We've gathered the data from hundreds of funeral home orders in 2024 to help guide you in offering the best selection of products to your families. With these trends in mind, you'll be well-positioned to stay focused on what matters most to your families—especially as the market continues to shift toward cremation.

What Today’s Families Want: Custom and Classic

Year after year, one thing is certain: families continue to desire more personalized urns to honor their loved ones. The demand for customization is stronger than ever from engraving of personal messages to unique color requests to turtle-themed memorial products. Despite the increasing demand for variety, it’s also true that the traditional memorials we’ve come to rely on still remain our strongest sellers. We recommend funeral homes offer a thoughtfully curated selection that blends personalized, distinctive cremation urns with timeless classic urns that resonate with a wide range of families.

MARVELED BY MARBLE

At no surprise to us, the top seller of 2024 was the Carrera Classic Cultured Marble Urn, a long-standing family favorite. Following close behind was the Cobalt Classic Cultured Marble Urn, another year-after-year best-seller. (Bonus tip: Blue remains a preferred color choice for families today.)

BRASS: ALWAYS A BEST BET

Our #1 seller in units for 2024 was the Three Bands Pewter Brass Urn, a timeless urn with broad appeal to many families. Close behind in both units and sales was the Platinum Elegance Urn Brass Urn, our second most popular brass urn featuring delicate etching in a medallion design.

HOBBY URNS: HONORING PASSIONS

A newer product in 2024's top sellers was the Fishing Panoramic Cremation Urn. Specialty, or hobby urns, capture a loved one's passions, whether it’s fishing, gardening, golf, or a universally loved image like the Sunset Panoramic Cremation Urn. These products continue to grow in popularity as families seek to honor an activity that defined the unique life of their loved one. Crafted using hydro-printing on aluminum or vinyl wraps on cultured marble, these urns offer photorealistic designs.

WOOD: A TIMELESS TRADITION

A frequently requested material that’s perfect for any family or home, wood never loses its charm. Our most popular wooden urn is the functional Continuum Cherry Clock Urn by Howard Miller. Following closely behind is the Arden Walnut Wooden Urn—simple, classic, and warm—and the Soaring Eagle Inlay Wood Cremation Urn, an urn that uses lasercut technology to create a multi-layered design.

Trends For Tomorrow

• Gold is making a comeback. While not yet among our top sellers, our gold-plated jewelry and gold-toned urns have seen a notable rise in demand, and we expect that trend to continue.
• Next season, cardinals will steal the show. With their gorgeous beauty, spiritual symbolism, and universal appeal, cardinals are "appearing" on more urns and catching the eye of more families making memorial choices. Expect to see these gain more traction in 2025.
• Beach-themed urns (such as seashells, palm trees, and turtles) are also gaining popularity, particularly among retirees in coastal states like Florida and California, where cremation rates are the highest.
• Cremation Jewelry’s Journey to the Top Cremation jewelry is experiencing a rapid upswing. While memorial jewelry may be smaller and lower in price than urns, these pieces are cherished as a way to incorporate a memorial in daily life—as a fashion choice or even on a keychain.

As we head into 2025, it's clear that funeral homes should be assessing their offerings with customizable as well as classic cremation urns in mind. Families are looking for urns that reflect the unique lives of their loved ones. While trends like jewelry, gold accents, cardinals, and beach themes keep growing, timeless choices like brass, wood, and marble will never go out of style. Plus, these classic materials allow for a variety of engraving options, making them highly customizable. By staying on top of these trends, your funeral home will be ready to meet the needs of families in the coming year.