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What is a 'good funeral'?

A good funeral is a personal, relaxed, memorable occasion that makes you reflect on the good, bad, funny and sad times you shared with the person that has died. Whether it be a toast of whiskey, the archery club shooting a volley of arrows, a picnic, bringing the dogs... Each funeral should be different and unique. 

Have you considered the various options?

Burial...

Cremation...

Natural Burial...

Sadly lots of parish cemetries are limited for space and having to close, the demand for burial is high and the spaces in cemetries is low, this has caused an increase in both cremation and natural burials.

Natural burial grounds are becoming more and more popular, some people worry that there are no headstones no markings on the grave, but this is the beauty of the it all. Its a sustainable way to be burried  as it does not impact on the landscape and can continue to be used for sheep grazing. Most natural burial grounds also allow burial of ashes and scattering at the site as there is such a large demand for it; allowing more flexibility for families; if you would like to be buried next to one another but one wants to be cremated and the other a full burial then this is possible. Unlike the crematorium rememberance gardens or the divided areas for cremation and burial in cemetries.

Cremation is a popular choice, 75% of people in the United Kingdom are cremated, which is about 415,000 people a year. Individually the impact of burning finite fossil fuels and producing toxic air pollution might not seem too detrimental but each individual contributes to the overall total which is significantly damaging to the environment. Regrettably cremation remains one of the cheapest options available and the fast turnover of funerals at a crematorium suits most funeral directors.

Things to consider

Funerals are influenced by our beliefs, whether they are religious ornot. The venue for the ceremony; who leads the funeral (minister, celebrant or family/friend); what type of service - will it include hyms or prayers, their favourite music, or memories; where they are buried/cremated; any rituals as part of the religion; a small token to remember them by given out to those who attend the funeral - a secret recipe, their favourite drink, their favourite sweet, bundle of lavander, a poem they wrote... Make it personal and meaningful..