How to Plan a Cremation Online: Step-by-Step

What is an Online Cremation Ceremony? 

When you lose a loved one, the traditional way of arranging for a funeral is by doing so with the assistance of a funeral director. However, ever since the pandemic, online cremation has become more common in households across America. An online cremation service is a way by which you can plan the cremation process of your loved one entirely virtually. By enlisting this service, an online Funeral Arranger will take over and, in the midst of all the turmoil, help you arrange a dignified send-off for your loved one.

How to Plan an Online Cremation

If you are planning an online cremation for a loved one, you can follow the steps mentioned below:

• Pick a Date: You must start by picking a date for the virtual cremation by accounting for family members’ and friends’ availability. As much as possible, make sure to set the date at least 3-5 days before the actual ceremony so that you have enough time to fit all the pieces of the ceremony together.

• Allocate Roles: When organizing an online cremation, make sure you delegate various roles well in advance. These include:

1. Host: You will most importantly need someone to anchor the virtual cremation. The host is responsible for deciding the events’ schedule and preparing an introduction for the ceremony. In addition, while the ceremony is underway, the host must introduce each speaker before they pay tribute and thank each speaker for their words of condolence.
2. Speakers: Often, a host of people may wish to offer words of condolence during a virtual cremation ceremony. The organizer has to decide on the list of speakers and allocate time to each speaker.
3. Technical Support: When it comes to an online cremation ceremony, a number of video conferencing applications can be used. The person in charge of technical support must, beforehand, decide on the applications to be used, schedule the video conference call, and act as the point of contact in case of any technical snags. While the ceremony is underway, this person must monitor the application and is also responsible for muting and unmuting participants.

• Share Details of the Virtual Cremation Ceremony: When you use an online memorial page, you can upload videos, photographs, and other associated memories of your deceased loved one. In addition to displaying the time, date, and link to the virtual cremation ceremony, friends and family of the deceased can post tribute messages on such platforms.

• Online Event Pages: When planning an online cremation ceremony, it helps create an online event page – whereby attendees can RSVP and ask any questions they have about the event. On this page, you can post all pertinent details of the ceremony, including the date, time, order of events, and even a link to the event.

• Send Out Invitations: Once you have completed the steps listed above, you must proceed by sending out invitations to all family members, friends, and acquaintances. To ensure that a maximum number of people can attend the ceremony and pay their condolences to your loved one, ensure that you send out the invitations at least two days in advance.

• Conduct a Dry Run: A day or two before the actual ceremony, you can conduct a dry run to ensure everything goes according to plan. This can include a test run of all the speeches by every speaker, making sure the technical arrangements are seamless, and checking with the attendees to get a headcount of how many are actually planning to attend the online cremation ceremony.

Paying Homage Virtually

While many families still prefer the traditional way of holding a funeral/cremation ceremony for their deceased loved ones, more and more people are now choosing to hold virtual cremation ceremonies. While organizing this, in the midst of all the grief, can seem like a daunting task, by enlisting the help of online cremation services, you can ensure a dignified send-off for your loved ones. You can do so at an affordable price, with the online Funeral Arranger making sure of all the arrangements.