If you choose to have a cremation there are a number of things to remember:
- You may have the main part of your funeral service elsewhere and then move on to the Crematorium for the final part of the service or have the whole service at the Crematorium.
- Having the whole service at the Crematorium can make it easier for people who have to travel for the funeral as there is plenty of parking and they are usually easy to find.
- Cremation funerals are usually less expensive than burials in a Cemetery and around the same cost as burials in a Churchyard.
- There are certain official forms to be filled in before a cremation takes place which your Funeral Director will help you with.
- You need to think about what will happen to your loved-one’s ashes after the cremation. They may be scattered at the Crematorium, scattered privately with the permission of the land-owner of your chosen spot, scattered at sea or kept indefinitely. We can look after them while you decide and there is no time limit or fee for this.
- N.B. If the ashes are to go on or in an existing grave somewhere; you must seek permission from the Cemetery or Church and pay the appropriate fees before doing anything. If you do not the relevant authority will not recognise that the ashes are there and you will not be allowed to have a memorial or add a name to an existing memorial.
- There are certain restrictions on what personal effects may be placed in a coffin prior to cremation. Your Funeral Director will be able to advise you of these.
- At the Crematorium you may have an Organist if Hymns are to be sung or pre-recorded music played over a good quality sound system. You may also combine the two.
- If there is any possibility that your service may over-run the allotted time at the Crematorium then it might be a good idea to reserve a double time. This does not double your costs but there will be an additional charge which varies from Crematorium to Crematorium.