Choosing a Casket

One of the nicest ways to honor a loved one after death is to choose a right casket to house their body. It may appear to be an easy thing to do. But when you start looking for a casket at a funeral home or even online, you may find it difficult to decide which one to choose. With so many different types of caskets to choose from, the questions you are faced with include price, material, features.

Price

Just as purchasing a casket is a key aspect of funeral arrangements, it represents a major cost in funeral expenses. So you may like to settle for a casket within a price range suited to your budget. While a simple metal casket costs around $1000, the favored range for more elaborate ones is $2500 to $3500.

Choice Of Material

Metal and wood are two types of main materials used for a casket. Both offer various options to choose from.

Wood options

• Softwoods- pine, aspen
• Hardwoods – maple, walnut, rosewood, poplar, mahogany, oak

Metal Options

• Bronze
• Copper
• Stainless steel

Your choice of metal or wood depends upon how you want the casket to look. Wood provides a greater scope for a finished look while metals stand out for durability.

Other Features

An aesthetic aspect of a casket is its look. Once you finalize the casket material, you can look at following features:

• Interior material: Two main choices are velvet which is softer and more luxurious and crepe which is simple, beautiful and affordable.
• Shell Design: The options include traditional square corners or a more contemporary style with rounded corners.

Choosing the casket carefully is like taking care of your loved one whose physical remains you want to be interned safely and beautifully.

If you want to know more about funerals or want to plan one, don’t hesitate to contact us at Thomas M. Gallagher Funeral Home for more information.