Virtual Funerals

In 2020, virtual funerals and live streaming became a growing trend. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual funeral services have exploded. Simply out of necessity, most funeral homes now offer some sort of streaming service, or at least accommodation for it.

The digital age comes with many benefits, including the ability to attend events via live stream. You can probably set this up yourself with a smartphone and an app such as Zoom, Periscope, Facebook Live, or Google Hangouts.

For 2021 funeral trends, look for more services that offer professional live streaming for small to medium sized events such as funerals and memorial services. You’ll probably be able to find a streaming service locally by searching in your area.

Personalised Services

As funeral trends have moved away from staid traditionalism, personalisation of the funeral service has become the new norm.

If you’re a family member planning or arranging a funeral, this is a good trend to take into account while you’re thinking about what you want.

Remember, you have the freedom to choose exactly which products and services you think fit best with your needs and the individual. Plus, with time and research, you can find just about any product you can imagine, from plantable cremation urns that grow a tree to custom engraved wall-mounted plaque urns.

Direct Cremation

Direct cremation is the most affordable mainstream disposition option. It’s affordable because all the body preparation and full-body funeral service options are simply bypassed – the body of the decedent is cremated “directly” after death.

The “direct” part makes this a very low-cost options, and that’s why you’ll hear about it more and more as an emerging mainstream funeral trend.

The advantage of this option, aside from the immediate savings, is that the family can hold on to the remains until memorial service, scattering, or funeral arrangements can be made.

This allows time for a custom cremation urn to be built, travel arrangements made, charter boat for ocean scattering to be arranged, chapel or community center to be rented, etc.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen more funeral homes own and operate their own crematorium, or partner closely with a crematorium, to offer direct cremation services. So while you may find some independent crematoriums, often you’ll get the same thing with a similar price by going to a funeral home. Just remember to a little and compare prices.

Green Funerals

As consumers have become more aware of the effect we humans have on the environment, eco-friendly and sustainable options have come to be a priority for many.

This trend has been felt in the funeral industry, with the rise of green burial practices, eco-friendly cremation urns and caskets, and a growing sensitivity towards to issues regarding waste, renewal, and sustainability.

Here are some resources for green funeral products:

Biodegradable Water Scattering Urns
Biodegradable Ground Burial Urns
Eco-Friendly Woven Caskets
Recycled Plantable Seed Paper Funeral Invitations
Biodegradable Dove Balloons for balloon release
Funeral Flowers: Source all flowers from local growers

At-Home Funerals

The DIY generation is learning how to do funerals at home. Advocates of the movement say it helps the family process their grief, as they are personally involved in taking care of their loved one’s body.

A “home funeral” cuts down many of the common funeral costs. And it can be much more eco-friendly, with simple freezer packs used to cool the body and slow down decomposition in place of embalming.

In the U.S. Help-at-home services such as Death Midwifery are becoming more commonplace as well, in which a “Death Doula” or “End of Life Doula” helps out with the home funeral in a similar way as a traditional midwife with home birth.

Natural Burial

Hand-in-hand with the DIY trend is the natural, earth-and-humanity-conscious trend. No more formaldehyde, no more expensive flowers imported from countries with horrible business practices, no more overpriced fancy caskets that just get buried in the ground to waste away.

For the final disposition of the body or remains, there are several options. You can use a biodegradable burial urn, an eco-friendly scattering urn, a bamboo casket, or even just an organic cotton burial shroud. The idea behind this funeral trend is to keep it simple, natural, and earth-friendly.

Memorial Gardens

Community gardens are starting to pop up everywhere. This is a great trend that emphasizes community, eco-consciousness, giving, serving, and of course delicious locally grown and healthy foods.

A community garden can become a memorial garden (officially or unofficially) when someone donates land for the purpose, provides a memorial bench for an existing garden, or simply invites friends and family to spend time gardening at the community garden in honor of a loved one.

Gardening is a great physical activity that allows you to move at your own pace. It also provides something constructive for a spouse to do after the passing of their loved one.

Look for more community memorial garden ideas to come along, including compost-based renewal, special gardens for the scattering of ashes, memorial flower gardens, memorial vegetable gardens, front lawn gardens, and more.

Many thanks to urnsonline.com for the info in this article.

2021 Funeral Trends