Funerals
What choices do you have for the funeral ?
A funeral can be either by burial or by cremation .
You can organise it with or without the help of a funeral director and personalise it as much as you wish . In some cases the deceased may have planned their own funeral in advance .
There are many different types of funeral and it is useful to remember that :
• you can decide for yourself what form any ceremony you choose to have should take
• you do not have to use a funeral director - though the vast majority of people do
• you can choose a religious , humanist or civil ceremony
• you can choose a ceremony that reflects any religious beliefs or multicultural traditions
• your ceremony does not have to take place in a crematorium or place of worship
• you don ’ t have to hold the funeral ceremony in a licensed building - it can be held in your home
• you can be buried on private land , such as your own garden , as long as there is nothing in the deeds restricting the use of the property – please refer to the Natural Death Centre ’ s website , www . naturaldeath . org . uk for further information , including any legal aspects of which you must be aware .
Some simple ways in which you can personalise a funeral service :
• think about the music - you may wish to choose a piece of music or a song that was meaningful for the person who has died , or that is meaningful for you . Discuss it with relatives , your funeral director , the crematorium and the person you have chosen to conduct the funeral ceremony
• think about individual contributions – you might want to include a tribute , a reading , a poem or a favourite story . Plan a running order that will provide you with the kind of ceremony you want
• consider using personal items as part of the ceremony . These will help to reflect the person who has died and make the ceremony more special . For example , a special throw to drape over the coffin or a photograph of the person
• you could hand people a memento as they leave – or give everyone a small card of remembrance of the deceased person
• the ceremony should reflect the wishes of you , your family and friends . You can decide on the details of the ceremony to make sure this happens .
ADVICE AND HELPLINE :
0345 241 2489
How do you arrange the funeral ?
What are your rights under the law ?
The main legal requirements in England and Wales are :
• the death has to be certified by a doctor or Coroner
• the death has to be scrutinised by a Medical Examiner or Coroner
• the death has to be registered by a Registrar of births and deaths
• you may keep the body of the person who has died at home until the day of the arranged funeral
• the body should either be cremated or buried
• there is no legal requirement to have any kind of funeral ceremony at all .
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