• Some people have cremations placed in an urn and stored.cremation urn image by GiGiZ from Fotolia.com
  
  There is no wrong or right way to hold services for someone who has passed away. While some choose burial, many prefer cremation for a number of reasons. Funeral homes have traditional protocol, but most are open to tailoring a service to your personal needs or interests. You can forgo a service altogether if you choose to simply have the remains cremated and interred. If you do choose a personalized service, there are some other themes you might consider.
  
  

Green Service

• In protest of burials, a process that inserts tons of steel and copper into the earth and hazardous chemicals, you may opt to have a service that includes cremation and is more earth friendly. You don't need to have a priest and can choose speakers to talk about the person's life and accomplishments, their joys and sorrows. The key part to an environmentally friendly service is to opt out of burying the remains of the deceased person. Many choose to bury cremation remains, but another option is to spread the ashes in a spot that was special to the person who has passed away. Ask for donations to be given to an environmental nonprofit group instead of sending flowers. Make prayer cards from recycled paper. Host the service in the afternoon to avoid electricity waste or use candles instead of lights.
  
  

Private Service

• A way to save funeral costs is to hold the service in someone's home. Tell the funeral director that there will be no service held at the funeral home and you wish to receive the cremation remains to hold your own service. This way respects can be paid privately and by those who knew the person. This also helps to keep words spoken in his honor as personal as possible. Invite only close friends and family to pay respects out loud and to share stories of his life.
  
  

Buddhist Service

• The Buddha's body was burned after he passed away and so cremation is part of the Buddhist funeral service. Buddhists have different ideas about life after death, such as reincarnation. If you are looking for an alternative to a Christian service, this is a positive option. There is a legend that when a man came to the Buddha with grief over losing his friend, the Buddha's advice was to throw a party. Death is sad for those who have lost a loved one, but the funeral doesn't have to be about being sad. Although that element may still exist, friends and family can cry tears of joy as well as sadness in celebration of the deceased one's life. Set up an altar of worship, and light incense to give honor to her.