There’s a moment many families don’t expect: the day the cremated remains come home. It may be a simple handoff at the funeral home, or a delivery box you set on the kitchen table. Either way, the questions arrive fast. What’s appropriate? What’s legal? What will feel comforting a year from now—not just today? If you’re searching for what to do with cremation ashes, you’re not alone. In fact, cremation is now the majority choice in the United States. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected at 63.4% for 2025 (with burial projected at 31.6%), and NFDA projects cremation will reach 82.3% by 2045. And the Cremation Association of North America reports the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024, with continued growth projected through 2029.
Those numbers matter for one reason: millions of families are standing where you are, trying to translate love into a plan. The good news is that there isn’t one “right” answer. There are a handful of common paths, each with its own emotional logic, practical steps, and timeline. You can choose one, combine a few, or decide slowly. And if part of your worry is the terminology—adult urn vs. keepsake vs. niche vs. vault—you’ll find a plain-English glossary at the end to help with cremation urn terminology so you can shop and plan with confidence.
Start with the two questions that make everything simpler
When families feel overwhelmed, it’s often because they’re trying to decide ten things at once. Instead, begin with two gentle questions: Where do we want the cremated remains to rest most of the time, and do we want to keep any portion for the family? Those answers naturally point you toward the most common options: keeping ashes at home, placing the urn in a columbarium niche, burying the urn, scattering on land, scattering at sea as a form of water burial, or creating small keepsakes like cremation jewelry.
If you’re early in grief, it can help to hear this clearly: you don’t have to decide immediately. Many families keep the ashes in the temporary container for a while, then move forward when their minds feel steadier. If you want a calm walkthrough of what’s normal when remains are returned—how they’re packaged, what paperwork to expect, and what “moving at your pace” can look like—Funeral.com’s guide What to Expect When You Receive Cremation Ashes can help.
Option one: Keep an urn at home
For many families, the most comforting choice is also the simplest: choose a permanent urn and place it somewhere safe at home. A shelf, a cabinet, a small memorial corner with a framed photo—these quiet spaces can become anchors. If this path speaks to you, you’ll likely start by browsing cremation urns that feel like your person: classic, modern, artistic, understated, colorful, rustic, or symbolic.
The practical part is mainly about stability and protection. You want a location that’s dry, away from direct heat or humidity, and unlikely to be bumped. If there are kids or pets in the home, a higher shelf or enclosed cabinet can reduce accidents without making the memorial feel hidden. If you’re deciding between a full-size urn and a smaller one, it may help to browse categories first. Funeral.com’s Cremation Urns for Ashes collection is a good starting point for an adult urn, while Small Cremation Urns for Ashes and Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes are often the easiest fit if you’re sharing or creating a smaller at-home footprint.
Some families worry about whether it’s “okay” to keep ashes at home. In many places, it is, but comfort levels can vary within families and cultures. If you want help navigating safety, etiquette, and the human side of visitors and household routines, Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally addresses the real-world questions families ask out loud—and the ones they whisper to themselves.
Option two: Place the urn in a columbarium niche
If your family wants a dedicated place to visit—something more permanent than a home shelf, but less involved than a graveside burial—columbarium placement can feel like a steady middle ground. A columbarium is a structure designed for urns, and each individual space is called a niche. In plain terms, if you’re searching columbarium meaning or inurnment definition, think of it as “a secure memorial wall (or room) with labeled compartments for urns.” Merriam-Webster defines a columbarium as a structure lined with recesses for urns. Merriam-Webster
Columbarium niches can be outdoors or indoors, and rules vary by cemetery, church, or memorial park. Some allow one urn; others allow companion placement. Sizes are not universal, which is why one of the most important steps is to confirm niche dimensions before choosing an urn—especially if you’re considering small cremation urns or a compact “niche urn.” Dignity Memorial notes that niches are typically between 9 and 12 inches square, and that individual vs. companion niches can differ. Dignity Memorial
If you’re weighing this option, Funeral.com’s practical guide Choosing a Cremation Urn: Size, Material, Price, and Columbarium Niche Tips can help you match your plan to the right urn type without guesswork.
