FAQ

Cremation is a method of disposing of a deceased person's body by subjecting it to intense heat until it is reduced to bone fragments, which are then ground into ashes. The process typically takes place in a specially designed furnace called a cremator. The ashes are then collected in a container, which are given to the deceased person's loved ones for scattering or burial. Cremation is an alternative to traditional burial, and is often chosen for reasons such as cost, environmental concerns, or personal beliefs.

As soon as you get in touch with Memoria, our Cremation provider will get in touch with you to finalize arrangements and coordinate transportation from the place of death to their facility.

Generally, the timing of collection depends on where the passing has occurred. If your loved one has passed at home, the removal process can be expedited. If they have passed in a hospital or other facility, we will pick them up as soon as possible, pending the release from that institution. If your loved one is at the Coroner's / Medical Examiner's office, it can take some time for the release to occur.

Based on their availability, you will find a time that is suitable for the Cremation. The cremation itself then typically takes between 2 to 3 hours, depending on the size and weight of the body. After cremation, the processing of the remains into ashes can take an additional 1 to 2 hours.

We are currently present in New York State only. We serve New York City, Long Island, Albany, Saratoga Springs, Rochester and Buffalo. All our locations serve a 2-hour radius from the city they are located in.

After cremation, the ashes will be returned to you based on what service you have selected. You can either pick them up directly, have them delivered to you or even have the ashes scattered or turned into memorial items such as diamonds.

To ensure proper identification, most cremation service providers use a system of identification tags and records throughout the process. This system helps match the remains to the correct family and prevents any mix-ups.

The funeral director or cremation service provider typically handles the paperwork and filing of the death certificate. They will work with the family to ensure all necessary information is accurately recorded and submitted to the appropriate authorities.

From the time of cremation, we typically advise a wait time of 3 weeks. At times it can take longer if there is a delay in processing by the state authority. If there is a long delay, we will actively follow up on your behalf.

The legal authority to sign-off on the cremation of a deceased person typically follows a specific order of priority, which may vary depending on the laws of the jurisdiction in question. In general, the order of priority is as follows:

1. Executor(s) or court-appointed administrator: If the deceased person had a will, the executor(s) named in the will have the legal authority to make decisions about the disposition of the deceased person's remains, including whether to cremate them. If there is no will, or if the executor(s) named in the will are unable or unwilling to serve, a court-appointed administrator may have the authority to make these decisions.

2. Spouse: If the deceased person was married at the time of their death, their spouse typically has the next highest priority to make decisions about the disposition of their remains, including whether to cremate them.

3. Adult children: If the deceased person was not married at the time of their death, their adult children typically have the next highest priority to make decisions about the disposition of their remains, including whether to cremate them.

4. Parents of the deceased: If the deceased person was not married at the time of their death and did not have any adult children, their parents may have the legal authority to make decisions about the disposition of their remains.

Our Cremation Partners specialize in direct cremations, which means there is no viewing of your loved one before the cremation. That being said, some of our partners can make exceptions, which is why it's always a good idea to share your preference with them. Note that Memoria can assist you with planning and arranging a meaningful memorial service after the cremation is complete.

No, a casket is not required for cremation. For direct cremation, the body is typically placed in a simple container or cremation casket, which is designed for the purpose of the cremation process. This container is often less elaborate than a traditional casket.

We specialize in care at moment of death by providing a modern and comprehensive platform to help families navigate this difficult time. Our unique approach combines innovative technology with a deep understanding of complex emotional needs. Our platform acts as a one-stop-shop for families to find educational resources but also plan all aspects of a modern and personalized funeral from the comfort of home. Our team of experts is highly trained in all aspects of end-of-life, as we are committed to providing compassionate support to all of our families.

We partner with licensed crematoriums in your area to handle every step of the cremation process, from pickup and transportation to registering the death, ordering the death certificate, and delivering the ashes. Our compassionate advisors also help design personalized memorial services that honor your loved one. Through our carefully vetted online shop, we bring together top vendors to offer you the best products at the most affordable prices. Additionally, our modern obituary platform allows you to share service details, write tributes, and enable guests to upload photos or make donations to support funeral expenses or charitable causes—all free of charge. On average, we help families save around 40% compared to traditional funeral homes.

We have a different business model to traditional funeral homes. By offering services that can be arranged online or over the phone, we don’t have the same high overheads. We don’t require expensive physical locations to provide a high-quality service. We have used technology to automate many manual processes, which allows us to pass on those savings to our customers.

We deliver our products across all cities in the United States. Our Cremation and Memorial services are currently available in all cities in New York state.

New York

Our products are delivered across all 50 states. For Cremation and Memorial services, we are currently live in the following regions of New York State:

• New York City

• Long Island

• Hudson Valley

• Capital/Mohawk

• Seaway

• Adirondacks

• Central New York

• Finger Lakes

• Genesee

• Niagara Frontier

You can pay for our products using Shop Pay, PayPal, or all major credit cards. Additionally, Shop Pay offers an installment plan if you prefer to spread out your payments.

Yes. For Caskets we cary sizes 24-36 and for Urns we cary Large, Medium, Small and Keepsake. Make sure you select your desired size in the drop down option once you are on the product page.

Yes, we offer caskets for cremation – usually families prefer our pine wood selection for this purpose: https://shop.memoria.co/products/eco-friendly-pine-casket

According to Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, to encourage fair trade and protection for the consumers, the funeral homes have no choice but to accept any caskets you chose whether from a third party vendor or not. Moreover, they cannot institute any extra fees or costs to accept caskets from a third party vendor.

We get our inventory from independent manufacturers.  We also do not have the high overhead of a funeral home, therefore we are able to offer supreme discounts on our products.

By creating an Obituary here you can add as many events as you wish. For each entry, you will be asked the event type, date & time, who is the event open to and it's location. Our tool will automatically publish these events in a comprehensive format for your guests with embed Google Maps for easy access.

Yes – we have a few options for you to share pictures of your loved one. First, pick a header and a profile picture. Then you can move on to the Photo Gallery where you and guests can upload as many images as you wish.

Once you've published the obituary, a unique link will be generated. From there, you can share the link with family and friends through email, social media channels or just copy the link and post it wherever you wish.

Upon your request, an advisor can submit your obituary to local and national newspapers of your choosing (price will be quoted to you).