Five Things You Must Do Before Traveling With a Loved One’s Ashes

on October 15, 2014

If your loved one has chosen cremation services and to have their ashes spread in a specific location, chances are that you will need to travel to bring their ashes to their desired destination. Traveling with ashes after cremation services isn’t as simple as packing the ashes in your suitcase, however. Here are five tips you’ll need to know before you transport a loved one’s ashes via plane.

Travel Tips with a Loved One’s Ashes

1. Make Sure the Airline Allows Cremains

While most airlines will allow you to travel with ashes, certain airlines may have guidelines or restrictions that affect how you travel. For example, some may not allow you to carry on the cremains, some may not allow you to check them, and most have guidelines for the type of container the cremation services staff should use.

2. Alert the Airline Ahead of Time

Even if you know that the airline allows you to travel with ashes, you will still want to let the airline know in advance that you will be traveling with them. This will help you reduce or eliminate the chances that you’ll encounter a problem on your travel date.

3. Research Current Laws, Guidelines and Procedures

Laws can vary widely depending on your location, and they are liable to change at any time. Make sure you research the latest laws, guidelines and procedures by speaking to the cremation services staff and the airline and by researching that latest Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements.

4. Bring All Documentation with You

Before you go to board the plane, be sure that you have all of the documentation that you will need. This includes, but is not limited to, the death certificate and the cremation services documentation.

5. Contact the U.S. Embassy if Traveling Overseas

If you are traveling overseas with your loved one’s ashes, don’t forget to check the laws of the country where you are headed. You will likely want to speak with someone at the U.S. Embassy overseas about your cremation services and transportation plans.

We Can Help with the Details

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida wants to help you celebrate the life of your loved one with honor and dignity. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we have your needs covered.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

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How Having a Bucket List Can Change the Way You Live

on August 14, 2014

Most people think of a bucket list as a list of activities to make their lives better in the proverbial “someday,” but did you know that having a bucket list can actually improve your quality of life today? It’s true. Don’t wait until it’s time to start your funeral planning to start your bucket list. Here are four ways that having a bucket list can change the way you live today.

Four Ways a Bucket List Can Make Every Day Better

1. It Will Help You Focus on Your Priorities

Without clear priorities, it is too easy to just spend your money and time frivolously until it’s time to begin your funeral planning. With a bucket list, however, you can start putting your time and your money towards those activities you can’t wait to accomplish before it’s time to start funeral planning.

2. It Will Give You Something to Look Forward To

With work, bills and family responsibilities, it can be easy to fall into a boring routine of doing the same old thing every day until it’s time for funeral planning. This kind of life can seem hopeless. With a bucket list, however, you have goals to look forward to and to strive for.

3. It Will Help You Expand Your Horizons

While making your bucket list, the world is your oyster. You can put absolutely anything on your list that you want. After you fill it in with all the usual things, you may start thinking of new things you would like to try before it’s time to start funeral planning.

4. It Will Help You to Start Taking Steps in a Positive Direction

Without a bucket list, you are stuck with the feeling that things will get better “someday,” but someday never seems to come. Instead, it’s time to start funeral planning before you know it. With a bucket list, however, you have a clear plan of what you want to do, which is the first step in actually making it happen.

Partner With Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida wants to help you remember your loved one the way they would want to be remembered. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we have your needs covered.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

Filed Under: End-of-Life Preperations, Funeral Planning Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Four Ways You Can Prepare Your Child for a Funeral

on August 7, 2014

One of the many decisions you may have to make during the funeral planning process is whether or not you will allow your small children to attend. There are strong arguments on both sides of the issue, and the choice is ultimately up to you. If you do decide to bring your children to a funeral, make sure that you prepare them in advance. Here are four ways you can prepare your child for a funeral as part of your funeral planning process.

Preparing Your Child for a Funeral

1. Explain What Your Child Will See There

Since most small children do not participate in funeral planning, they generally have little idea of what to expect. Spend some time before the big day talking about what your children will see and experience. Prepare them for seeing the body and for all the various reactions that people are likely to have.

2. Spell Out Behavior Expectations

Next, make sure that your child knows exactly how he or she is expected to be behave at the funeral. Oftentimes, something as simple as setting expectations and consequences during the funeral planning process can make a dramatic difference in a child’s behavior. While crying, being upset and getting angry are all acceptable behaviors, running throughout the funeral home and being generally disruptive are not.

3. Answer Any Questions Your Child May Have

Funerals can bring up many questions in children, especially questions about what happens after you die. Handle these questions during the funeral planning process, when you will have time to discuss them properly. If your beliefs differ from others’, you may want to explain their beliefs as well.

4. Keep Your Own Reactions Appropriate

Children generally don’t know how to respond to death and funerals, so they will pick up on subtle cues from you. While it is good to show some emotions, you may want to keep your most vulnerable displays for once they are in bed, if possible. This will help funeral planning go more smoothly for everyone.