Option three: Bury the urn in a cemetery or on private property
Some families choose cremation for flexibility, but still want a burial location—either in a family plot, a cemetery section designed for cremated remains, or a place with generational meaning. An urn can be buried in the ground (sometimes with a marker), placed in a family grave, or interred in a dedicated urn garden. In cemeteries, you may hear terms like “inurnment” used for placing cremated remains in a niche or sometimes for urn burial in a designated area.
On the practical side, cemeteries often have requirements about containers, depth, and markers. You may also hear about an urn vault. In simple terms, an urn vault is an outer protective container—similar in concept to a burial vault—that can help support the ground above and protect the urn. Requirements vary widely by cemetery, so the best rule is to ask before you purchase the urn. If your cemetery requires a specific size or a vault, that information will shape what to buy.
If you’re helping a family make these decisions while also planning a service, it can help to step back and view the urn decision as part of funeral planning rather than a separate task. Funeral.com’s guide How to Plan a Funeral in 7 Steps shows how disposition choices, timing, and memorial preferences fit together without pressure.
Option four: Scatter ashes on land
For families drawn to meaning over permanence, scattering can feel like a true goodbye: a lake cabin, a mountain overlook, a garden, a place where your person felt most like themselves. If you’re searching for scatter ashes options or what to do with ashes, this is often the choice that comes up first—and it’s deeply personal.
The practical part is mostly about permission and kindness. On private property, ask the owner. In public spaces, check local rules and choose a time that’s quiet and respectful. For national parks, rules can be park-specific and may require a permit. One example: the National Park Service notes that scattering cremated remains at Lassen Volcanic National Park requires a special use permit and includes restrictions meant to protect visitors and natural resources. National Park Service
Families often find that the container matters more than they expected. A scattering tube or scattering urn can make the moment calmer—less like “handling a bag” and more like a small ceremony. If you’re planning to keep a portion for home or for siblings, it’s common to divide the remains and use keepsake urns alongside scattering. That’s one reason families browse keepsake urns even when they don’t plan to keep a full-size urn long term.
Option five: Scatter ashes at sea as a form of water burial
Scattering at sea can be peaceful, simple, and profoundly symbolic—especially for someone who loved the ocean, boating, or a coastal hometown. People sometimes use the phrase water burial to describe a ceremony where cremated remains are scattered on the water or placed in a biodegradable urn designed to sink and break down naturally.
In the United States, the EPA regulates burial at sea under the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act. The EPA explains that the general permit does not require an application in advance, but it does require notification within 30 days after the burial at sea, and it includes distance-from-shore guidance. The EPA also notes that the general permit is for human remains only—not pet ashes. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
If this option fits your family, the right vessel can reduce anxiety and increase dignity. Biodegradable water urns are designed for this purpose, and Funeral.com’s guide Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns walks through what they are, how they work, and how to plan a sea-scattering ceremony with practical care.
Option six: Create keepsakes and cremation jewelry
Sometimes the most healing choice isn’t about where the ashes go—it’s about what you keep close. Families may divide a small portion into keepsake urns, or choose cremation jewelry so one person can carry a tangible reminder day to day. This can be especially meaningful in complicated grief, long-distance families, or situations where there’s no single “home base” for visiting.
There’s also a practical kindness in this option: it can reduce tension when multiple family members want access to the remains. Instead of choosing between one person’s home and another’s, a few small keepsakes can let everyone grieve in a way that feels personal.
If you’re exploring jewelry, start with categories that match how you’ll wear it. Funeral.com’s Cremation Jewelry collection includes several styles, while Cremation Necklaces focuses specifically on wearable pendants designed to hold a tiny amount. If you want a clear, practical explanation of how pieces are filled, sealed, and worn, Funeral.com’s guide Cremation Jewelry 101 is a strong starting point.
When the ashes are for a beloved pet
Grief for a pet can be just as real—and sometimes harder to “place” socially—because the bond is so daily and intimate. The choices, though, are familiar: a memorial urn at home, a garden burial (where permitted), keepsakes for family members, or even a piece of jewelry. If you’re searching for pet urns or pet urns for ashes, it can help to start with collections that match your pet’s personality and your memorial style.
