Arranging a funeral can be something that relatives embark upon with an amount of uncertainty and apprehension. As your appointed Funeral Director our role is to gently guide you and your family through the different stages of arranging a funeral, offering help and advice, and making the arrangements on your behalf. This meeting can take place at Birch House or via the telephone, but usually it will be in the familiar surroundings of your own home.
A funeral is a very important event. It brings together family members, friends, neighbours, work colleagues and sometimes, the wider community, all focusing on remembering a person’s life. People attend the funeral to pay their respects and to say their “good-byes”. To make the funeral a personal tribute and a fitting farewell, many decisions will need to be made.
The service
One of the first decisions is where the service will take place. This could be in a church, at the crematorium or at the cemetery. A non-religious funeral service is an option preferred by some families, often led by a civil celebrant or humanist, and this is something that we can advise and arrange. Usually, the minister or celebrant conducting the service will meet with the family to help discuss the details and content of the service. You would need to give some consideration to the style of service required and whether any hymns are to be sung, music to be played or readings to be given. To go alongside this, we can work with our printers to design an order of service. These can be personalised with images and photographs and make a lovely keepsake of the day for those attending.
Transport
We fully appreciate the importance of the vehicles used to take someone on their final journey and are proud to offer you our prestigious fleet of dark burgundy XJ Jaguar hearses & limousines, which combine both elegance and luxury. Alternatively, for something more traditional, we can provide our 1968 Austin Princess hearse accompanied by our black and burgundy Rolls Royce Wraith, or arrange for a horse-drawn hearse to take your loved one to their final resting place- a reminder of days gone by.
Coffins
Of course, careful consideration must be given to the type of coffin desired. A range of traditional coffins and caskets are available which are hand finished and of the highest quality. It is also possible to arrange for coffins of varying colour and design. Or, for some families, an environmentally friendly coffin, hand crafted in willow, bamboo, or sea grass, may be the preferred option. A number of these options are displayed in our showroom at Birch House to help support you in making your choice.
Chapel of Rest
Once we have your loved one in our care and started to make arrangements for the funeral, we prepare them for their final journey, including dressing them. This might be an outfit of their own clothing that you have chosen or could be a gown from our selection. Some people find comfort in visiting our Chapel of Rest for a private goodbye before the service; others prefer to reflect on memories of happier times. Whichever you feel is right for you, we can help to guide and support you.
Tributes
Flowers are another important aspect of a funeral, adding a touch of colour and warmth. We work alongside local florists to arrange fitting floral displays to suit the service or are happy to make recommendations and suggestions. Another consideration is whether you would prefer other mourners to send floral tributes or donate to a charity, in memory of your loved one. We can also work with you to write an announcement to be published in a regional or national newspaper.
Urns & Keepsakes
If you choose to have a cremation, thought needs to be given to the final resting place for the cremated remains. All crematoriums have different options which we can talk you through, or you might prefer to bring them home or scatter them somewhere which has a special meaning. Whatever you decide, we provide a range of urns and keepsakes to suit your decision, many of which are on display in our showroom at Birch House.