Before the cremation service can go ahead you will need to provide various documentation, we offer assistance in dealing with the paperwork and will help you with the arrangements.
The Cremation service
The cremation services vary, some are religious, some are non-religious and some chose not to have any service at all. Services must be carried out within the time allowed for each funeral and not impact on the funeral before or following. The duration of the service varies between crematoria but is usually 40 – 45 minutes. This time period includes the time for people to enter the chapel, hold the service and exit the chapel. 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, a service may be held in a separate place, in a church for example, followed by a ceremony at the crematorium. You may wish to arrange for a minister, or celebrant, to carry out the service or your funeral director can recommend or help you find a suitable person.
The Committal
The end of the service is known as the committal. During the committal the coffin is sometimes 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 this for you. When the service is over, we are on hand to lead close 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 will always take place on the same day as the service, usually within a few hours. The coffin is taken into a room where the nameplate is checked, an identity card attached to the cremator where the coffin is placed and 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 stipulates that nothing may 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.
Some families ask if it is possible to witness the coffin being placed in the cremator. It is possible for a small number of witnesses to attend, if this is something you would wish to do please ask your funeral director to arrange this for you. A few days’ notice is usually required by the crematorium.
After the Service
The day following the cremation service, we will collect the ashes and return them to the family. There are many options available for the ashes to be laid to rest, We are at hand to assist the family in making choices and arrangements. Some wish to choose a memorial for the loved one who has passed away. Gardens of remembrance are a popular choice, with the cremated remains scattered in a crematorium garden of remembrance, a tranquil garden setting designed for quiet thought and reflection. Other options include having the ashes strewn in a favourite place, or laid to rest in a family grave in a churchyard or cemetery.
