Following the cremation of a loved one, you'll often make plans to scatter the cremated remains in a special area. If the person preplanned his or her own funeral arrangements, he or she will have likely specified where to scatter the remains. If not, you and your family can come up with a pleasant location. Next, you'll want to decide which family members and close friends will be in attendance, and then pick a date that works for everyone. There are some potential hiccups that you may encounter if you use the wrong approach to scatter the remains, so consider these small details in advance.

Direction Of The Wind

Whether you're distraught, focused on the task, or a combination of the two, it's very easy to neglect to assess the direction of the wind when you're scattering cremated remains. You should always be careful to do so before you open the urn. The last thing you want to do is have the ashes blow back onto everyone who is gathered, or in a direction in which they land in an undesired area. You can commonly tell which way the wind is blowing just by feeling it on your skin; upon realizing the direction, position yourselves accordingly.

Something To Mix The Remains

If you'll be scattering the remains on the water, you can simply watch as they float away and slowly sink. However, if you plan to have the ceremony on land, you'll want to have a plan for mixing the remains into wherever they land. It can be a bit upsetting to release the remains and then just see them sitting on the ground in a park, for example. To avoid this scenario, a small rake can be valuable for mixing the remains into the grass where they won't be as visible.

Who Will Do The Job

You don't want to get to the site and realize that you haven't discussed with your loved ones who will be in charge of scattering the remains. In some cases, an individual who has preplanned his or her own funeral arrangements will request that a specific person does this job. Otherwise, it generally makes sense for those closest to the person who has recently passed away to scatter the remains from the urn. By thinking about each of these small details in advance of the ceremony, you won't be hit with any surprises that will be disruptive on what is already an emotional day.