What is a Direct Cremation?

A direct cremation is a funeral with no service, no mourners attending. The deceased is taken through the chapel and placed on the catafalque, just like an attended funeral.

Direct cremation is cheaper than a regular funeral. Ashes can be returned to the family once the cremation is complete.

How does a Pure Cremation differ from a traditional cremation?

A direct cremation simply separates the farewell ceremony from the practical aspects of the cremation. The standard of care and cremation should be just as high as that provided for a traditional service.

Why choose a direct cremation?

Mainly it is the Cost

A direct cremation is cheaper than a funeral with a service as many of the costs are avoided. There’s no need to hire the chapel, pay for a celebrant, flowers, or limousines.

Bearers are not required as typically a wheeled bier is used to move the coffin. During recent social distancing restrictions, all funerals have been using wheeled bier trolleys to transport the deceased to the chapel.

Cost is an obvious factor. But it would be wrong to think that direct cremation is only chosen by people who can’t afford a traditional funeral.

Many family funerals for have simply decided against laying out thousands of pounds for a 30-minute chapel service.

The cheapest direct cremation can start at £990 to £1,200, depending on your location.

A Celebration of Life funeral service  

Can this be arranged after the direct cremation?

Of course. A funeral service can be a memorial service, or a celebration of life service.

It does not need to happen at the same time and place as the cremation. If you choose a direct cremation, you can then hold a ceremony afterwards as a way of gathering families, sharing stories, saying goodbye in a fitting dignified way.

Funeral services can take many forms and the ceremony itself does not need to be expensive.

At County Celebrant Network our celebrants create fully bespoke ceremonies from around £250 or even less.

The ceremonies can be how you want it, it can be conducted anywhere you wish, in a local village hall, woodland or meadow, your town hall, or even at own home if it is suitable. Unlike the chapel service there is no time limit to worry about. It can take as long as you like to celebrate your loved one’s life.

It’s not only the service that a grieving family find helpful, but the relationship they build with their officiant during the planning of their service.

Your loved one deserves a loving meaningful send off

Surely, the cremation cannot be the end of their story?

They deserve more than that, they deserve a deeply comforting final farewell

Many families have found the connection with their celebrant invaluable; in that the process of formulating the service or celebration of life for their loved one.

Speaking those thoughts and memories out loud and then sharing it in their chosen venue in their honour, is a catalyst for healing and becomes the first step towards living with their loss.

Ask your Funeral Director to call their local County Celebrant Network’s Funeral Celebrant to contact you and arrange a ‘Celebration of life ‘service.

They Deserve it!