Creating Lasting Memories: A Complete Guide to Family Participation in Sea Burial Ceremonies
When faced with the loss of a loved one, families often seek meaningful ways to honor their memory and find comfort in their final farewell. Sea burial ceremonies offer a unique opportunity for families to come together in a peaceful, natural setting that provides both closure and connection. Understanding who can attend and what to bring to these ceremonies is essential for creating a memorable and healing experience for everyone involved.
Who Can Attend Sea Burial Ceremonies
Children are welcome at most sea burial ceremonies, making these services truly family-inclusive events. You can select a vessel intimate enough to accommodate only close family, or if you wish, you can charter a larger vessel to allow additional family and friends to take part in the committal service. The number of attendees is primarily limited by the vessel’s capacity, with each boat having a maximum capacity based on its size, usually ranging from up to 6 passengers on smaller vessels to 20–40 guests on medium size boat to over 100 on larger yachts.
All sea burial charters are private events. Your family will have the vessel to yourselves for a personal and intimate farewell. This privacy ensures that families can grieve and celebrate their loved one’s life without outside interference, creating a more meaningful experience for all participants.
For families considering Burials at sea Queens County, NY, it’s important to note that it’s recommended to let the service provider know ahead of time about children attending so they can ensure safety equipment is ready for them and help make the experience family-friendly and comfortable.
What to Bring to a Sea Burial Ceremony
Personal Items and Comfort Essentials
When preparing for a sea burial, families should dress appropriately for the maritime environment. Dress casually with a wind breaker and non-slip shoes. Bring a camera, sunscreen, sunglasses, and other desired personal possessions. Light colored comfortable non slip shoes are recommended, and you may leave the high heels at home while at sea.
Report any known or potentially unknown medical conditions to the captain before disembarking; this includes pregnancy, back or neck pain, or susceptibility to sea sickness. This information helps ensure everyone’s safety and comfort during the ceremony.
Memorial Items and Flowers
Flowers play a significant role in sea burial ceremonies, offering a beautiful and symbolic farewell gesture. Most families bring rose petals, leis, or wreaths, but service providers can help provide them if requested. Flowers add a beautiful and symbolic touch, floating gently on the water as part of the farewell.
Family and friends can bring flowers or wreaths for tossing into the ocean immediately after the cremains are scattered. All flower ties or floral arrangement material must be made of biodegradable materials if being placed in the ocean. This environmental consideration ensures that the ceremony respects the marine ecosystem while providing a meaningful tribute.
Personal Touches and Customization
Families can personalize their sea burial ceremony with various meaningful elements. Music can be brought on CDs or iPods, as most vessels have portable systems with remote control for playback. Some families also arrange for special services like bagpipers, though advance notice is typically required for scheduling such additions.
Group scattering allows every family member to come to the event with an individual vial of the ashes, where each individual can pour their vial into the sea, or they can pour them into a collective basket which then a spouse or partner can release to show how the departed was a piece of each one of them.
The Ceremony Experience
The ceremony may include having family and friends briefly speak and share stories to celebrate and reflect on the special person who passed. It is entirely up to the family to decide whether to include clergy. Most families elect not to and instead host a more relaxed get-together.
Most ceremonies are relatively short lasting about 10 minutes, though families are welcome to make them longer if they wish. The entire charter typically takes 1.5–2 hours, depending on the harbor and how much time families want to spend on the water.
Special Considerations and Safety
If a family member in a wheelchair wants to attend the burial at sea, you may need to make arrangements for additional help. Most charter companies are experienced in accommodating guests with mobility needs and can provide appropriate assistance.
If you are susceptible to seasickness, it’s for the good of all that you remain on shore. Many charter companies will provide binoculars for viewing and will call your cell phone when the committal ceremony begins.
Environmental and Legal Compliance
Professional sea burial services ensure all environmental regulations are followed. The EPA states that the vessel must journey to a distance of at least 3 nautical miles and to a depth of 100 fathoms (600+ feet) before any kind of burial can take place. This requirement protects coastal waters and ensures compliance with federal regulations.
Whether you choose full-body burial at sea or scattering, the charter company will provide a certificate marking the exact coordinates of your loved one’s final resting place, allowing families to return to the location for future remembrance visits.
Creating Lasting Memories
Sea burial ceremonies offer families a unique opportunity to create meaningful memories while honoring their loved one’s final wishes. Often times family and friends will plan an event around the water burial. If he or she was an avid fisherman, for example, then a day of deep-sea fishing may be a great way to celebrate their life. If the person was always happy and full of life, perhaps a brilliant firework display over water could also be a great way to remember.
The combination of family participation, personal touches, and the natural beauty of the ocean creates an atmosphere of peace and reflection that many families find deeply comforting. By understanding who can attend and what to bring, families can ensure their sea burial ceremony becomes a cherished memory that honors their loved one’s life while providing closure and healing for all who participate.