There are many reasons to choose cremation as an alternative to burial, including more options for designing a customized memorial service. When you work with cremation services in Charleston, SC, you’ll get all the benefits of our experienced staff and our extensive facilities. McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation is ready to help you combine a cremation with all the amenities of a funeral and a personal touch. 

First Consultation 

After we get your call, we’ll take custody of the body and make initial preparations before meeting with you to discuss final plans. The main choice you’ll have to make is if you want a direct cremation, or a full cremation, funeral, and memorial package. You’ll have multiple options to create the memorial service ideal for your loved one’s memory, whether you want to use our facilities or host a private memorial. 

Direct Cremation 

Many of our clients want to manage the memorial service themselves, which can include scattering the ashes at a meaningful location. For this, we offer a direct cremation that takes care of the body and gives you the services and consultation of our funeral director. The cremation will take place under the supervision of our experienced staff and you’ll receive the ashes in a basic cremation container. You can also purchase one of our designer urns separately if you want to store them at home long-term. 

Direct Cremation and Memorials 

Direct cremation is an efficient option for handling the remains that allows you and your family to focus on planning a meaningful memorial. If you’d like a fully-equipped space for hosting your memorial, we offer a combination of direct cremation with the use of our facilities and staff for a large memorial service. You’ll get all the amenities of direct cremation including professional care for the body and a cremation container, and the details of the service are up to you and can be discussed with our staff. 

Cremation and Funeral 

For those who want to celebrate the life of the deceased before cremation, this is a unique option that handles the cremation after a full ceremony. The departed will be honored with a funeral that allows for visitation and a full service and memorial, followed by a cremation. Your family will get full use of our Hearse and lead vehicle if the service is held outside of the funeral home, and you can choose between one-day and two-day services. 

Ceremonial Urns 

After the cremation, the next step is to choose your loved one’s final resting place. We offer options for interment in graves or above-ground crypts, but most clients choose one of our designer urns. We offer a wide range of sturdy and attractive urns that make an attractive centerpiece for a living room, and we can arrange with third-party companies to include an inscription personalizing these vessels. 

Cremation services in Charleston, SC are an ideal choice for paying tribute to a life well lived, so contact McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation to set up a consultation today. We can be reached at our offices at 2501 Bees Ferry Rd, Charleston, SC 29414, or contact us on our website or by phone at (843) 722-8371. We can also be found at our Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant, or James Island locations.