Funeral Choices

A funeral is an event of important personal significance, and so your funeral director must completely understand your family’s requirements in order to arrange a service that is unique to you.If your loved one has expressed their wishes in a will or funeral plan, your Funeral Director will have the basis for the funeral arrangements and you will be spared at least some of the painful decisions. If not, you and your family will need to decide what is appropriate for your loved one. Your Funeral Director will discuss the options open to you, provide advice, and make suggestions if necessary. If you have any questions or special requests, please just ask.

 

The main decisions you will need to make are:

• Whether to have a burial or cremation
• Where the funeral service will take place
• What type of ceremony to have, and who will officiate
• Whether to have flowers and/or charity donations
• Whether to post an obituary or notice of death in the local newspaper

Burial choices

Most burials take place in a churchyard or cemetery. The majority of cemeteries are non-denominational. There may be a family grave or plot in which to lay the deceased. If your loved one has already purchased a cemetery burial plot, there should be a deed of grant in the papers to confirm this.

Other options for burial are in a family vault or at sea. There are also woodland or nature reserve burial sites all over the country, where trees or wild flowers are planted instead of headstones and memorials.

In relation to a burial service, we can make all the arrangements for you, including:

• Purchasing a new grave or plot
• Opening an existing grave or digging a new one
• Removing and replacing existing memorials

Your Funeral Director will also advise you about any associated costs or fees involved

Cremation choices

For a cremation, you will need to decide whether to have a full funeral service at the crematorium chapel, or whether to hold a service at a separate location first.

The other main decision is about what you wish to do with the deceased’s Cremated Remains. However, this can be left until after the funeral, giving you time to consider all the options associated with scattering, burying or keeping the remains.

Scattering: You may wish to scatter your loved one’s Cremated Remains in the grounds of the crematorium. Alternatively, you could choose to do this in a place with special memories, such as in your garden, the countryside or at sea.

Burying: Many families prefer to bury the Cremated Remains so that they can visit their loved one. You can keep the Cremated Remains of more than one family together, and put up a memorial on the site. It may be possible to bury Cremated Remains within the grounds of a crematorium or churchyard, or in a grave or even in your garden.

Keeping: If you wish, you can keep the Cremated Remains at home, in a casket or urn. You may like to consider using some of the remains to create specially designed memorial jewellery.

Taking care of your loved one

Your Funeral Director will discuss arrangements for taking care of your loved one before the funeral, such as the type of coffin to be used, how your loved one is to be dressed, and who you wish to carry the coffin at the funeral service.

You may wish to give family and friends the opportunity to pay their respects before the funeral. Whether you decide to use one of our Remembrance rooms at the Funeral home or to have your loved one at home, we will make all the appropriate arrangements for you once you have made your decision.

How we can help

We can advise on burial plots and deeds, handle arrangements and manage all documentation, including repatriation of someone who has died overseas, or where the funeral service is to take place abroad.

Our services include the supply of coffins and caskets, from simple designs to colourful coffins, and from traditional solid wood to wicker or bamboo. Our experienced florists can create floral arrangements from simple posies to elaborate personalised tributes, and we can also arrange headstones and memorials through our masonry service. You can choose from funeral vehicles ranging from traditional hearses and limousines to special vehicles such as a motorcycle or horse and carriage. If you want something bespoke to remember your loved one, we can also provide separate memorial masonry.

Whatever decisions you make about your loved one’s funeral, we will take on complete responsibility for making all the arrangements, ensuring that your loved one is treated with utmost respect and in accordance with your wishes.

We will provide a written estimate of all the fees for the funeral service you have requested.