The Role of the Funeral Director
Most people choose to enrol the services of a funeral director to make the funeral arrangements on their behalf. They do so partly for reasons of convenience, at what is a stressful time, but also to ensure that the arrangements are carried out with dignity and propriety.
The funeral director is there to provide a professional and sympathetic service and will ensure your funeral arrangements are carried out in accordance with your wishes.
Their services usually provide:
- 24 hour service
- Private Chapel of Rest
- Pre-paid and pre-arranged funerals
- Choice of coffins and furnishings
- Special services e.g. provision of horse-drawn hearse
- Hearse and matching limousines
- Bearers
The funeral director will:
- Collect the body from the home/mortuary.
- Meet by appointment, the executor or person arranging the funeral and discuss funeral arrangements.
- Liase with us to arrange the cremation or burial service and advise us of all relevant instructions.
- Arrange the attendance of a minister or other officiant and organist if required.
- Make the necessary payments (disbursements) on your behalf, to include cemetery or crematorium fees, doctor's fees, minister's fees and organist fees.
- Ensure all necessary official documents are completed and delivered to us within the required timescales.
- Transport the coffin and any floral tributes to the crematorium or cemetery.
- Ensure the funeral is carried out under the guidance of a Funeral Director.
Additionally, on request the Funeral Director will:
- Prepare the body for viewing, a procedure which may include embalming and /or cosmetic treatment.
- Arrange for the publication of obituaries.
- Provide floral tributes.
- Organise a collection for a named charity.
- Following cremation, remove the cremated remains from the crematorium on your behalf, to their Chapel of Rest, pending a decision on their final resting place.
- Arrange a private burial of the cremated remains at a cemetery or churchyard of your choice.
Your choices - you can:
- Use your own vehicles to meet the hearse at the church or crematorium.
- Use your own bearers.
- Ask for jewellery to be worn by the deceased.
- Have a religious or non-religious service.
- Have an organist, or use the music system of the crematorium, or both.