On the day and after the funeral
All the arrangements have been made, and the day of the funeral has arrived. Everyone at Regent Funeral Services will ensure that this goes as smoothly as possible providing the dignified and sensitive service you expect.
Traditionally the procession starts at the house of the person who has died, or sometimes a funeral home, with the coffin and cars travelling to the funeral service.
The coffin arrives at the funeral service and close family members usually follow it and sit at the front of the venue. In the case of a burial, the coffin will then be taken to the grave and lowered into the grave while a short service is held.
For a cremation, the coffin will be taken to the crematorium and placed on a stand in view of the attendees. Towards the end of the service music is played and the coffin disappears from view.
After the funeral, friends and family are usually invited for refreshments at the house of a close family member or at a local venue.
Memorials
There may still be some things you will need to organise after the funeral is over. One thing you might want to consider is a memorial. This can be anything from physical memorial sites, to an entry into a book of remembrance or an online memorial.
You might want to consider a memorial gravestone if the person who has died has been buried. If it is a family grave, you may want to have the inscription updated, or replace the memorial if it is damaged. Each cemetery has its own rules about when a gravestone can be put in and some insist on waiting at least six months for the ground to settle.
If the person has been cremated there are usually a range of memorials available at the local crematorium's Garden of Remembrance.
You may choose to have the ashes buried in a churchyard or cemetery, while some people prefer to scatter or bury their loved one's ashes in a particular spot in their garden or a place they loved. If you do not own the place you want the ashes to be scattered then you will have to gain permission from the landowner or the relevant authority.
We also have a range of ashes containers and urns and we can show you a number of different options which will allow you to keep the ashes at home.
Paying for the funeral
The cost of the funeral will depend on the option you discussed and agreed with us. You will be given a written confirmation and a full, clear estimate showing a breakdown of our costs and any third-party payments that we would make on your behalf.
These could include: cremation or burial fees, officiant fees, doctor's fees (where applicable), notice in the paper, flowers and catering. Payment terms are dependent on your selected funeral option.
For a direct cremation or a simple funeral, we would require full payment before booking the funeral. For any other packages or personal choice funerals we would require at least the total of the third-party costs before the funeral. We would send out an invoice for any remaining payments for our services after the funeral.
If you wish to pay the full funeral balance before the funeral, you will receive a discount of 2.5% off the full balance (there is no discount available on a direct cremation or a simple funeral).
Help with the cost of the funeral
While we aim to provide services at the lowest rates, we know that sometimes people require help to pay for the costs associated with a loved one's passing.
If you could benefit from financial assistance at this difficult time, there are several options available to you which could provide a helping hand. Please ask us about these.