ARRANGING A FUNERAL

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When selecting a Funeral Director, ALWAYS ensure they have industry-standard qualifications. This will provide the necessary accreditation to better serve you and your loved one. Being qualified indicates a proven level of knowledge, understanding, and the ability to perform the role effectively.

 

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OUR ROLE:

As family funeral directors, our combined experience, sensitivity, and training enable us to manage every aspect of the funeral, from the smallest details to the largest. We understand all too well that attention to detail can make a difference. Our philosophy of going the extra mile will make the difference between having just a funeral and creating a memorable, positive experience. We only get one chance to get things right, and as a team, we focus on that goal to make a meaningful moment.

Being a family business, we have a diverse range of personalities, skills, and experience. We are all familiar with the essentials of being a Funeral Director, but each family member is key to delivering the overall experience. What we do is not about one person, and working together as a family, we all strive to achieve that common goal. In defining our 'Role', we have five areas of responsibility:

 

CUSTODIAN:

Being the Custodian of the deceased is our fundamental role; it's at the heart of everything we do. Keeping the departed safe, comfortable and at all times, retaining their dignity is uncompromising. We provide this role through dedicated facilities with trained, experienced, and qualified staff who are committed to fulfilling their roles with a sense of duty and pride. It's not just a job; it's a calling. You don't perform this role; you deliver it consistently, to every deceased, every time, without fail. We uphold and adhere to strict policies and procedures, we continue to financially invest in this sphere of our duties, and leave no stone unturned in our unwavering pursuit of excellence.

 

CONTRACTOR:

As a Contractor, we take full responsibility for ensuring that the funeral is carried out according to your wishes. We determine the practical and logistical elements and source these to provide a seamless funeral experience. Our ability to arrange a wide range of goods and services, working with suppliers, manufacturers, and other contractors, means that whatever you want, we can provide, with few limitations to achieving your every wish.

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Being a Contractor also means we are under Contract, which means we are not just committed, but legally bound to deliver a service that meets your expectations. We are not just acting as a source of supply; we're legally obligated. This ensures that you can have complete confidence in our ability to meet your needs, even in the most challenging times.

 

AGENT:

Being an Agent means we can act on your behalf. Contrary to the common misconception, it isn't the Funeral Director who is making funeral arrangements; it's you, our client. We act on your behalf for convenience, but you retain complete control. We make all those telephone calls and assist with completing documents and application forms, but the decisions are always yours. We book the Crematorium, Cemetery, Clergy, Newspaper Notices, Flowers, Vehicle, Staff, etc. We act as a middleman between you and the various authorities responsible for aspects of the funeral. This is your funeral, not ours; we are just here to take the strain and manage the pressure, ensuring everything is thought through, considered and acted upon… including all those complex legalities.

 

TECHNICAL ADVISER:

As Technical Advisors, our role is defined by our experience, skills, qualifications, and, most importantly, our reliability. We bring a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the countless intricacies of arranging a funeral. With such a diverse skill set within our family team, we offer a multi-layered source of information, knowledge, and understanding. Our reliability means that if you have a question, we have the answer. And if one Funeral Director is unable to provide it, another one can. This is the advantage of our family team: we support each other and, in turn, help you as a family, providing a sense of security and trust.

 

MASTER OF CEREMONIES:

The Master of Ceremonies, a figure we often associate with the day of the funeral, is the Funeral Director leading the Hearse, managing and guiding everything and everyone with composed, confident authority. For most guests, this is our role: the formality of the ceremony, the visual representation. Despite the trend towards less formality and more celebration, there are enduring traditional elements that are crucial, and the Master of Ceremonies plays a significant role in this.

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The big black cars of yesteryear, the cortege, the attire, the reverence to the occasion-for many, these elements still hold significant and necessary roles. Funerals have become much more relaxed, but there is still room to balance contemporary with formality. Ultimately, you decide how the funeral will be, but our staff are here to ensure a sense of dignity and respect is maintained, regardless of the funeral's style. ​

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MAKING FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:

The timing for carrying out arrangements is entirely your decision, and you do not need to rush or make rash decisions. However, we encourage families to contact us as soon as possible after the death; this way, we can help guide them through the immediate formalities, such as registration. Once you feel comfortable and ready to discuss the funeral, we will make an appointment to meet.

 

Making funeral arrangements isn't just about an interview; it's about developing your thoughts and ideas to create a meaningful day. Our initial meeting will focus on sharing your thoughts and ideas, combining them with our suggestions to offer you options and choices that you may not have considered. We never forget that this is not just another funeral; it isn't for you, and it certainly isn't for us. Every funeral we carry out is an opportunity; we appreciate the honour placed on us and will do everything possible to make your funeral day positive, meaningful, and memorable for the right reasons. The initial meeting will also provide us with all the formal details required, get you to sign some documents, and, if you wish, confirm the service's date, time, and venue. You then have plenty of time to consider all the options and choices, make your final decisions unhurried, and carefully think about how you want things to be.

 

Once initial arrangements have been made, we will provide you with a confirmation of the funeral booking, review the options, and consider the details. Over the coming days, we will contact you to discuss the decisions made and begin planning the funeral. We never rush, never encourage immediate decisions, and will not make any assumptions.​​

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There will be many questions, and we are here to help answer them for you. However, the most common questions have been addressed in some Information Leaflets, and we hope these will provide some answers.