Alternative burial options include reef ball burials at sea, memorial spaceflights, cremation keepsakes like diamonds or tattoo ink, tree pod burials, human composting, and art made from cremated remains. To make sure your wishes are honored, put your final wishes in writing in your will or a separate letter of instruction.
Traditional burial in a casket, or cremation followed by scattering, is no longer the default for everyone. People have gotten creative about how they want their remains handled, and these choices increasingly reflect personal values, from environmental concerns to a desire for something more memorable than a headstone. If you have specific wishes for what happens to your body, do not assume your family will guess correctly. Here is a rundown of the more unusual options available today, and how to make sure your choice actually happens.
Burial at Sea
Some people want to return to the ocean rather than the ground. One option is a reef ball burial: cremated remains are mixed into a perforated concrete dome, called a reef ball, that is placed on the ocean floor to become part of an artificial reef. Biodegradable urns designed to nurture marine life are another version of the same idea. These options appeal to people who want their remains to serve an ongoing ecological purpose rather than sit in a cemetery plot.
Memorial Spaceflight
For those who see space as the final frontier, companies now offer to launch cremated remains into orbit or onto the lunar surface. Celestis, for example, offers an Earth Rise service that sends a symbolic portion of cremated remains into space before the capsule returns to Earth as a keepsake, with pricing starting at $3,495. Other providers have offered rides on commercial rockets as part of broader payloads. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's ashes flew aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1992, one of the earliest examples of this kind of send-off.
Cremation Keepsakes
Cremated remains can be transformed into lab-grown diamonds, pressed into vinyl records, mixed into fireworks, or blended with tattoo ink. These options tend to be more about the living than the deceased, giving family members a physical object to hold onto rather than an urn on a shelf. If you want a keepsake made this way, say so explicitly, since your family may not know these services exist or may be uncomfortable choosing this route without your instructions.
Green Burial and Human Composting
Environmentally minded people are increasingly choosing green burial methods that skip embalming chemicals and metal caskets in favor of biodegradable materials. Some cemeteries offer burial beneath a tree, using a biodegradable urn that contains seeds so the remains nourish new growth. A newer option, natural organic reduction, converts human remains into soil over several weeks in a controlled facility. Washington was the first state to legalize this process, and its Department of Health regulates it under WAC 246-500-055, which sets testing and contamination limits for the resulting soil. Not every state permits this option yet, so check your state's law before assuming it is available where you live. For more on the legal side of this option, see our article on human composting and other legal alternative burial options.
Cremation Art
Some artists work directly with cremated remains, mixing them into resin or paint to create a piece of art rather than storing them in an urn. This is a small niche but a real one, and it appeals to people who want their memorial to be something displayed rather than something buried or shelved.
Posthumous Performances
Hologram technology has allowed deceased performers to appear in new concerts and shows years after their deaths. This raises real legal questions about consent, since not everyone wants their image used this way after they are gone. If you have strong feelings about how your image or likeness should or should not be used after death, that instruction belongs in your estate plan, not left to guesswork.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming your family already knows your wishes without ever writing them down
- Choosing an option, like human composting, that is not yet legal in your state
- Leaving instructions only in a private conversation instead of a document your executor can find
- Failing to budget or prearrange with a funeral provider, leaving your family to scramble
- Forgetting to address use of your image or likeness if that matters to you
How to Put Your Wishes in Writing
You can include burial and disposition instructions directly in your will, or write a separate letter of instruction that your executor can access quickly, since a will itself is sometimes not located until after funeral arrangements are already made. FastWill's online will builder lets you record these final wishes alongside your other estate planning documents, so your family has one clear place to look. You can also make arrangements directly with a funeral provider in advance, which spares your loved ones the stress of researching options during an already difficult time. If you have not started a will yet, our guide on how to write your own will is a good place to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally require a specific burial method in my will?
You can state your preference in your will or in a separate letter, but state law and your executor's practical ability to carry it out both matter. Some methods, like human composting, are only legal in certain states.
Is a letter of instruction legally binding?
A letter of instruction is generally not a legally binding document the way a will is, but it gives your executor and family clear guidance about your wishes, which is often what matters most in practice.
What happens if my family disagrees with my burial wishes?
Having your wishes in writing, ideally referenced in your will, gives your family something concrete to point to and reduces the chance of a dispute over what you would have wanted.
Do I need to prepay for an unconventional burial option like memorial spaceflight?
Prepayment is not required, but many providers require arrangements and payment to be made before or shortly after death, so telling your executor about your preference in advance avoids delays.
Should I update my will if I change my mind about my burial wishes?
Yes. Review these instructions any time your preferences change, the same way you would review beneficiary designations or an executor choice.
