Cremation vs. Burial: Making the Right Choice for Your Family in Acadiana

Whether you are pre-planning for the future or navigating an immediate loss, the decision between cremation and burial is deeply personal. In Broussard, Lafayette, and throughout Acadiana, families often weigh tradition against modern flexibility and cost.

At Colligan Crematory & Funeral Services, we believe there is no "right" or "wrong" choice—only the one that best honors your loved one’s legacy and provides your family with peace of mind.

At a Glance: Understanding the Options

What is Traditional Burial?

Burial is the time-honored practice of interring a loved one in the ground, typically within a casket. This usually follows a funeral service where friends and family gather to pay their respects.

• The Experience: Offers a permanent physical site (a grave) for future generations to visit.
  
• The Process: Involves professional care, a casket, and a cemetery plot. Over time, the body returns naturally to the earth.

What is Cremation?

Cremation uses high heat to reduce the body to its natural elements (ashes). It is a much faster process than burial, typically completed in a few hours.

• The Experience: Offers immense flexibility. Ashes can be kept in a decorative urn, scattered in a meaningful place, or even interred in a cemetery niche.
• The Process: At Colligan, we utilize our on-site crematory, ensuring your loved one never leaves our care.

Comparing the Costs

For many families in Lafayette and New Iberia, budget is a significant factor. While prices vary based on the specific services chosen, here is a general comparison:

Direct Cremation~$1,350Transportation, cremation process, and return of ashes.

Traditional Burial~$8,000 – $20,000+ Casket, embalming, service fees, and cemetery plot/vault.

Note: Adding a formal funeral service or "Life Celebration" will increase the cost for both options, but cremation remains the more affordable path for those looking to minimize expenses.

Religious & Cultural Perspectives

Faith often plays a lead role in this decision. Acadiana’s rich cultural tapestry includes many different viewpoints:

• Catholicism: Cremation is widely accepted today, though the Church prefers the body to be present for the Funeral Mass before cremation occurs.
• Protestant Traditions: Most Christian denominations in our area fully accept cremation.
• Faiths Prohibiting Cremation: Islam, Eastern Orthodox, and Orthodox Judaism generally require traditional burial.
• Faiths Preferring Cremation: Hinduism and Sikhism traditionally view cremation as the preferred method of honoring the deceased.

Environmental Considerations

If your loved one was a nature lover, you may want to consider the ecological footprint of your choice:

• Cremation: While it uses energy and releases gases, it saves land space and avoids the use of toxic embalming chemicals and heavy metal caskets.
• Burial: While traditional burial uses land, many families now opt for "green" choices like biodegradable caskets (bamboo, wool, or cardboard) and skip the embalming process to minimize environmental impact.

Common Myths: Did You Know?

• "You can't have a funeral if you choose cremation."
• Incorrect. You can have a traditional viewing and a full funeral service with the body present before the cremation takes place.

• "Cremation is disrespectful to the body."
• Perspective. For some, cremation is a clean, transformative process. For others, burial is more traditional. We handle both with equal levels of professional reverence.

• "You don't have a place to visit with cremation."
• Incorrect. Many families choose to bury an urn in a family plot or place it in a beautiful cemetery niche (columbarium) so they have a permanent memorial site.

Why Choose Colligan for Either Path?

Whether you choose a traditional graveside service in New Iberia or a direct cremation in Lafayette, our team is here to handle every detail—from floral arrangements and music to the filing of legal permits. We serve the entire Acadiana region, including:

• Broussard
• Lafayette
• Youngsville
• New Iberia
• Breaux Bridge
• Carencro
• Opelousas

Still undecided?

We invite you to sit down with one of our directors for a no-pressure conversation. We can provide a transparent quote for both options so you can make the decision that feels right for your family.

Call us 24/7 at (337) 993-0205.