A Guide to Memorial Options: Traditional, Modern, and Everything in Between

When someone you love passes away, choosing how to honour their memory is one of the most personal decisions you'll face. There's no single right answer — and today, families have more choices than ever, from time-honoured traditions to thoughtful modern alternatives.

This guide walks through the most common memorial options available, along with some newer approaches you may not have considered. The goal isn't to point you in any one direction — it's to help you understand what's out there so you can make the choice that feels right for your family.

Traditional Memorial Options

Burial

Burial has been part of human tradition for thousands of years, and for many families it remains a deeply meaningful choice. Common options include:

In-ground burial — The body is laid to rest in a casket, typically in a cemetery, with a headstone or marker to identify the gravesite. This gives families a dedicated place to visit and reflect.

Mausoleum entombment — An above-ground alternative to in-ground burial, where the casket is placed within a sheltered structure. Some families prefer this for its accessibility and the sense of permanence it provides.

Green burial — A growing option for families who want a more natural approach. Green burials use biodegradable materials, skip chemical embalming, and allow the body to return to the earth as gently as possible. At Alternatives, we're proud to be one of only a handful of funeral homes in Canada rated by the Green Burial Council.

Things to consider with burial include the long-term cost of plots and maintenance, any cultural or religious traditions your family follows, and whether having a specific physical location to visit is important to you.

Cremation

Cremation has become the most common choice in British Columbia, and for good reason — it offers simplicity, flexibility, and affordability. After cremation, families can keep the remains in an urn, scatter them in a meaningful place, divide them among loved ones, or incorporate them into a keepsake.

At Alternatives, our simple cremation service is all-inclusive and transparently priced. It includes the transfer of your loved one into our care, the cremation itself, and a basic urn — with no hidden fees.

Things to consider include how and where you'd like to keep or scatter the remains, whether your family would like to hold a service before or after the cremation, and any environmental preferences you may have.

Modern and Alternative Approaches

As families seek more personalized ways to honour their loved ones, a range of newer options have emerged. These can be used on their own or alongside a traditional service.

Solidified Remains

One newer option transforms cremated remains into a collection of smooth, stone-like pieces through a solidification process. The result is a set of 40 to 80 or more individual stones — each unique in shape, colour, and texture — that families can hold, display, or share among loved ones.

For families who find traditional ashes difficult to connect with physically, solidified remains offer something more tangible and enduring. The process involves carefully removing impurities from the cremated remains, shaping them into a clay-like material, and kiln-firing the pieces into solid form. Processing typically takes a few months from start to finish.

If this option interests you, our team at Alternatives can walk you through the details and help coordinate the process.

Living Memorials

For nature lovers or environmentally conscious families, living memorials offer a beautiful way to create something lasting. Cremated remains can be mixed with soil and placed in a biodegradable urn or pod, from which a tree or plant grows over time.

It's a gentle, sustainable tribute — though it does require a suitable outdoor space, and families should check local regulations around where remains can be placed.

Memorial Jewellery

Some families choose to keep a loved one close by incorporating a small amount of cremated remains into a piece of jewellery — a ring, pendant, or bracelet. It's a deeply personal keepsake that allows you to carry their memory with you, wherever you go.

Options range from simple and understated to custom-designed pieces, and costs vary accordingly. It's not for everyone, but for those it resonates with, it can be profoundly meaningful.

Digital Memorials

Technology has opened up new ways to remember and celebrate a life. Online memorial pages allow family and friends from anywhere in the world to share photos, stories, and messages in a lasting digital space.

Some families use these as a complement to an in-person service; others create them as the primary way to gather memories and tributes over time. If you go this route, it's worth thinking about privacy settings and the long-term reliability of the platform you choose.

Finding What Feels Right

There's no formula for choosing a memorial option — it comes down to what matters most to your family. A few things that can help guide the decision:

Your values and traditions. Cultural, religious, and personal beliefs naturally shape these choices. Some families feel strongly about burial; others are drawn to the simplicity of cremation or the creativity of newer alternatives.

Practicality. Consider where and how you'd like to honour your loved one. A burial plot is tied to a specific place; cremated remains, solidified stones, or memorial jewellery can go wherever you do.

Environmental considerations. If sustainability matters to your family, options like green burial, eco-friendly scattering, or living memorials may feel especially meaningful.

Cost. Memorial options vary widely in price. Traditional burial with a full service tends to be the most expensive. Cremation, green burial, and many of the modern alternatives offer more affordable paths — without compromising on meaning or dignity.

What feels right emotionally. Some options may appeal in theory but not feel quite right in practice. Give yourself and your family the space to talk it through and sit with the decision before committing.

We're Here to Help You Think It Through

Choosing how to honour someone's life is a deeply personal journey, and there's no need to rush it. Whether you're drawn to something traditional, something modern, or something you haven't quite figured out yet, our team is here to listen and help you explore your options — without pressure, without judgement.

At Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services, we offer everything from simple cremation to full funeral services with burial, Celebrations of Life, green options, and more. We come to you, in your home or wherever you're most comfortable, because we believe these conversations deserve a supportive, unhurried space.