When families begin making end-of-life arrangements, one of the most common questions they ask is: can you have a funeral with cremation? Many people assume cremation eliminates the possibility of a traditional service, visitation, or meaningful gathering. However, as discussed by funeral director and Celebrate Life Iowa owner Ryan Fredregill during an episode of The Iowa Conversation with host Mike Downer, cremation often provides families with even more flexibility when it comes to honoring a loved one's life.
Throughout the conversation, Ryan emphasized several key points: cremation does not limit service options, families can still choose viewings and traditional funerals before cremation, celebrations of life have become more personalized than ever, and cremation offers valuable scheduling flexibility for families spread across multiple locations. Most importantly, there is no single right way to honor a loved one. The best service is the one that meets the needs of the family.
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding cremation is that it replaces funeral services altogether. According to Ryan Fredregill, families who choose cremation still have access to virtually unlimited service options.
A family may choose to:
As Ryan explained, the goal is not to fit families into a predetermined package but to help them create an experience that feels right for their situation. Modern funeral services are increasingly personalized and focused on celebrating the individual rather than following a standard template.
Many families find comfort in seeing their loved one one last time. For those concerned that cremation removes this opportunity, Ryan explained that viewings and visitations can absolutely occur before cremation.
Funeral professionals can prepare the deceased for viewing through embalming when appropriate, but Ryan also noted that Iowa law allows families to view an unembalmed body under certain circumstances. This gives families additional flexibility while still providing a meaningful opportunity for farewell and closure.
For many people, the chance to gather, share memories, and spend time together before cremation remains an important part of the grieving process.
Over the last decade, memorial services have evolved significantly. Today's families often want gatherings that reflect the unique personality, interests, and passions of the person being remembered.
Ryan noted that memorial services now take place in a wide variety of venues, including:
Rather than following a traditional religious format, many celebrations of life focus on storytelling, shared memories, music, photographs, and personal tributes.
As Ryan explained, some families still incorporate religious elements, while others prefer a more secular approach. The important thing is creating a service that genuinely reflects the life being honored.
The podcast also highlighted how cremation services can be customized based on a family's needs and budget.
Direct cremation is typically the most affordable option. It includes the cremation process and required legal documentation without a formal ceremony beforehand. Families may choose to hold a memorial service later if they wish.
A memorial service package generally includes cremation, permits, paperwork, obituary preparation, memorial materials, and assistance coordinating a gathering after the cremation has been completed. Funeral professionals help manage logistics so families can focus on supporting one another.
Families seeking a more traditional experience can still have embalming, visitation, a funeral service, and a casket presentation before cremation takes place. This option combines the familiarity of a traditional funeral with the flexibility of cremation afterward.
One reason cremation continues to grow in popularity is the freedom it provides when planning services.
In previous generations, families often lived in the same town or region. Today, relatives may be scattered across multiple states or even different countries. Coordinating travel for a funeral on short notice can be difficult.
Ryan explained that cremation allows families to choose a date that works best for everyone. Services can be scheduled weeks or even months after the cremation occurs, giving loved ones more time to arrange travel and gather together.
This flexibility can be especially meaningful for large families, military families, international relatives, or anyone hoping to hold a gathering when the greatest number of people can attend.
Perhaps the most important message from the discussion is that there is no universally correct choice.
Every family has different traditions, beliefs, budgets, and emotional needs. Some people find comfort in a traditional funeral service. Others prefer a casual celebration of life. Some choose direct cremation and hold a gathering later. All of these options can be meaningful and appropriate.
As Ryan stated, "There is no right or wrong type of funeral or celebration of life, as long as it is what the family needs to help them grieve through that process."
Yes. Families can choose to have a viewing or visitation before cremation takes place.
Not always. Depending on local laws and circumstances, a viewing may be possible without embalming.
Absolutely. Many families choose a traditional funeral followed by cremation.
A celebration of life is a personalized gathering that focuses on honoring a person's unique life story, interests, and relationships.
Memorial services can be held days, weeks, or even months after cremation.
In many cases, yes. Cremation allows families more time to coordinate schedules and travel arrangements.
