What to do when someone dies
The funeral can only take place after the death has been registered. You can pay for a funeral director to arrange the funeral, or you can do it yourself.
You should check if the person who died had made arrangements for their funeral - this could include a prepaid funeral plan or life insurance. The person may have included their wishes in their Will if they had one.
Funeral Directors
If you hire a funeral director, choose a funeral director who’s a member of either the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF). These organisations have codes of practice, for example the funeral director is required to be transparent with their fees and charges and should give you a price list when asked.
Arranging the funeral yourself
Once appointed, the funeral arranger will discuss potential dates for the cremation service. They will liaise with us, the minister or celebrant and look at the availability of their vehicles and staff. The arranger will also discuss the requirements for the funeral service if there is to be one including music and visual tributes.
Don’t forget that you are paying for the funeral arranger to make the arrangements and to take some of the pressure off of you when you and your family are going through a bereavement.
Funeral costs
Funeral costs will include funeral director fees, disbursements or third-party costs, for example crematorium fees, or a newspaper/online announcement about the death.
Funeral directors must itemise all costs in their quote. We recommend you get quotes from several funeral directors to see what is available and what is within your budget.
If you need help with the cost of a funeral further information is available from MoneyHelper. This is an external website.
You can make the arrangement yourself. Please contact the team at Oakfield Gardens and we will be happy to guide you through the process.
If you are thinking of arranging the funeral yourself, you will need to consider the following...
You will need to purchase a coffin that is suitable for cremation. Some funeral directors would be happy to sell you a coffin as most manufacturers will not supply directly to the public. Please be aware that coffins must be UK accredited. Please do not purchase a coffin online without consulting us first.
You will need to contact or visit the office at Oakfield Gardens to complete the required statutory paperwork and discuss the requirements for the funeral service.
On the day of the funeral, you will need to collect the person who has died from the establishment who has the body in their care. They will usually be happy to help you to place the person in the coffin.
You will need a suitable vehicle to bring the coffin to the crematorium.
Most importantly, if you are thinking about making the arrangements yourself, you need to think about your own wellbeing as making the arrangements can affect the process of grief. Don’t forget that we are here to help you.
Types of ceremony
Our service hall is secular but can cater for any religious or non-religious cremation service.
If the person who has died was religious, the family may already have contacts with a religious minister who may undertake the funeral service, otherwise the funeral arranger will have a list of ministers who will take the service.
We have a special room for the witness charging of a coffin which forms part of the cremation service for the Hindu and Sikh faiths or for those who wish to see this part of the process. This must be requested at the time of booking the cremation.
For non-religious funerals, the funeral arranger will also have a list of humanist and civil celebrants. More information can be found via the following external websites…
