There are now so many unique and special ways to celebrate the life of a loved one. If you haven’t yet decided what sort of service you would like, take a look at these ideas and speak to us at Hayley Owen Funeral Directors to talk them through, or anything else you might want to discuss, and we’ll see if we can make it happen for you. Let us support, guide and inspire you to create a funeral you never thought was possible.
Cremations are now the most popular form of funeral. Most people will want a ceremony at the crematorium – using their chapel – but you can also hold the service in a church or other venue of your choice prior to the cremation. It is entirely up to you if you want the service to be religious or non-religious. A religious service will be conducted by an ordained minister or clergy from a specific faith or religion whereas a non-religious ceremony can have a civil celebrant or officiant from the humanist society.
Unless you have asked for extra time for your service, a cremation funeral service usually lasts 30 minutes. The service can include a number of hymns or non-religious songs that mean something to you, eulogies and readings. At the end of the service you can chose to have the curtains open or closed for mourners to pay their final respects before the cremation.
Most crematoriums are able to return a loved one’s ashes one working day after the cremation, and sometimes even the same day. At this stage you can think about what you would like to do with the ashes.
Funeral services can be as formal or informal as you would like – and it’s entirely up to you as to how religious the service is depending on your beliefs and the wishes of your loved one.
Hayley Owen Funeral Directors can organise the funeral and a burial at your chosen cemetery, graveyard or burial ground and purchase a grave on your behalf where necessary. Some burial grounds have a chapel or room where the service can take place, but you may decide you want the service to take place in a particular church or other venue that has meaning for you.
If you already have a family burial plot we may be able to arrange for it to be reopened before the burial. If you would like burial plots which are next to each other, you’ll need to talk to the local authority about the possibility of purchasing or reserving multiple plots and again, we can help you with this.
Unattended Cremations provide an affordable alternative to a full service funeral, without compromising on the quality of care. They offer a no-fuss or simple cremation for those who are seeking simplicity, or where budget is limited.
On the day of the funeral, the deceased will be transported to the crematorium in a non-ceremonial vehicle with several team members accompanying them on their final journey. This normally takes place between 8:30am - 9:00am on a day of our choosing. An unattended cremation has no formal funeral service and is usually unattended leaving you to say goodbye to your loved one in your own way rather than with a traditional funeral ceremony and mourners present at the crematorium.
With an unattended cremation you can still have a private memorial service or celebration of life that you feel best reflects the wishes of your loved one at an alternative or unusual venue before or after the cremation takes place.
As an alternative to a traditional burial or cremation, Hayley Owen Funeral Directors can help you arrange for your loved one’s final resting place to be in a woodland burial ground. These are attractive and peaceful places for you to visit and reflect on your loved one’s life moving forward. Green and woodland funerals are becoming increasingly popular as people begin to consider the environmental impact of traditional funerals.
Often people choose this as a greener option, using eco-friendly coffins or eco coffins and ashes caskets, usually made from recycled paper, wicker or willow.
These burials are often not marked with a headstone, rather a tree or flowers that often become indistinguishable in the woodland. Some natural burial grounds offer the opportunity to add a memorial tree to mark your loved one’s resting place. This makes the funeral for your loved one more environmentally friendly.