This should be decided at the initial funeral planning stages as most decisions thereafter will be determined on this choice. Most people have a tendency towards burial even though there are additional expenses related to this method.

 Some additional expenses for choosing earth burials are:

• Body emblaming
• You will have to purchase a funeral casket or burial box
• For earth burial, you will need to purchase a vault of a grave liner
• Purchase a cemetery plot or mausoleum space
• There are additional fees for opening (digging the hole for the coffin) and closing (restoring the earth on top of the buried casket) of the grave
• Purchase a headstone or grave marker
• You will need to pay for annual care of the gravesite (depending on the cemetery)

The main reasons people choose burial today is that ground burial is traditional within the family or religious denomination. They also do not like the idea of being "burned" (body cremation) and prefer to have the body return to the elements. Some people also want to erect a monument on the grave and be able to visit the grave in the future and a graveyard, may be more appealing to go to than a columbarium (the place for the respectful and usually public storage of urns holding a deceased's cremated remains). 

Whatever you decide to do, the body will eventually return it its natural elements. Decomposition of the body in the earth is a slow oxidation of the body tissues. You should take into consideration the deceased's verbal or written request and feelings of the immediate family members when making the decision on whether to be buried in the earth or undergo cremation.

We have many beautiful funeral programs that will accommodate any type of funeral service and burial method. View our large selection of styles and funeral program designs that are available for immediate download.