A Direct Cremation differs from a Traditional Cremation in that there is no service beforehand and there are no mourners in attendance. This gives you the opportunity to arrange a dignified funeral for your loved one now with the opportunity to arrange a memorial service or gathering at a later date when it is safe to do so. This will allow you to commemorate your loved one’s life in a way that you, and your family, would wish.
The financial advantage of a Direct Cremation is considerable, saving over £1,500 on a Traditional Cremation. This allows you the financial freedom to arrange a memorial service at a later date, at a venue of your choice, while still keeping your budget well below the cost of a traditional cremation. We are very happy to help you arrange a minister or celebrant for such a memorial service at no extra charge.
Please note that our Direct Cremation, which is £1,540, includes everything that is required without hidden costs such as collection, return of ashes or removal of pacemakers or artificial limbs. We also bring your loved one into our care immediately* and provide a full hearse for the cremation instead of a ‘Funeral Vehicle’ which is usually a van or estate car.
*Some online companies leave the deceased in the hospital until the day before the cremation which merely transfers the costs and the pressures of storage onto the NHS which we consider morally indefensible at this time.
We also care for, and cremate, your loved one locally rather than transporting them many miles away to a distant crematorium.
Arriving in an elegant hearse and accompanied by one of our Funeral Directors and staff the coffin will be placed with full honours in the chapel at Southend Crematorium.
We will provide the same stately oak effect coffin that we use for Traditional Cremations.
A cremation requires certification by a medical Doctor, this fee is fully covered.
Immediate collection of the deceased into our care where they will remain until the day of the cremation when they will be transported in an elegant hearse to Southend Crematorium.
The deceased will be fully cared for and prepared appropriately for cremation at our mortuary facilities in Westcliff.
We will collect and care for the ashes which you can collect at your convenience from our office in Westcliff. You can also choose to have the ashes scattered in the Garden of Remembrance at Southend.
Please note, we can provide a ‘Reflection Service’ for an extra £550. This service would be at 9am and includes 10 minutes for the family in the chapel with the coffin for personal reflection and private goodbyes. The Reflection Service does not include any minister or celebrant and no music is provided or played during the service.
There are only two things that may be required that are not covered in our price. The first is an out-of-hours collection, i.e. a collection that does not happen between 9am and 4pm. This will not be relevant if the deceased has passed away in hospital, but if they have passed away at home, or in a care home or hospice, then an out-of-hours collection may be required. We only charge £180 for out of hours collection.
The second is if the deceased is over 20 stone in weight in which case we will require extra staff on the day. Within reason this will require two additional staff so the additional cost would usually be £100 for this.
So that you fully understand what a Direct Cremation is we have included the following list of things that are not included in a Direct Cremation.
If you are considering plans for your own funeral please see details of our pre-paid plans where you can order further information with a single click.