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How to arrange a funeral

Choosing a Funeral Director

You are very welcome to come to make an appointment to visit our office in either Harrogate or Boroughbridge. Alternatively, we are able to meet you at your home any time, or be contacted 24/7 through email or telephone.

It is important to check whether the deceased left any instructions within their Will about the funeral. For example, wishes for their body to be used for medical research or organs to be donated for transplantation. If there is no Will, the next of kin should decide, with help and guidance from a funeral director. It is important to check whether the deceased has already made arrangements for their own funeral, or carried out funeral insurance.

Your choices for a funeral

You can decide the finer details in your own time and discuss them with David, but you will need to make early decisions on a number of options…

  • whether it will be a burial or a cremation
  • where it will happen (church, crematorium chapel, cemetery chapel, graveside, elsewhere)
  • when the service will happen (day, date, time)

We can make all the arrangements for the funeral, burial or cremation, religious or non religious. We will also advise on all the procedures and documents needed to register the death.

If you are considering a headstone most cemeteries will advise to wait for a period of approximately six months before placing it. However, please speak with us as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delay after this waiting period.

Funeral costs and charges

The costs of a funeral fall into three main categories…

  • Cost of materials, such as coffin or casket, clothing and memorials
  • Funeral director’s fee, including making arrangements, hire of vehicles, liaison with third parties on documentation and management of the funeral
  • Disbursements paid to other organisations on your behalf, such as church or crematorium fees and obituary notices

The ultimate cost will depend on your choices for the funeral. We will explain clearly to you what the options are and how much they cost so that you are fully informed about the choices you make.

For more information, take a look at our funeral pricing page.

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Cremations

Following the registration of a death, either a burial or cremation can take place.

The crematorium must receive the relevant certificates up to two days before the cremation is due to take place. The fee for this usually comes as part of the crematorium fee.

Most crematoria incorporate a service in their chapel. You may wish to use this or alternatively, you may hold the service itself in a church or other location. Or you may choose to use the crematorium for committal only.

You may wish to consider music to be played. Commonly, crematoria have moved to modern digital platforms. This would allow most music tracks to be played through their systems, and also allows the facility to record the service (where available). We will also be able to advise you about the options available in respect of disposal of the deceased’s ashes following cremation.

Simple funeral plans have become more popular in recent years, providing a cheap funeral alternative to families with less money, or who do not want a full funeral service. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about our current simple funeral plans, and allow us to provide you with an estimate free of charge.