Since the U.S. cremation rate is projected to surpass 50% nationally by 2016, there were plenty of creative cremation urns on display at the 2015 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) expo. I’ve done past blog posts about some of these companies, but their innovation never stops.
How can you make a metal urn look cuddly? That was the challenge LoveUrns president Naseem Kahn and his team faced when making a teddy bear urn for the remains of infants and children. “For an infant it had to be very, very special,” he said. “Making a teddy bear look cute in metal is a challenge.” It took them three years, but they came up with a rather good iteration.
LoveUrns also introduced a Rainbow Bridge urn for pet cremated remains, to be available February 2016. The design is based on the poetic prose reading that has brought consolation to so many pet lovers. There’s an opening in the bottom of the rainbow to put the cremated remains inside. Here is The Rainbow Bridge – author unknown (keep a hankie handy).
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….
Raj India Trading Company
The Raj India Trading Company introduced these sports themed urns, including urns in the shape of helmets! You can get versions with your local university or professional team – perfect for those sports enthusiast families!
Foreverence designs and creates personalized urns that are as unique as the life it represents. At the 2015 NFDA expo, they showed several items that they create using a 3D printer. This ’71 Chevelle isn’t just any car – it features the car club stickers of the owner, and has a box of 8-track tapes in the back seat – just as the person who owned this car had.
And this isn’t just anyone’s fishing hat and basket – it’s specific to the person who owned it.
And of course there were traditional metal urns, wooden box urns, ceramic and stone urns, biodegradable urns and creative combinations thereof. There were urns for everyone – assuming you want to be cremated.
Don’t miss these other NFDA blog posts with urns from Trey Ganem Designs, Eckels and Company, and Memento Memorials!