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The Living Urn® and Social Distancing

More people than ever before are choosing cremation over burial. This is mainly due to a much lower cost of cremation and families who are less traditional than before, among other reasons. In line with this trend, many new and uplifting memorials incorporating cremated ashes have recently been introduced. This includes The Living Urn®, a patented bio urn and planting system designed to grow a living tree memorial.

Social Distancing with a Tree Memorial

BioUrn

Since The Living Urn® was introduced a few short years ago, tens of thousands of tree memorial plantings have taken place. Families love coming together to plant this special living memorial and then experience the tree growing and displaying beautiful colors throughout the year.

With the current situation and need to social distance, many people are finding creative ways to plant a Living Urn® tree memorial to honor a loved one and still involve family and friends. Below we highlight some common ways this is being done.

If You Choose to do the Planting Now

Many families want to honor a loved one right away and do the tree planting now. You can still do this while practicing social distancing. Below are some creative ideas recently shared by families:

  • Immediate Family Present – many people will choose to do the tree planting with only immediate family present. This typically includes the people who are living in the same house who are isolating together. Many will choose to do this with all of a loved one’s ashes, while others will choose to use a portion of the ashes then use the remainder in another memorial involving family and friends at a later date.
  • Livestream or Record the Memorial – the technology available on our mobile phones and tablets makes it easy to video the tree planting. This can be broadcasted live with Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Facebook Live, or another software, and viewed by family and friends from their home. Many of these applications will also allow everybody watching (or invited) to speak during the event, making for a special memorial event.
  • Multiple Tree Memorials – another great idea shared by many families is to divide up a loved one’s ashes and provide a portion to each family member or close friend. With this, each person can plant their own tree memorial in honor of the loved one who passed. Family and friends can do this at the same time, record and take pictures of the plantings and resulting tree memorials, and share with each other in a Facebook group or other social media platform. This can create an extremely memorable event for everybody involved, while also practicing safe social distancing. If this is of interest to you and your family, The Living Urn® offers a family program, where you can order multiple units at a discount.
  • Hold a Service Later – another popular option is to do the planting right away on your own or with immediate family, then gather extended family and friends for a service later this year on a beautiful Summer or Fall day. You can hold the memorial service outside by the tree, reflect on the loved one who passed, and share photos or video of the planting. Many families find this to be a great solution as the tree memorial is already planted and they can focus on the service and being with family and friends.

If You Choose to do the Planting on a Later Date

While many families prefer to do The Living Urn® tree memorial planting right away, other families choose to delay the planting. If this is what you prefer, you can still order The Living Urn® now and receive the special BioUrn® right away, but delay the tree shipment. The Living Urn® can securely hold your loved one’s ashes until the planting and has no expiration – it can be stored for months or even years and the urn only begins to break down once it’s planted and exposed to soil and moisture.

Flexible Tree Shipment Date

The Living Urn® makes it easy on families who choose to delay a planting until a future date by making the tree shipment flexible and catered to a family’s needs. Below are three popular options:

  • The Living Urn® with a voucher for a tree: with this version of The Living Urn®, the bio urn and planting system is sent out right away with a voucher that can be redeemed for any tree of your choice and at any time. You can redeem this special voucher online or by calling The Living Urn’s Denver-based customer service team and the tree will be shipped directly from our award winning nursery to your doorstep ready-to-plant with the urn.
  • The Living Urn® with a tree: if you already know the tree type you prefer, but want to plant at a later date, you can order The Living Urn® and select your tree now. Then, if the planting date is unknown, choose to have a voucher for the tree that can be redeemed at any time. Alternatively, you can select a shipping date for the tree at the time of purchase, which can easily be changed if needed.
  • The Living Urn® without a tree: Another popular option is to order The Living Urn® without a tree. With this, you receive The Living Urn’s patented bio urn and planting system and can visit your local nursery to pick up a tree or shrub of choice when the time comes to plant. The Living Urn® comes with detailed step-by-step instructions that makes planting any type of tree, shrub, or rose bush easy.

Safekeeping of the Urn and Ashes

The patented Living Urn® comes with its special BioUrn®, the RootProtect® soil additive, mulch, detailed planting instructions, and a tree of choice. In addition, the system comes packaged in a protective bamboo cylinder case. This attractive casing is a great way to safely store the BioUrn® holding your loved one’s ashes until you’re ready to plant. In addition, this special casing can be engraved with your loved one’s name and other personal information along with a symbol of choice, all for an affordable price.

Pre-Planning Version

If you love the idea of The Living Urn® for yourself or a loved one, but don't need it now, you have the option to order the Pre-Planning Version of The Living Urn®. This option is growing in popularity as many people choose to take care of all of the costs and decisions associated with their memorial ahead of time, making it easy on family when the time comes. Upon ordering, we ship out The Living Urn® bio urn and planting system along with a pre-planning voucher for a tree of choice. 

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