In my experience to date there are some things which you may find useful to consider….

Practical things to think about before; The Ceremony.

• Time limits in Crematoria. Often these slots can seem short.
• Number of mourners expected. Cemetery chapels are usually small, crematoria have seating limits but some can “broadcast” the service to outside or even via internet.
• Should a funeral be in two parts with a small funeral ceremony and then a larger memorial service elsewhere?
• Convention does NOT have to be followed.
• Weather….for a burial consider what sort of coffin to have, some materials are more robust than others.
• If you are able it is a very good idea to visit the place of the funeral beforehand so that you know what to expect. However if this is not possible I will be able to describe it to you as will your Funeral Director.

 

Practical things to think about and prepare before; Celebrant Visit.

• Photos; try and find photos of the deceased and start to prepare any for possible display at the funeral. This can often be offered as a service by the Crematorium.
• Music;   Do you think it reflects the person’s character and/or how you feel? Most crematoria have the facility to play any digitally recorded music and this can be more reliable than using personal MP3 players. I can help if the choices seem overwhelming.
• Readings; the advice is as above. If no-one feels able to read your chosen poetry or prose then I would do this. Again I can help with choosing appropriate readings.

My fees; these can vary depending on mileage, length of ceremony and personal circumstances. I charge on average between £210 and £250. Please contact me to discuss this further. Payment is usually but not necessarily made via the Funeral Director.

Further services;

Memorial ceremonies

These can be and do not need to be on the same day as the cremation or burial service. My role would be as the celebrant guiding the structure of the memorial ceremony, featuring the life story of the deceased.

Ashes interment

It is often the case that decisions about where to inter the ashes of a loved one or where to scatter them is too difficult to decide at the time of the funeral. I can arrange for a short ceremony once this decision has been made if you would like.

Pre-planning

Some things that mourners have to decide as they arrange a funeral often cause much anxiety. For example; choosing the deceased’s favourite music, did they want people to wear bright colours? what was their favourite flower? where did they go to school? what was the company they worked for? even getting dates of marriage correct. All such anxiety can be avoided if thought about and written down before someone has died.

I can arrange to visit you and write your life-story for using at your funeral and also write out your wishes and any other details which you may think will be useful for your relatives to know. You would have this to keep in hard and electronic copy.