If you’ve ever imagined your own funeral do you think of a grand procession and a marble headstone or an altogether more demure affair?
Before you start planning your funeral make sure you know fact from fiction. For instance, did you know:
- you don’t have to use a funeral director to organise a funeral
- you don’t have to use a hearse to move a body
- you don’t even have to have a coffin
It’s entirely up to you whether you choose a typical Victorian-style service offered by many undertakers or opt for something different. You could try a woodland burial, where people are buried in biodegradable containers or shrouds in a natural or woodland burial ground. In some cases a tree can be planted to mark the burial spot. You may even want to follow David Bowie and go for direct cremation, where your body is cremated without a ceremony.
A sporting send off
Some sports venues such as Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium can cater for funerals including:
- Blue and white coffin or traditional coffin with flag
- Funeral ceremony in a suite overlooking the pitch
- Area with displays of photos
- Your choice of music
- Order of service booklet with tributes and photos
- Football flower tributes
- After funeral reception with drinks and/or catering
- Committal at one of Manchester’s cemeteries or crematoria
- Scattering of some of the ashes in the Memorial Garden
Don’t leave the bill to the bereaved
The average cost of a funeral in the UK has risen by 3.9% to £3,702 over the past year, so it makes sense to plan ahead instead of leaving it to the bereaved to find the money.
A Whole of Life Plan can help take away some of the financial worry of planning or funding a funeral from your family or friends. These plans are designed to pay out a specified sum when you pass away (or are diagnosed with a terminal illness). The amount paid depends on the sum assured and type of cover you choose, you can decide this when you set up your plan.