Funeral.com’s Pet Cremation Urns for Ashes collection includes traditional and decorative options. If you want something more sculptural, Pet Figurine Cremation Urns for Ashes can feel like a gentle way to keep their presence in the home. And if multiple people want a portion—kids, siblings, or a co-owner—Pet Keepsake Cremation Urns for Ashes are designed for exactly that: a small, shareable tribute.
One important note if you’re considering scattering at sea: the EPA’s burial-at-sea guidance is for human remains and does not apply to pet ashes under that general permit. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
How cost fits into the decision
Even when families try not to think about money, cost can shape choices—especially when a death is unexpected. If you’re asking how much does cremation cost, the honest answer is that prices vary by location and by the type of services included (direct cremation vs. cremation with viewing and ceremony). NFDA reports a national median cost in 2023 of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation (not including cemetery costs). National Funeral Directors Association
For a more detailed, family-friendly breakdown—including common fees and ways costs change depending on service choices—Funeral.com’s How Much Does Cremation Cost in the U.S.? guide can help you plan without surprises.
If you’re planning ahead rather than responding to a loss, it can be especially helpful to write down an “ashes plan” as part of funeral planning. Families often underestimate how much conflict this one unanswered question can cause. Funeral.com’s How to Preplan a Funeral guide explains the difference between preplanning and prepaying and shows how to record your wishes in a way your loved ones can actually follow.
Cremation urn terminology glossary
If you’ve ever felt like you needed a translator just to browse urns, this glossary is for you. These are the terms families most often encounter when deciding where to put cremains and how to shop for cremation urns for ashes.
Plain-English glossary of urn and disposition terms
- Cremains
- Another word for cremated remains. Families and professionals use it as shorthand for “the ashes.”
- Temporary urn or temporary container
- The container you often receive right after cremation if you haven’t chosen a permanent urn yet. It’s normal to keep ashes here until you’re ready.
- Adult urn (full-size urn)
- A standard urn designed to hold the full amount of cremated remains for one adult (capacity varies by product and person). This is what many people mean when they say cremation urns or cremation urns for ashes.
- Small cremation urns
- Smaller-capacity urns used when you’re sharing remains, memorializing a child, or keeping a partial amount at home. Often used interchangeably with keepsakes, though some small urns still hold a meaningful portion rather than a “token” amount.
- Keepsake urns
- Very small urns designed to hold a small portion of ashes so multiple people can each have a tribute. Families often pair keepsake urns with scattering or with a full-size urn.
- Companion urn
- An urn designed to hold the cremated remains of two people (often spouses). Some columbarium niches are built for this, but you must confirm niche sizing first.
- Scattering urn or scattering tube
- A container designed to make scattering easier and more controlled, especially outdoors or over water.
- Biodegradable urn
- An urn made to break down naturally over time, often used for water burial or eco-focused burial and scattering plans.
- Columbarium
- A structure designed with compartments for urns. Each compartment is called a niche. (If you want a formal definition, see Merriam-Webster.)
- Niche
- The individual “space” in a columbarium where an urn is placed. Niche sizes and rules vary widely, so confirm before purchasing an urn.
- Inurnment
- The act of placing an urn in its final location—most commonly in a columbarium niche, but sometimes used more broadly for urn burial.
- Urn vault
- A protective outer container sometimes required by cemeteries for in-ground placement of an urn. Requirements vary by location.
- Cremation jewelry
- Memorial jewelry designed to hold a tiny portion of ashes. This can include cremation necklaces, bracelets, rings, or charms.
- Pet cremation urns
- Urns designed for a pet’s cremated remains. Families often choose styles that reflect the pet’s personality, including traditional designs, pet urns for ashes, and figurine memorials.
A closing reminder: you’re allowed to move slowly
When you’re deciding what to do with ashes, you’re not only making a practical choice—you’re translating a relationship into a ritual. Some families know immediately. Others need months. Many change their minds. All of that is normal.
If you want to start gently, begin by browsing options without pressure: cremation urns for ashes for a full-size tribute, small cremation urns and keepsake urns for sharing, cremation jewelry for something wearable, and pet urns for ashes if you’re honoring a beloved companion. The right plan is the one that helps your family breathe a little easier—today, and in the years ahead.
