Planning a funeral

Your loved one may have already left instructions about the type of funeral they wanted, whether they told a family member verbally, left their wishes in a will or possibly they may have even taken out a Funeral Plan with a particular Funeral Director.

If your loved one wanted you to use a certain Funeral Director, contact them as soon as you can. A Funeral Director that is recommended to you is often a good option. There are many reviews available online which can help you with your decision. Don’t always be swayed by the cheapest costs as cheap doesn’t always mean best service.

We, Walsh Funerals & Memorials have a review section that you are welcome to take a look at, which contains some links through to other independent review sites.

We belong to the Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), so you can be sure all of the relevant codes of practice and complaints procedures would be followed.

If you decide to use us we can assure you that your loved one will be treated as one of our family. You will receive all of the help and support you need from a team of highly experienced caring ladies who are available all day every day.

We would ask you to contact us to arrange for you and your family to come in and have a meeting with us so we can run though all of the next steps with you. Or we can come out to your family home if you would prefer.

Things to consider when planning a funeral

Would you like to arrange a cremation or a burial?

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Cremation is almost always cheaper than burial and the majority of deceased people are now cremated. Ashes can be scattered in a garden of remembrance or in a favourite spot, buried in a churchyard or cemetery, or kept in an urn. You can even use some of the ashes and have them turned into jewellery.

A burial service is usually a short ceremony held after the main funeral service as the coffin is lowered into the ground. Mourners are often invited to attend the burial, which may include short readings and prayers, depending on religious beliefs.

Would you like our team of lady funeral directors to wear their traditional black uniform or would you like them to wear our ‘Ladies in White’ uniform?

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As well as our traditional all black outfits we also offer a service which we call ‘Ladies in White’.
Dressed in white rather than the traditional black uniforms softens the look and is almost more peaceful on the eye. Used in conjunction with a horse and carriage this can help create a really special service.

Which coffin would you prefer?

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You will see in our funeral package that certain coffin designs are included. However, if you have seen a certain style of coffin that you prefer please discuss this with us and we can amend the package to suit your requirements.

Would you like to visit your loved on in our Chapel of Rest?

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This is a very personal choice, something that you need to discuss with your family. We have a chapel of rest at both our locations which are available for you if required.

What would you like your loved one to wear?

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Some people might have said that they wanted to wear a certain favourite outfit or some religions require particular burial or cremation clothes.

Would you like any funeral transportation?

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We have our own fleet of Jaguar funeral vehicles which are available to be used. Traditionally, your loved one would be transported in a funeral hearse and the family members would follow in funeral limousines. Some of our funeral packages include for these. But we can change packages to suit your needs.

As well as traditional funeral vehicles there are also many alternatives eg. Motorcycle hearse, horse and carriage, LGV hearse and more. We can help you to make your loved one’s service as personalised as you want it to be.

Would you like flowers and/or a donation set up?

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We work closely with a few selected local florists so if you were thinking of having flowers we can certainly help you with this. A lot of families might only allow flowers from close family members and then ask other funeral guests to donate money to a chosen charitable cause.

Would you like a religious service or to use a non-religious funeral celebrant?

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We can contact the minister of your local place of worship or we can recommend a local celebrant. We will contact them for you and make the initial appointment for them to come out and meet with you to discuss the service.

You will need to consider whether you want any hymns, or any other music for the funeral. Maybe you would like a specific funeral poem, prayers or reading to be done.

Traditionally guests will wear black or dark colours when attending a funeral, however, you might want to request that everyone wears a certain bright colour.

Where and when would you like the funeral service to be?

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You will need to decide whether you want a service to be held at a place of worship prior to the burial/cremation along with deciding a convenient day and time to suit all of your family. We will do our best to secure the day and time but obviously it can’t be guaranteed.

If you are going to have a wake after the service, you will need to choose a venue and whether you require food etc. We can recommend some local venues to you.

Will you be wanting an order of service?

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The order of service is usually handed out to funeral guests as they arrive. It is a basic schedule of the service. It may contain hymns that are being sung, poems that are being read and possibly photos of your loved one. They can be personalised as much as you want them to be.