Planning your funeral often means making lots of choices. If you haven’t taken out a prepayment plan so that all of your funeral costs are taken care of before you pass on, then you will have to decide whether you want a horse-drawn carriage or a motor-powered hearse for the funeral cortège, for example. You might also want to make your mind up whether you will have flowers sent or ask mourners to donate to a preferred charity. Then, you might want to specify if any religious rites will be observed, such as Bible readings or Hindu prayers, for example. However, what you might not have considered fully is whether or not to opt for a direct funeral.
Today, direct funerals have become increasingly popular in the UK. Many people now choose them as their preferred option because they are unfussy and don’t cost as much as a traditional funeral service. Indeed, some funeral industry experts predict that direct funerals could overtake traditional ones as the most popular form as soon as 2030. If you decide that a direct funeral is what you want, then please note that one will involve:
- No mourners gathering to say their last goodbyes,
- No service or reading will be given,
- No hymns, songs, or eulogies,
- No flowers,
- A simple coffin
Planning a direct funeral will mean that your loved ones could choose to hold a wake in your memory at a later date. They might even organize a memorial service once they have had time to adjust to your passing. For this reason alone, many people think they are a preferable option because funerals that are held soon after someone has died often mean that mourners are in the throes of grief. Therefore, they cannot celebrate the life of the person they’d like to honor in the way they’d prefer.
According to Newrest Funerals, a direct funeral specialist that operates throughout the UK, many people now call them to ask about what is involved in planning their own direct funeral, especially the main options. To answer this question is quite simple because there are only two types of direct funerals, burials, and cremations. In other words, eco-funerals, religious services, and burials at sea are not possible under direct funeral arrangements.
With direct cremation, the body will be conveyed in a lower-cost coffin to the crematorium, which will be cremated within the legal guidelines. Then, the cremated remains will be passed on to the family if desired. The cremated remains can be scattered, buried at a cemetery, or be placed with other family members later.
A direct burial is very similar in nature. However, these funerals tend to be a bit more expensive because most council-run cemeteries in the UK will charge a fee to set aside a plot and dig the grave for you. Again, simplicity is the key, and a straightforward grave marker will be allowed rather than a large gravestone to mark the final resting place.
Of course, some people decide that neither a direct cremation nor a direct burial is for them. Nevertheless, this no-frills option is certainly more popular than ever before, and it may suit you to choose it.
Featured Image by drippycat from Pixabay
