Burial vs. Cremation
Burial and cremation are two ways of caring for a person’s body after death. Neither choice decides whether a family can have a service, a viewing, or a permanent place to visit. The differences are in what happens to the body, what remains afterward, and which arrangements a family chooses around it.
With burial, the body is placed in a grave or another burial place. With cremation, the body is reduced to cremated remains, which the family can then bury, place in a niche, keep, or scatter where the law allows. A funeral, memorial, or gathering can go with either one.
Two paths, many ways to remember
The body is buried
- The body is placed in a grave or other approved burial place, usually in a cemetery.
- A funeral, graveside service, or memorial can come before or after.
- The grave gives the family a place to visit.
The body is cremated
- The body is cremated, and the cremated remains are returned to the family.
- A funeral can come before, or a memorial after, or both.
- The remains can be buried, placed in a niche, kept, or scattered where allowed.
What is burial?
With burial, the body is placed in a casket or other container and laid to rest in a grave, usually in a cemetery. Some families hold a viewing and funeral first. Others choose a graveside service at the cemetery, or an immediate burial with no service beforehand. The family or the cemetery usually arranges a marker later. See direct and immediate burial and funeral, memorial and graveside services.
What is cremation?
Cremation is a process that reduces the body to cremated remains, often called ashes. The remains are returned to the family in a temporary container or an urn. Some families hold a viewing and funeral before the cremation. Others choose a memorial afterward, or direct cremation with no service. See what to do with cremated remains.
What’s different, and what isn’t
| Burial | Cremation | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens to the body | Placed in a grave or burial place | Reduced to cremated remains |
| What remains afterward | A grave | Cremated remains, usually in an urn |
| Final resting place | A cemetery grave or other approved burial place | A grave, niche, or scattering garden in a cemetery; scattering where the law allows; or kept by the family |
| Timing of services | Usually before or at the burial | Before the cremation, after it, or both |
| Viewing | Possible, depending on the arrangement | Possible before cremation, depending on the arrangement |
| Funeral or memorial | Either | Either |
| A place to visit | The grave | A grave or niche, if the family chooses one |
Cremated remains options: Utah Code 58-9-611.
A family can have a service with either choice
Burial versus cremation is not the same question as funeral versus no funeral. A family can hold a viewing and funeral and then cremate. A family can bury with no service and gather later. What happens to the body and how the family says goodbye are two separate decisions. See viewing and saying goodbye.
Cremation vs. burial cost
Cost depends much more on the arrangement than on the choice of burial or cremation. A cremation with a viewing and funeral can cost more than an immediate burial. A burial also usually involves cemetery charges that are billed separately. Our cost guides break it down with real Salt Lake County prices: direct cremation, cremation with a service, immediate burial, and traditional funeral and burial.
Questions that may help your family think it through
- Do we want the body present for a viewing or service?
- Is a grave, niche, or other permanent place important to us?
- Are there religious or cultural traditions we need to follow?
- What would we like to happen to the remains afterward?
- Would we prefer a service before, after, or both?
- Did the person who died write down or say what they wanted?
“What options would allow us to have the kind of gathering and final resting place our family wants, with either burial or cremation?”
Ready to see how these choices apply to your situation?
Your Wayfinder Plan can help organize the options you’re considering and give you a clearer picture of what to ask and compare.
Build My Wayfinder Plan- Where cremated remains may be placed or scattered in Utah: Utah Code 58-9-611.
This page provides general information for planning and is not legal advice.