Funeral Advice

Before the funeral
Upon receiving instructions we will make contact with the Church, Clergy and Authorities as required, and complete all the necessary paperwork and pay the resultant fees on your behalf. The clergy will usually contact you prior to the funeral to discuss the service and music with you.

If you do not wish for a religious service we can arrange for an appropriate alternative, such as a humanist officiant. A member of your family or a friend can say a few words if preferred, or you can listen to chosen music.

You are welcome to visit the Chapel of Rest by appointment. Personal items can be placed in the coffin, but please check with us, as there are restrictions if cremation has been arranged.

Flowers
If you wish to have flowers, you may ask your florist to deliver them to us, or we are happy to collect them from the cortege address. Please let us know if you are expecting a large number of flowers at the house so we can allow sufficient time.

Flowers which are to be placed on the coffin should be no taller than 8", to prevent them from being damaged by the roof of the hearse. If there are several floral tributes, we normally list them for you.
The cards will be left on the flowers unless you give us alternative instructions.

Donations
If you wish to have donations in lieu of floral tributes, we are happy to receive instructions from you and collect them on your behalf. We usually keep the donations account open for four weeks after the funeral, and send you a full list prior to forwarding them onto the charity. We make no extra charge for this service.

On the day of the Funeral
It is a worthwhile procedure to decide on the seating arrangements for our limousines, where supplied, before the cortege arrives at the chosen address. Our limousines each hold six or seven people. We have booster seats available for children - please let us know if you will need one.

On arrival at the Church or Chapel, the Funeral Director will first enter to advise both the clergy and the authorities of our arrival. You may then be shown to your seats, or you may follow the coffin in. After the service our drivers will return you to the pre-arranged address.

Important
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, we have a duty of care to our staff. This means that sometimes we will need to convey the coffin into the church or chapel on a wheeled trolley. There are many reasons for this, for instance the size or weight of the coffin, or the locality of the church or chapel. you may rest assured that we will always maintain the greatest dignity possible.