Guides Preparing for death

How burial and cremations work

What’s included in a direct cremation funeral plan?

A direct cremation funeral plan typically includes a funeral without a service at the crematorium. It offers a simple and more affordable way to plan ahead, ensuring your loved ones don’t shoulder the burden of last-minute decisions or unexpected costs.

Direct cremation funeral plans: what they are and how they work

A direct cremation funeral plan is a way of planning and paying for a direct cremation in advance. You can set up a plan for yourself, or a loved one. People often choose to set up a funeral plan as a way of locking in today's prices.

How to be a pallbearer

A pallbearer is someone who escorts the coffin at a funeral and (if there is one) at a burial, too. They’ll either carry the coffin, move it along on a wheeled trolley called a bier, or walk with it as other people move it.

What can you put in a coffin for cremation?

A lot of people choose to put something special in their loved one’s coffin, but not everything’s allowed. So what can you include and what should you leave out?

Being remembered your way - how to choose an urn that reflects who you are

Life is full of colour and vibrancy. But we rarely talk about how that vibrancy of our lives can be reflected in our final resting place.

What happens at a cremation?

Cremation has been a funeral option in the UK for over 150 years, but it still remains a mystery to many people. Here, we look at exactly what happens at a cremation so you and your family know what to expect.

The difference between a standard and direct cremation

A standard cremation includes a traditional funeral service at a crematorium. A direct cremation is a cremation you do not attend. The crematorium will take your loved one into their care, perform the cremation and bring the ashes back to you.

What is direct cremation and how do you arrange one?

If you’ve recently lost a loved one and have been looking into arranging a funeral, you may have seen the term ‘direct cremation’ online. Here, we’ll explain what it is, why it’s different to a traditional cremation and how you can arrange one.

Things to consider when planning your funeral wishes as an LGBTQIA+ person

Some LGBTQIA+ people will have particular wishes for what happens when they die. It’s important to make sure you communicate these to the right people, and that the right people can make decisions on your behalf.

What is aquamation? A guide to water cremation

It’s an alternative to burial and cremation that people are slowly adopting around the world. Its biggest benefit is that it’s very environmentally friendly. It requires no land space, and creates very few carbon emissions.

What is the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard?

The main difference is that churchyards are attached to Christian churches. Cemeteries and graveyards might not be attached to a church.

What’s a mausoleum?

A mausoleum is a building that holds people’s coffins above ground. Some UK cemeteries allow you to build a private mausoleum or you can buy a chamber in a community one.

How do they prepare a body for cremation?

If someone close to you has died, you might have questions or concerns about what happens between their death and their cremation.

How to scatter ashes

You can scatter ashes by casting them into the wind from a scattering tube. Other options include creating a colourful garden feature or scattering the ashes at the beach and letting the tide wash them away.

What happens to funeral flowers after a cremation

After the service, close friends or family will usually take any flowers home straight away or collect them a day or two later. The average flower arrangement will last up to two weeks before being thrown away or composted by the person who took it home.

Can you be cremated with a pacemaker?

It’s not safe for pacemakers to go into cremation chambers. The extreme heat can cause them to explode, posing a serious risk to the crematorium workers, and the remains of the person who’s died.

GuidesPreparing for death