Arranging a Funeral
When the death certificate has been issued by the Registrar, you
will also be given a certificate authorising the funeral.
The choice of a firm of funeral directors is important as you should
feel comfortable and confident with them. We are members of the
National Association of Funeral Directors and abide by their
guidelines and regulations.
It is important to check whether the deceased left any instructions
with the Will about the funeral. If
there is a Will, the executor has the right to decide whether it
will be a burial or a cremation, whether the Will expresses a
particular wish or not. If there is no Will, the next of kin should
decide. It is important to check whether the deceased has already
made arrangements for their own funeral, or carried funeral
insurance.
You will need to make early decisions about:
- whether it will be a burial or a cremation
- where it will happen (church, crematorium chapel, cemetery chapel, graveside, elsewhere)
- when the service will happen (day, date, time)
Then you can decide the finer details at leisure.
We can make all the arrangements for the funeral, burial or
cremation, religious or secular service and can also advise on all
the procedures and documents needed to register the death.
If you are considering a headstone most cemeteries will advise to
wait for a period of approximately six months before placing it.
However, please speak with us as soon as possible to avoid any
unnecessary delay after this waiting period.
Costs and Charges
The costs of a funeral fall into three main categories:
- Cost of materials, such as coffin or casket, clothing and memorials
- Funeral director's fee, including making arrangements, hire of vehicles, liaison with third parties on documentation and management of the funeral
- Disbursements paid to other organisations on your behalf, such as church or crematorium fees and obituary notices
The ultimate cost will depend on your choices for the funeral.
We will explain clearly to you what the options are and how much
they cost so that you are fully informed about the choices you make.
Burial
Everyone has a right to be buried in the churchyard of the parish
in which they live - assuming that one exists, and that there is
space left.
There is normally a fee charged for digging a grave. In a local
authority cemetery there may be a further charge if you wish to
purchase the exclusive right of burial. This means that no further
burials can take place in that grave without your permission. In
many areas, you need to purchase the exclusive right of burial if
you want to put up a memorial.
There are alternatives to burial in a churchyard or cemetery, such
as burial in a vault, burial at sea and woodland burials.
Many bereaved people take comfort from placing belongings such as
photographs and letters in the coffin with the person they have
lost. It may also be your wish that they are dressed in their own
clothing. And that the coffin is decorated to reflect an interest or
pastime they may have enjoyed. In a burial, there are fewer
restrictions about possessions, clothing and decoration than in a
cremation.
Cremation
Before a cremation can take place three statutory forms have to
be completed, one by next of kin, the others by two different
doctors. Each of the doctors is entitled to a fee. One will be the
doctor who has attended the person in their last illness who must
see the body before completing the form, and another doctor who must
also see the body. When a coroner has issued a certificate for
cremation, no other doctors are required to certify, and the
coroner's certificate is free. A final document is signed by another
doctor, who is the medical referee to the crematorium. They must
receive the above certificates up to two days before the cremation
is due to take place. The fee for this usually comes as part of the
crematorium fee.
Most crematoria incorporate a service chapel. You may wish to use
this if you don't want to hold the service itself in a church or
other location. Or you may choose to use the crematorium for
committal only.
You may wish to consider music to be played. Commonly, crematoria
provide one or more of the following:
- Pre-recorded music from which you can choose
- A cassette or CD player on which you can play music of your choice
- An organist
Many crematoria include scattering or burying the ashes in a garden of remembrance in their fee. If a relative wants to collect the ashes they can be collected or sent, but they will only be kept free for a time (usually about a month) - a charge will be made after that time. Some churches are happy to scatter the ashes in the graveyard or bury them according to the family's wishes.