The Benefits of Above-Ground Burial

Choosing a final resting place is a deeply personal decision. It is one that you should feel entirely at peace with. If you are in the process of pre-planning your funeral arrangements, you may be considering whether traditional burial or cremation is right for you. Similarly, if you are in immediate need and choosing the final resting place for a loved one, you may find yourself wondering what is best. It is well worth it to consider an above-ground burial in lieu of the former two options for several reasons.

1. Ability to Join Deceased Loved Ones

An above-ground burial, also referred to as a crypt or mausoleum, allows individuals to select a resting place where they may join deceased loved ones. Family mausoleums, or above-ground burial vaults for spouses, provide the peace of mind that you may lay with those who mean the most to you for eternity. While you may purchase family burial spots, a mausoleum is more like a home. Many find this thought to be comforting.

Additionally, when one is cremated and has selected an urn, the urn often goes to one family member. With a mausoleum, all family members can rest together in one place, with loved ones being able to pay respects to all who have passed in one visit.

2. Beautiful Design

Above-ground burial sites are crafted with elegant design and craftsmanship. They provide you with a way to express how unique your life, or the life of a loved one, has been. You may request a mausoleum or crypt that genuinely reflects who you are.

The ability to design or express your life and passions may be limited when selecting a traditional tombstone or cremation urn. A mausoleum offers much more room for personal design. Individuals can choose beautiful, ornate carvings for a private mausoleum, reflecting the things they care about most.

3. Protection from the Elements

Many people select above-ground burials as they hold up well to the elements. The topic of water damage or flooding is not an issue as the crypts have water drainage systems. Additionally, a mausoleum will stand up to high winds, downed trees, and other adverse weather that can negatively impact traditional ground burials.

For those who would like their final resting place to be in an area that has a low sea-level, an above-ground burial is even more important as cemeteries may struggle to keep caskets underground in periods of sustained rain.

4. Peaceful Environment

Above-ground burials often provide a peaceful environment, with beautiful scenery where loved ones may come to visit, reflect, and pay respects. With an area to place vases of flowers, benches for visitors to take in what's around them while remembering fond memories of the past, a mausoleum offers much more to look at than a tombstone. Individuals often find that this provides the most serenity when they visit.

Additionally, if you choose a community crypt, which is indoors, loved ones will be able to visit regardless of weather and remain comfortable. This means that whenever they are thinking of a person who has passed, they may go and visit without weather affecting their desire to go and pay respects.

5. The Cost Is Equivalent to Traditional Burial

Many people think that mausoleums may not be affordable, but today that is no longer the case. The cost is generally in the same range as a traditional burial plot. This is particularly true if you opt for a community mausoleum, which is typically indoors and comes in the form of "crypts."

A community mausoleum houses many crypts, with each individual or family having their own section. A private mausoleum, by contrast, is an above-ground burial that stands on its own as a final resting place for a dedicated individual or family.

Choosing What Is Right for You

There are many things to take into account when selecting your final resting place or the final resting place of a loved one. Mausoleums and crypts offer many advantages compared to traditional ground burials and cremation.

As the cost is similar to that of a traditional burial, it may make sense to opt for a mausoleum. It will serve as both a protective space for you to lay at rest, as well as a monument for loved ones to visit.

Pre-Planning Arrangements

Pre-planning and pre-funding exist for above-ground burials, just as it does for traditional burials and cremation. What this means is that you may purchase a mausoleum or crypt, either individual or family, in advance. You may outline your final wishes, such as where you would like the above-ground burial to be and what design elements you would like to include so that there is no ambiguity in the future.

When you choose an above-ground burial, your mind can rest at peace that you have chosen the safest, most practical, and oftentimes the most beautiful final resting place.