Are you taking your funeral wishes to the grave?
Talking about your funeral requests with friends and family might seem like a conversation you’re not ready for, and you wouldn’t be alone in this.
Over a third of UK adults have decided what they want for their funeral but haven’t told anyone. But with funerals steering away from the traditional, there’s a lot to talk about.
Traditionally, a funeral is seen as a ceremony held in a formal setting, where friends and family of the deceased arrive in dark, formal dress, to pay their respects and say their final farewells to a loved one.
But a funeral doesn’t have to be this way. Every element can be tailored according to the wishes of the deceased, to reflect their personality, interests, hobbies or occupations and can include:
- Music – Recorded or live, favourite songs or hymns, whatever reflects your personality or means a lot to you.
- Hearse – An alternative hearse that says something about you as a person. We’ve had requests such as a motorcycle, a tandem, a tractor and a Land Rover hearse.
- Funeral attire – Colours or traditional dark clothing? You might prefer that mourners wear a particular colour, flower or sports kit.
- Themed funerals – You might want to incorporate unique tributes from the world of film or TV for example.
- Type of coffin – Would you prefer wicker, wool, cardboard or a picture coffin instead of a wooden one?
- Technology – It’s usually possible to show video content at a funeral and some crematoria now also offer online streaming services for those who can’t attend in person so more of those who are important to you can be part of your funeral.
- Location – Many people don’t realise it’s possible to have a funeral outside of a religious setting. It could be held at a house, in a garden, at a sports venue or even at sea. At Co-op Funeralcare we arrange funerals tailored to your specific wishes, exactly the way you want.
Whatever your wishes are, it’s worth making sure your loved ones know about them so they can be carried out when the time comes. You can simply have a talk with the people close to you, or you could look into taking out a Funeral Plan with us. That way, not only are your wishes written down and all of the decisions made, but everything is pre-paid at today’s prices so you can also take the financial worry away from your family.
If you’re interested in taking out one of our plans, we’re offering all Silversurfers subscribers a £150 discount* using the code SURF150. Apply online, or call our customer support team on 0800 389 8377, Monday – Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday & Sunday 9am-5pm.
*Total discount includes the online discount and promotional discount.
