We do cremations and memorial services later in our family.
My father's service was on the beach. We had a bonfire and beer and shot off fireworks. Ashes scattered in the surf. Very little cost as he had a pre-paid cremation policy.
My husband's was at his favorite fish camp three weeks after he died. We had beer and BBQ (liquid libations from Costco and the rest catered by the fish camp) and went out in a flotilla of boats to scatter his ashes at his favorite fishing spot. Cost for cremation and one heck of a party (we had a good-sized crowd) came to less than $1500.
My sister's memorial service last year six weeks after her death was held in a meeting room in a historical building that looked like the inside of an old sailing ship. She would have loved it. We had a family-only gathering later on their boat and then went to her favorite body of water and scattered her ashes. We also did a memorial cruise with the boat.
My aunt's memorial service this year was at her son's beach condo two months after she died. It was a low-key gathering of family and friends with a lot of stories told and some good food. Ashes scattered later in the surf.
One of my grandmother's last requests to my mother was, "Don't bury me with your father!" I think she couldn't face the prospect of having to listen to him complain for eternity. So we didn't. We had her name and dates chiseled on the other side of the double headstone and then scattered her ashes at the family farm where she was born. I'm sure she was much happier there.
The Spousal Equivalent's family, on the other hand, goes in for long drawn-out funeral affairs that are painful for everyone and end up with someone in debt for ages. He wants a traditional funeral. I said, "talk to your sons about it as I'm not going to do that". In fact, he already has his gravestone in place next to his parents in the family cemetery. Creeps the bejeezuts out of me to see that, as we did last week. He had his father, sister and brother moved there from another city to the family graveyard a few years ago. Boy, did that cost a pretty penny.
I just want to be cremated (my last chance to have a hot, smokin' bod), be scattered in a waterfall and then everybody have a drink in my honor at some funky bar.