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Arranging a Funeral
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As specialist funeral directors our experience and training enable us to cope with every aspect of
the funeral, down to the smallest detail. We will advise you of the options and choices available and
ensure decisions are made in accordance with your wishes and those of the person who has died.
Decisions that need to be made early include:
- Will it be a burial or cremation?
- The place, date and time of the service and committal, which can involve a lot of different people and organisations and is best co-ordinated by your funeral director.
Funeral costs
We offer a range of funerals to cover all requirements; our staff will discuss options and costs with
you during the arrangement meeting.
There are certain fixed costs attached to arranging a funeral, whether it be for a burial or a cremation, for a church service or a secular ceremony. These fixed costs
are made up of two parts:
- Standard charges for carrying out any funeral, which include
making all the arrangements, transfer and care of the deceased,
use of our Chapel of
Rest; attendance at the funeral with a hearse, coffin
bearers and one limousine, and handling and administering
floral tributes
and donations.
- The charges, known as disbursements, which we have to pay on
your behalf to outside parties, for instance; church fees, officiant's
and musician's renumeration,
press announcements, cremation
fees and doctor's fees for cremation certificates.
Variable costs are dependent on your choice of coffin and ancillary items for the funeral, as well
as any further requirements, which may include embalming, the provision of service sheets, the use of extra limousines, or any other
services.
Payment of the disbursements is requested in advance of the date of the funeral, or alternatively a finance
charge of 10 per cent of the cost of the disbursements is added to the account. However, this
may be deducted if our account is paid within 30 days of the invoice date.
A full estimate is always provided and in all cases our charges will reflect local and not national
prices. Price lists are available on request.
The Restricted Service Funeral
In accordance with the National Association of Funeral Directors Code of Practice, we offer a
lower cost funeral. This is for a very simple burial or cremation with restricted services. Please
contact us if you would like to receive the current specification and price list. If you are considering
claiming payment from the Social Fund please let us know and we can explain what is covered in
the scheme and assist you in completing the claim form.
Funeral options
In a sense, there is no "right" kind of funeral. All the law requires is that a burial or
cremation takes place, and that the necessary regulations and procedures are observed when this
is done. Apart from this, the circumstances of the funeral can vary considerably, and our task
as professional Funeral Directors is to help you to create a ceremony (if there is a ceremony at all),
which gives full value and importance to the wishes of yourself and the deceased and to the
truth of the deceased's life. We are experienced in carrying out the full spectrum of
religious services; Christian, Islamic, Hindu, or Buddhist, as well as secular services, using
words and music not associated with the church. Humanist or civil celebrants are available to advise and help
with secular funerals, and we can make the necessary arrangements for a venue and for the committal which
follows. We also have experience in :
Burial or Cremation?
Whether you choose a burial or a cremation, your Fairways Funeral Director will make all the arrangements
on your behalf.
Points to consider for burial :
- A grave will be prepared in advance. If there is a family plot, we can arrange for this to re-opened and the headstone removed before burial.
- You may want to reserve a larger plot if you or you family want to be buried close by.
- Some cemeteries no longer have space for additional graves and land prices can be at a premium.
- After the burial you will need to consider if you want a new memorial headstone, or an inscription added on an existing headstone. Your Funeral Director can give advice on memorials and any local regulations you should know about.
- Some mourners may hold back from attending this part of the ceremony, but the burial is a deeply moving part of the funeral and the family may need and welcome support.
Points to consider for cremation :
- It can be less expensive than a burial.
- Service times vary between crematoriums and our staff will be familiar with local regulations facilities.
- All cremations are carried out individually to a strict Code of Practice.
- Services can be held at the crematoria or elsewhere, for instance in a church, garden or hall, beforehand.
- The ashes may be held at the crematorium temporarily and can be collected by you or the staff at your local Fairways branch as you wish.
- Cremated remains may be scattered, buried or kept, as you wish. We have a large range of urns available to choose from. Ask our staff for local advice and costs.
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