Navigating death can be complicated and overwhelming, with many different decisions to make. We can’t make these decisions for you, but we can give you impartial advice and useful links to help make those decisions easier.
We’ve created this short burial, cremation and service guide that introduces the main options available to you.
If you still have questions, please contact us – we’re here to help.
Traditional burial
A traditional burial typically involves your body being placed in a coffin or your ashes being placed in an urn which is buried in the ground and marked by a headstone. A traditional burial usually takes place in a cemetery or crematorium.
Natural burial
A natural burial returns your body to the earth in a way that doesn’t inhibit decomposition or negatively impact the environment. This means that the body isn’t embalmed and is placed into the ground in a coffin or shroud made entirely out of natural materials – allowing nature to take over. Depending on the burial ground, there are no gravestones or memorials, but there may be natural markings such as a flat wooden marker.
Columbarium burial
A columbarium burial is where the cremated ashes of your body are stored in an urn that is placed in a niche or a vault. This could be in a natural, handcrafted setting (such as our barrows) or a prefabricated building (such as a crematorium).
Burials
A burial is what happens to your body or ashes after death.
There are three main types of burial:
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Cremations
Cremation is a method of turning a body into ashes, which are then stored, scattered or buried as wished.
There are three main types of cremation:
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Traditional cremation
A traditional cremation turns your body to ashes using heat.
Direct cremation
A direct cremation is where your body is taken into care and then to the crematorium without any ceremony. This is typically cheaper than a traditional cremation. Following a direct cremation, your ashes are returned to your loved ones who can then hold a memorial or placement service if wished.
Resomation
Resomation (also known as alkaline hydrolysis) is new to the UK, thus has limited availability. The process uses a liquid-based process, rather than using heat. This new method of cremation has many environmental advantages.
Traditional service
A traditional service recognises your death and celebrates your life in accordance with your religion, belief or faith. Typically, this is conducted by a religious celebrant before your body is buried or cremated.
Non-religious services
A non-religious service recognises your death and celebrates your life with little or no religious connotations. The service is conducted by a non-religious celebrant or by family and friends, and takes any form you wish.
Home funeral
A home funeral is when your body is kept at home until you reach your final resting place. This gives your family and friends time to visit, and allows them to conduct your after-death care and hold a personal ceremony in the comfort of your surroundings.
Placement ceremony
A placement ceremony is a service where the cremation urn is placed into a niche or vault. It may be led by a celebrant, faith leader or your family.
Services
Death is recognised and life is celebrated in a variety of ways across the world.
In the UK, the main types of services are:
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Funeral plans
We recommend looking for a provider that offers choice, transparency and assurance, especially with:
Costs – does the plan cover all costs?
Flexibility – how flexible is the plan?
Inflation – do costs increase over time?
Protection – how is your money protected?
Common terms and phrases
We’re here to help, if you’re confused or intrigued by any of the terms used in this site, then please follow the link for more information.