating pet loss alongside human loss
Sometimes companion urn questions arise in blended grief—when a person dies and a beloved pet dies within the same season of life, or when a pet’s ashes have already been part of a home memorial and the family wants a plan that keeps the household’s story together. While companion urns are typically designed for two people, the broader idea—one primary memorial plus shared keepsakes—often applies just as strongly in pet loss.
If your family is also choosing pet urns, Funeral.com’s collections can help you compare styles and sizes without guessing: Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes, Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes, and Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes. These are especially helpful if you’re looking for pet urns for ashes that feel personal—something that reflects a pet’s personality rather than feeling generic or purely functional.
Choosing a companion urn with confidence
If you’re trying to choose a companion urn while grieving, it may help to remember this: you don’t need to solve every future decision today. Many families choose a “for now” plan that still honors love—one that leaves room for time, family conversations, and the reality that grief changes shape. Companion urns can be beautifully final, but they can also be part of a flexible approach that includes cremation urns for ashes now, keepsake urns for sharing, and a future ceremony when the moment is right.
If you’d like a deeper read that ties memorial choices to placement decisions—home, cemetery, scattering, travel—Funeral.com’s guide How to Choose a Cremation Urn That Fits Your Plans is designed for exactly that kind of clarity.
And if you’re ready to explore companion options specifically, start with Companion Urns for Ashes, then keep your focus on three grounding questions: Where will the memorial live? Do we want togetherness in one container or togetherness in a shared plan? And what choice will make this season of life gentler for the people who remain?
Those questions don’t erase grief. But they can help you choose a memorial that feels like love—steady, practical, and true to the relationship you’re honoring.