Yes. They can take place at churches, parks, community centers, event venues, and many other locations.
Typically, yes. Direct cremation is often the most affordable cremation arrangement because it does not include a formal service beforehand.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody. I'm your host, Mike Downer, and thanks for joining us on The Iowa Conversation. I am joined by Ryan Fredregill, funeral director and owner at Celebrate Life Iowa. How are we doing today, Ryan?
Ryan Fredregill: I'm doing great, Mike. Thanks for asking. I hope you're doing well, too.
Mike Downer: Every day that I wake up on this side, I'm a happy dude. Plus, I get to keep talking to you, so that always makes my day a little better. Today, we're going to be talking about whether you can still have a funeral or memorial service with cremation.
The question I have for you is: What are the different service options families can choose when cremating? And how can a memorial service honor a life just as powerfully as a traditional funeral?
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. Family members who choose cremation—and more and more Iowans and people in Des Moines are choosing cremation on an almost daily basis—can still honor their loved one. We are here to serve families and provide what they want.
You can certainly honor your loved one by still having a funeral followed by cremation, or by having a viewing prior to cremation, even without embalming. In Des Moines and throughout Iowa, that is certainly possible. So the service options are still going to be unlimited. It just has to be the right decision for that family.
I think services nowadays honor loved ones just as much, if not more, than traditional funerals did fifteen years ago. Without a doubt, Mike, families are still celebrating their loved one's life, and I think they are making it more personal than it used to be. So it's great to see.
Mike Downer: Oh, yeah, that's amazing. I know you said that families are able to arrange a viewing or visitation before the cremation. Tell me what kind of support Celebrate Life Iowa provides for that.
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. Our staff members and funeral directors are trained to be there and prepare their loved one, making them look as good as possible for that viewing opportunity. Whether we move forward with the embalming process or just prepare them to view an unembalmed body, which is legal in the state of Iowa, we can provide that.
We have a lot of family members who still feel strongly about having that opportunity to view their loved one, so we provide that for the family prior to cremation.
Mike Downer: Perfect. It sounds like you have lots of different options, and you know how to handle all of those with families during that critical time.
Let me ask you this, Ryan: What is the most affordable cremation option available, and what does that include?
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. At Celebrate Life Iowa, we've always been the affordable funeral and cremation care provider for Des Moines, North Liberty, and really all of Iowa. We came out with some really unique packages when we started the funeral home in 2013.
From there, what became popular was direct or affordable cremation here in Iowa, and that is really what we have embraced as a company at Celebrate Life Iowa. We serve all of Iowa for cremation needs and are especially known as an affordable location.
Mike Downer: You bet. So direct cremation is probably your most affordable option.
Ryan, if you could, let's go over this step by step. What are some of the mid-range memorial service options for families who want a small, private gathering after cremation?
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. We would call that our memorial service package. It includes picking the person up from the Des Moines area, handling the cremation, obtaining the cremation permit, filing all legal documentation, and then scheduling a visitation immediately followed by a memorial service on the same day, once the cremation has already been completed.
We would show up at a church or funeral home. We've also done a lot of services at community centers and even parks. We coordinate and set everything up for the family. We bring flowers, and sometimes we even bring food if we help coordinate all of that.
We set everything up and have it prepared so the family has a lot less stress. We are there to take over and manage the service so the family does not have to worry about those details.
That package is $3,495 for the Des Moines area. It includes the cremation and everything with it, as well as running the visitation and service for the family, making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. All of those plans are set in place so everything goes off without a hitch.
It also includes the printed package, such as the register book and memorial folders for families, along with the written obituary.
Mike Downer: Very nice. Now we'll go to the top tier and take that next step. Could you tell me what full-service memorial options Celebrate Life Iowa offers for families who want the more traditional ceremony after the cremation?
Ryan Fredregill: Well, the traditional ceremony would be before the cremation, if I'm not mistaken, Mike.
Mike Downer: Oh, yeah. Okay. That's what I meant. I misspoke. I'm sorry about that.
