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With such a wide range of cremation urns for ashes to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin. This page offers some practical advice to guide you in the right direction. 

How will the urn be used?

Apart from the obvious, you need to ask yourself what you will do with the urn once it’s filled with your loved one’s ashes. Here are some options and why what you choose to do makes a difference when choosing. 

Keeping the urn at home: Perhaps you will opt to display the urn in your home to honour your loved one. Urns that are used for this can be made of a wide range of materials from resin to stone, marble, wood or even biodegradable materials.

Scattering ashes: You might choose a scattering urn with a top opening to allow you to scatter the ashes more easily. After scattering, you or your family may collect special keepsakes within the urn.

A water or natural burial: Biodegradable urns that are made from recycled materials are designed specifically to break down naturally. If you choose a water burial, perhaps you want to take a look at cremation urns in NZ that are water soluble.  If a land burial is more what you’re looking for, you can choose a biodegradable urn that could be buried or displayed.

What size?

Now that you know what type of urn you need, you need to work out what size you need. In general, for an adult urn, you will need approximately one cubic inch of space for every pound of body weight for the deceased. If in doubt, it’s best to go with a larger one. The size of an urn is up to personal preference. There is no such thing as an urn that is too big. It’s more important that the urn you purchase is large enough unless you’re planning to keep it in a place that is especially resorted in size.

If you have any extra questions or would like to take a look at our selection of cremation urns for ashes, please get in touch.