Cremation

Before the cremation service can go ahead you will need to provide various documentation and we are on hand to assist you with all of these arrangements and help you fill in the paperwork.

The Cremation Service

The cremation service can be religious or non-religious or you may choose to have no service at all. Any service that takes place must be carried out within the time allowed for each funeral and not impact on the funeral before or after. The duration of the service varies between crematoria but is usually 45 minutes, which allows time for people to enter the chapel, hold the service and leave. If you feel you will need a longer period of time, it is possible to book the following service time for an additional charge.

If you prefer, you can hold a service in a separate place, like a church, followed by a ceremony at the crematorium. You can arrange for your own minister to carry out the service or your funeral director can help you find a suitable person.

The Committal

The end of the service is known as the committal. During the committal the coffin is usually hidden from view by curtains or taken out of the chapel. If you are arranging a funeral and would prefer the coffin to remain on view until everyone has left, your funeral director can arrange that for you. When the service is over, we are on hand to lead the family out of the chapel, followed by the other mourners. You will have an opportunity to look at the floral tributes and the family will have time to thank people for coming.

The cremation usually takes place on the same day as the service, normally within a few hours. The coffin is taken into a room where the nameplate is checked. An identity card is then attached to the cremator where the coffin is placed, and this card is kept with the ashes until they leave the crematorium. The coffin is always cremated with the body in accordance with the Cremation Code of Practice. The code also requires that nothing can be removed from the coffin after it has been received from the chapel and that it must be placed in the cremator exactly as received.

After the Service

Once the cremation service has taken place, we are on hand to go through the options available for you to lay the ashes to rest and choose a memorial for the person who has died. Gardens of remembrance are the most popular choice, where the ashes are scattered in a tranquil garden setting designed for quiet thought and reflection. Other options include having the ashes laid to rest in a family grave in a churchyard or cemetery.

Local Crematoria