Every person has different beliefs and traditions, which are reflected in the type of funeral they have. The process of choosing a type of funeral will depend on how you think your loved one would like to be remembered and, if they haven’t made prior arrangements, how you would like to remember them.
As highly experienced funeral directors in West Cumbria, we promise to ensure that every funeral we organise is a personal and fitting way of saying goodbye to your loved one. If you are unsure what type of funeral would be the most appropriate, we’ve listed the most popular ones that we are asked to arrange, which include:
Religious Funeral
A traditional religious service will be held in a church or a crematorium, where family and friends will gather to acknowledge the death of a person and celebrate their life. A minister will conduct the ceremony and, usually, the coffin is transported from the family home by hearse to the religious venue and, afterwards, to a nearby cemetery, graveyard or crematorium for a final farewell.
Even though a religious funeral might follow a certain order, a degree of personalisation can be included in the form of a favourite song or reading.
Non-religious Funeral
Non-religious funerals are for those who lived their life without religion. They focus sincerely and affectionately on the person who has died, paying tribute to the connections they made and left behind and the way they lived their life. Like all others, non-religious funerals can be held in a variety of places, although in practice most are held in crematoria, cemeteries or woodland burial sites.
Memorial Service
A memorial service is a service that celebrates the life and achievements of the deceased, without a body being present. Perhaps a loved one has died abroad and the funeral has taken place in that country. On occasions, the cremated remains may be placed at the altar and a service of thanksgiving conducted with family and friends present. Alternatively the memorial service can take place following the burial or cremation.
Once you have chosen the type of funeral you would like, a few things to consider would be:
- Where will the ceremony take place
- Clothing and styling
- Do you have preferred readings?
- What kinds of flowers do you wish to have?
- What hymns or music you would like played?
- Who will be the pall bearers?