Funeral Etiquette

If you are attending a funeral which we are organising, please telephone us with any query whatsoever. There is no question too trivial.
Here are some pointers to be going on with.

The majority of mourners still tend to wear dark clothing such as black or navy. Some families request bright clothing or a clothing colour theme, which would usually be intimated in the death notice appearing in the newspaper and on our website. Cemeteries in the winter really require sturdy shoes and an overcoat, since you may be outside for around half an hour altogether.

Most crematoria and cemeteries have ample parking, but do allow around 15 minutes to find a spot, especially since there are often funerals finishing as you arrive and traffic flowing both ways.

It is a lovely gesture to bring flowers. It is good to check on the death notice to see if there are any restrictions such as family flowers only. At a cremation, there are usually only a small number of flowers permitted in the building. At a cemetery, there is no limit and the flowers will be left at the graveside as a tribute.

This is certainly more popular these days and many a funeral has a collection plate on your exit from the crematorium or other venue for your donation, should you so wish.

Your presence at the funeral will be one of the most important aspects of the day for the immediate family. Sometimes there will be an attendance card on the chair in the crematorium or handed out at the cemetery. Please take a few moments to fill in your details and to perhaps write a short message for the family to read in the days and weeks after the funeral is over.

Your presence at this time with the family is so important and going back to the hotel helps with the grieving process as you share memories of the person they have lost. It is sometimes difficult for folks to get time off work for the funeral and for the ‘cup of tea’ but we know that this does mean a lot to the next of kin to be there for them where possible.