Ryan Fredregill: No problem at all. That option includes picking up the individual from the place where they passed away, embalming, dressing, casketing, and cosmetizing.
From there, the rental casket is included, as well as the service and visitation. Cremation would then follow. That package is $7,495, and it also includes the printed package. The hearse is included as well, because the casket does need to be transported to and from the service location.
Mike Downer: You bet. How is Celebrate Life Iowa different from a traditional funeral service?
Ryan Fredregill: Celebrate Life Iowa is the affordable funeral home and cremation provider in Iowa, without a doubt. That is how we differ from other locations. It really comes down to cost.
We still take great care of anyone's loved one who is in our care or possession. We're very strict about that. Growing up as a small-town funeral director, I still believe in treating every family like they are our small-town neighbor.
We pride ourselves on taking good care of the individuals we serve and walking families through a difficult time. It is not easy for them. We see a lot of different family dynamics anymore, but we do our best to walk everybody through it and make sure people come together during a bad time, rather than arguing and fighting when that is not helping anybody.
Mike Downer: No, it isn't. So how does a celebration of life ceremony differ from a traditional funeral service?
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. You're finding them in more places now. We've seen them at bars, golf courses, fairgrounds, football stadiums, community centers, and event centers.
It often has more of a non-church feel or a non-religious feel. That said, families can still tie in some religious elements, but it does not have to be a full religious service. I think that is probably what has changed the most over the last few years with celebrations of life.
There are celebrants now who may not be ministers. They meet with the family and really tie everything together to make it a more personal service. Some older traditional services were not as much about the person who passed away. They were more about their beliefs and religion, which is still good and helpful. It just depends on what the family needs, what they want, what they expect, and how they want to honor their loved one.
There is no right or wrong type of funeral or celebration of life, as long as it is what the family needs to help them grieve through that process.
Mike Downer: Excellent. Excellent answer.
Ryan, let me ask you this: What kind of flexibility does cremation provide when scheduling a memorial service?
Ryan Fredregill: Great question, Mike. I think that is one of the reasons cremation in Iowa is so popular now: it gives families time.
We find that families are spread across the country now. I do not think it was always like that. Fifty years ago, at least here in Iowa, people often stayed close to the family farm. But people are very mobile now.
We are finding that families want everyone to be present for the service. They may want to schedule it around someone's birthday or anniversary, when everyone is going to be together anyway. At that time, they can have their celebration of life service.
With cremation, it is certainly a lot more flexible and allows families to choose a day when everyone can gather and honor their loved one's life.
Mike Downer: You were talking about families being spread out, and we'll bring this full circle for this episode.
In your opinion, could you summarize everything that we've talked about in this episode? Could you explain why cremation is especially convenient for families with relatives traveling from out of state or across multiple generations?
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. Cremation is convenient because it allows you to wait months before having a service. We have held bodies for months before having a service or before shipping someone to another country. It is doable, but cremation is a lot more realistic and economical in Des Moines, Iowa City, and throughout Iowa.
The cremation process can be completed, and then the family can wait months before having a service.
Mike Downer: You bet. That kind of summarizes everything we were talking about.
It also brings something to mind for me. My wife and I have friends who originated in other countries, and we've had similar conversations about why they would choose cremation rather than go through what, in my opinion, can be a massive expense of having a body shipped to a different country and continent.
Ryan Fredregill: Absolutely. There is no right or wrong for any family, though. We do that quite often, too, Mike. Again, it is about what the family needs to help them grieve in the best way they can, or to provide an opportunity for their loved ones in another country to physically say their goodbyes.
We are here to help families. That is what we do, and we strive to be the best at it.
Mike Downer: As always, this has been very informative and full of good things to know before planning a service. You've answered all my questions very thoroughly, and you've given me, and I'm sure a lot of other people, many different things to think about and consider.
Knowing the respect and dignity that you offer families during a difficult time is very important, and we all appreciate that. Thanks for all your care and compassion at Celebrate Life Iowa.
Ryan Fredregill: You're very welcome, Mike. Thank you so much, and you have a blessed day.
Mike Downer: You as well.
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