We Can Help with Funeral Planning Issues

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida wants to help you remember your loved one the way they would want to be remembered. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we have your needs covered.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

Filed Under: Funeral Planning Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tips for Celebration Slide Shows

on June 27, 2014

If a family or friend member has passed away, then the funeral arrangements become a priority. Many of the traditional methods of ceremonies leave out the memories or the fulfillment of an individual’s life. Today, family and friends are adding into the funeral arrangements with a personal touch for the individual that has passed away. Slide shows are one of the ways that many are embracing the life that one had. If you are planning a slide show with funeral arrangements, then you can use the following tips for a better presentation.

Funeral Arrangement Slide Show Tips

Tip 1: Explore Life. While putting together the slide shows, you will want to look at all areas of the individual’s life. Creating a chronological presentation of the individual with family, career and achievements offers an overview that everyone can honor from the funeral arrangements.

Tip 2: Highlight the Best. A picture is worth a thousand words. Make sure you add in pictures to the slide show that highlight the individual’s life, what made them happiest and what their strongest memories are. This part of funeral arrangementshelps to honor and remember the individual that has passed away.

Tip 3: Add in Favorites. Slide shows have the capability of adding in music, voice overs, poetry and art. You can add in the favorite artistic shows and commentary during slide shows. Doing this with the funeral arrangements creates a memorable collage of the deceased.

Funeral arrangements for an individual that has passed away offers a way to remember and celebrate the life of the deceased. If you want to contribute, then piecing together slide shows in honor of the individual gives a full scope of memories that everyone can embrace.

Learn More

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida helps you through every part of funeral arrangements. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we are prepared to cover all of your needs.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

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What Should You Look For in Cremation Services?

on May 23, 2014

Comparison shopping is advisable under almost any circumstances, but especially so when you’re looking for something as important as cremation services. Doing your research is important because not every company that offers cremation services provides the same level of quality and service. Of course, it’s hard to know what to look for in reliable cremation services. Here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction.

Affordable Cremation Services in Central Florida

Many consumers are looking for value when they are comparing cremation services. While price is important, it shouldn’t necessarily be the final deciding factor. Genuine value comes from a meeting of price and service. While a low price might look attractive on paper, it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for. What is this service provider leaving out in order to offer you that extraordinarily affordable price?

It’s important to ask plenty of questions of any potential provider of cremation services. Some will lure you in with a low price, and you only discover farther down the line that the initial price didn’t include the full package. For instance, the initial quote may not have included the fees for services rendered or the cost of transporting your loved one to the location where the cremation services are performed.

Don’t rush your selection of cremation services providers. Meet with each one in person. If possible, ask to view the cremation facilities. A clean, well organized facility and a compassionate representative can tell you whether or not this service provider is the one you want to use.

Resist the temptation to think that every company that provides cremation services is the same as the next. Even if you like the first provider that you interview, schedule a visit to a second facility. The better informed you are, the better decision you can make. When you do your comparison shopping for cremation services, you can have peace of mind knowing that you made the right decision.

We’re Here to Help.

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida helps you through every detail of funeral planning. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we are prepared to cover all of your needs.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

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Cremation Services: An Ancient Practice in the Modern World

on May 14, 2014

An increasing number of Americans are choosing cremation services instead of burial. The reasons that people choose cremation services are varied. In general, it’s less expensive, and some people say that it’s a greener practice that’s better for the environment.

Trusted Cremation Services in Central Florida

Some people choose cremation services because it is a time honored tradition. In fact, researchers have uncovered evidence that cremation services were first practiced in the early Stone Age. They believe that people living in the Near East and Europe may have been cremating people as early as 3,000 B.C.E.

The practice of using cremation services only grew from there. Late Stone Age peoples across northern Europe and into Russia adopted the practice, which moved south after that and reached Spain.

The ancient Greeks, long recognized for the sophistication and complexity of their culture, also widely used cremation services. According to historians, the Greeks favored the practice because it was considered healthier as well as being a more efficient means of dealing with soldiers slain during war. The Romans followed this practice, but the reluctance of early Christians and Jews to utilize cremation meant that the practice began to fade in the centuries following the birth of Christ.

Cremation services did not see a sizable renaissance until the latter half of the 19th century. Technological improvements perfected by Italian Professor Brunetti in the 1870s made the practice popular in Europe and in North America. Before the decade was out, crematories were being built in the U.K. and America.

Proponents of the movement toward cremation services in the 19th century included medical professionals who felt it was a healthier practice and members of the Protestant clergy. Many early crematories were operated by cremation societies, the members of which were concerned citizens who believed in the health and efficacy of the practice.

Today, almost 2,000 crematories are operating in America alone. That number is expected to rise as more people are drawn to cremation services.

We’re Here to Help.

Baldwin Brothers Cremation Society of Central Florida helps you through every detail of funeral planning. With everything from flower arrangements to memorabilia and urns & caskets, we are prepared to cover all of your needs.

Proudly Serving Central Florida

Winter Park – (407) 569-0992

New Smyrna Beach – (386) 957-1693

Lady Lake – (352) 639-2563

Filed Under: Cremation Services Tagged With: , , ,