Choosing A Cremation Urn

Choosing Tasteful Cremation Urns

Selecting specialty urns for ashes is a deeply personal choice. Whether you are pre-arranging your own cremation service or making arrangements for a loved one who has just passed away, the urn you select will serve as the final resting place for the remains. At Potomac Valley Cremation Center, we understand that everyone has their own unique tastes, styles and budgets. Our staff has handpicked a large selection of beautiful and tasteful cremation urns made from various materials to ensure we have the perfect one for your loved one’s remains.


To help you through this process, we have compiled information about selecting a cremation urn to help make your decision easier.

Cremation Urns Image of Urn
Cremation Urns Image of Urn
Cremation Urns Image of Urn

Choosing an Urn Based on What You Want to Do With The Ashes

There are many possibilities for what you will do with the remains of a loved one. The two most common options are spreading them in a meaningful place or displaying the urn at home. Other popular options include water burial, cemetery burial, or interning it in a columbarium.


Spreading Ashes

A popular method of caring for the remains is to spread them in an area that was meaningful and significant to the deceased. Common places to spread the ashes are along a favorite hiking trail or in a lake they enjoyed spending time on. It’s important to research local laws and check with the proper authorities before spreading the ashes.



If you are interested in spreading the ashes of your loved one, we recommend purchasing a simple brass, wooden, or biodegradable urn.


Display The Urn In Your Home

For some people, they find comfort in having the urn and remains stored in their home. Many choose to select an urn and display it in a room alongside family photographs or other personal items. For others, they choose to keep the urn in a private place in their home and visit it when they want to feel connected to their loved one.


This method of disposition presents the opportunity to select many different styles of urns. Some of our most popular choices include ceramic, glass, stone sculpture, military, sports themed, or companion urns. For more information on specialty urns for ashes, please speak to a member of our staff.


Bury In A Cemetery Plot

Burying the urn is another common way to care for the remains. Many cemeteries offer burial gardens where you can spread the ashes alongside others in a community garden. Another popular option is to purchase a plot and bury the urns within it. For most cemeteries, an urn vault must be purchased to ensure the soil above and around the urn will not collapse.


If you are interested in a cemetery burial, we recommend using a biodegradable or wooden urn. For more information about urn vaults, please speak with a member of our staff.

Water Urn Burial

For those that enjoyed spending time on the water, a water burial is a popular choice for many families. This can be done by selecting an urn that is built for water and biodegradable. Most products will float when first placed in the water before slowly sinking and eventually dissolving and allowing the ashes to spread.

If you are interested in a water urn burial, we recommend purchasing one of our biodegradable urns. We offer a selection of different biodegradable urns designed specifically for water burial.


Internment In A Columbarium

It is not uncommon for people to not feel comfortable storing the cremated remains at home or spreading them in a special place. Interment in a columbarium allows your family to store the urn in a structure at a cemetery. Typically, this service is offered at a cheaper rate than purchasing a burial plot.


Internment is a columbarium is another popular method that presents many choices. We recommend purchasing a ceramic, brass, wooden, or glass urn for this method of disposition.

Factors To Consider When Selecting An Urn

Where Will The Urn Be Stored?

If you are not planning on spreading the ashes, you should decide where you are planning to store them. If you will be displaying them in your home, you may want to select an urn that is tasteful and matches the décor of the room. If the urn will be kept in a private area, you may want to choose one that is more personalized to your loved one. Finally, if you plan on burying the ashes, a biodegradable urn may be exactly what you need.


What Will The Urn Be Made Of?

Our wide selection of urns is available in a variety of materials. After you have decided where you plan to store the remains, you can select what material the urn will be made from. Some of the most popular choices for cremation urns are wooden urns, ceramic urns, brass urns, and glass urns. We also offer specialty urns like sports themed, military themed, and companion urns.

How Big Does a Crematory Urn Need To Be?

Depending on the size of the deceased, you may need a larger urn. The standard rule of thumb is 1 pound of body weight takes up 1 cubic inch. For instance, if the deceased weighed 195 lbs, their remains would take up 195 cubic inches. Most urns have a capacity of 200-220 cubic inches of space and can hold most individuals. If you are interested in having your remains stored alongside a spouse or partner, a companion urn is typically double the size and has 400 cubic inches of space.

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