Depending on services selected, a funeral can cost as little or as much as you want one to. Pre-planning a funeral for yourself or someone in your family can create peace of mind for yourself, as well as your family. Knowing that all details are arranged in advance, the funeral will proceed as planned with out requiring last minute decisions under grief or being an unexpected financial burden. Funerals are rituals for the living to show respect for the dead and to help survivors begin the grief process. The death of Princess Diana of Wales and the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. show us that we need funerals to help us through the grief process.
Cremation is an alternative to burial or entombment for the body's final disposition.
Cremation often follows a traditional service. Yes, cremation caskets are used at this time. After the viewing and the funeral the casket is cremated with the body. When compared to other major life cycle events, like births and weddings, funerals are not expensive. A wedding can cost at least three times as much, however, because it is a happy event, wedding costs are rarely criticized.