Guides Preparing for death

Celebrating the life of someone who’s died

What happens at a Mormon funeral?

Followers of Mormonism believe that they’ll see their loved ones again in the afterlife. So although Mormon funerals tend to be serious, there’s an undertone of hope and celebration.

How to plan a memorial service

This article will explain how a memorial service is different to other types of end-of-life events, and how you might plan a memorial service for a loved one.

Can you get a cremation tattoo?

Tattoos with ashes blended into the ink are a new trend in a long tradition of memorial body art. Only a few tattoo studios in the UK offer it at the moment - but it’s growing in popularity.

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.

How to write a eulogy

A eulogy usually includes a timeline of the person’s life and details about their personality. Family or friends might ask you to read one at their funeral or cremation if you were close to them. But there are no set rules about who reads it.

What is a humanist funeral?

A humanist funeral service is a type of non-religious ceremony celebrating the life of someone who has died. This may be led by a humanist celebrant, or you could simply arrange your own non-religious memorial with your loved one’s ashes present.

What can you do with the ashes after a cremation?

After receiving the ashes from a cremation, many families arrange their own personal memorial service. You’re then free to display or scatter the ashes anywhere you wish – or you could even create a series of mementos for your family.

Where can you scatter ashes in the UK?

Ashes can be scattered almost anywhere in the UK, as long as you have permission from the landowner first. If you’re thinking about scattering ashes at sea or on a river, you don’t need a permit, but you should follow the Environment Agency’s guidance.

Everything you need to know about sea burials

We’ll cover what a sea burial is, how you can organise one, where you can have one and why you might want one. As well as the risks and advantages of the process so you can decide what’s right for you.

Everything you need to know about woodland burials

A woodland burial is the choice to bury someone at a site of natural beauty, such as a woodland, meadow or orchard, instead of a traditional cemetery plot.

Everything you need to know about funeral processions or cortèges

We’ll cover what a funeral procession is, where they come from and why they happen. We’ll also go through how to take part in one and what to do if you come across one.

How to hire a funeral celebrant

A funeral celebrant is a person hired to plan and run a funeral service. Before the service they spend time finding out about the life, interests and beliefs of the person who has died and create a service that fits them.

What’s a celebration of life?

A celebration of life is an end-of-life event held to honour someone’s life, rather than remember their death. You could hold one instead of, or combined with, a more traditional funeral.

How to organise a wake

A wake is a gathering of friends, family, and anyone wishing to pay their respects. It’s usually held at someone’s house or a hired venue after a funeral.

What is an obituary, and how to write one

An obituary is a statement you post about someone’s life, usually in a newspaper, to let the wider community know that they’ve died.

Keeping ashes in the house

Some people find it comforting to keep ashes close by. You might keep them in an urn or box, have them made into jewellery, or bury them along with trees or flowers in the garden.

GuidesPreparing for death