A new year will certainly bring new trends in Chicago, IL funeral homes, cremation services, memorials, and more. Here is a list of possible funeral home trends for 2023 to inspire your planning and preplanning: 

• Direct Cremation – Direct cremation is when the body is cremated directly after death without any embalming, wake, or other services. Direct cremation is the most affordable body disposition method, which is perhaps why its gaining popularity. Beyond savings, it also allows the family to hold a memorial, scattering, or any other kind of service whenever they want as opposed to right after the death. 

• At-Home Funerals – DIY is moving from home improvement to funerals and memorials. An at-home funeral is when the memorial or funeral service is held in the home rather than in an official facility. A home funeral cuts down many of the common funeral costs and can be much more eco-friendly, but there are still many benefits to hosting a funeral or memorial at a funeral home. 

• Virtual Services – Virtual funerals, wakes, and memorials became popular in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we predict they will remain popular well into 2022 as virtual services offer many benefits from ease of scheduling to allowing out-of-town family members and loved ones to easily attend. 

• Green Funerals – As consumers, we’re becoming more aware of the affect we have on the environment. This has led to an uptick in sustainable or environmentally-friendly funeral and cremation services like green burials, eco-friendly cremation caskets and runs, and a general increase in sensitivity surrounding sustainability and renewal after death. 

• Natural Burials – Unlike more traditional burials with embalming, heavily decorated caskets, and imported flowers, natural burials are all about keeping things simple. They use simple biodegradable urns, bamboo caskets, or cotton burial shrouds to minimize environmental impact and increase the speed of decomposition. 

• Preplanning – Preplanning or advance planning funeral arrangements is a great trend as preplanning offers many benefits including savings, reduced stress, more control over your own funeral, and the ability to plan a more personalized service. 

• Personalized Services – Funerals have slowly been moving away from tradition and becoming more and more personalized to the deceased and their loved ones. Unique, creative personalization of the funeral service has become the new norm. This means you’re free to choose the services, products, and traditions you want for the deceased’s funeral or memorial, whether that means hosting a celebration of life or putting them to rest in a cremation urn that will turn into a tree. 

• Memorial Gardens – A memorial garden is a community garden dedicated to the deceased. Oftentimes the dedication is made official through donations and made known through a plaque or a memorial bench. These gardens are becoming more and more popular as ways to remember the deceased and honor them for generations to come. 

We are here to help you have more questions on industry trends or funeral homes in Chicago, IL. Call or visit us today to learn more.