Direct Cremation
A simple cremation, arranged here in North Wingfield
A direct cremation is a cremation without a service and without mourners present, with the ashes returned to you afterwards. It is our simplest and most affordable cremation, and for a great many families it is exactly the right one. This page sets out what it involves, what it costs, and, just as importantly, how to decide whether it is right for your family.
What a direct cremation actually is
There is no funeral service, no mourners at the crematorium, no hearse and no cars. Your loved one is brought into our care, we complete all of the paperwork, and the cremation takes place quietly at a time arranged with the crematorium. Afterwards, the ashes come back to you.
That is the whole of it. It is not a lesser funeral, and it does not mean a life goes unmarked. Many families choose a direct cremation precisely so that they can say goodbye in their own way, in their own time.
What is included
Everything below is covered by the £1,770. There is nothing further to pay.
- Bringing your loved one into our care, at any hour
- Caring for them at our premises until the cremation
- All the legal paperwork and arrangements
- A simple, dignified coffin
- Transport to the crematorium
- The cremation fee itself
- The ashes ready for you afterwards
What is not included
These are not part of a direct cremation. Any of them can be added, but then it is no longer a direct cremation, and we will price it properly for you.
- A funeral service, at the crematorium or anywhere else
- Mourners attending the cremation
- Limousines or a hearse procession
- Flowers, an order of service, or a celebrant
- A choice of date or time at the crematorium
- Viewing at our chapel of rest, though this can be arranged, so ask us
Is it the right choice for your family?
It is a decision worth making with open eyes. If they told you plainly that they wanted no fuss, and you know they meant it, that is usually answer enough. If you are still weighing it up, here are both sides, as plainly as we can put them.
It may well suit you if
A formal service sits wrongly with how they lived. Some people were never ones for ceremony, and a quiet goodbye suits them better than a solemn one.
You would rather remember them somewhere that meant something, at home, at the pub, on a hillside.
The family is scattered, and gathering everyone quickly would be difficult, so you would rather hold something later when everyone can come.
Cost is a genuine worry. There is no shame in that whatsoever, and a direct cremation is a dignified answer to it.
It may not be the right one if
Someone in the family badly needs to be there at the end. A direct cremation takes that moment away, and that is a hard regret to carry.
It is being chosen out of a feeling that no fuss should be made, rather than because no fuss is what was wanted. You are allowed to want a funeral.
The family does not agree, and deciding quickly feels easier than a difficult conversation. It is a conversation worth having.
Some families plan a memorial for later that never quite happens. If you suspect that may be true of yours, it is worth knowing before you decide, rather than after.
If any of that gives you pause, call us and talk it through. We will tell you what we think, and we will not push you either way. An unattended funeral with a service beforehand, or a simple attended funeral, may suit you better, and we would rather say so.
Three questions worth asking any provider, including us
Direct cremation is offered by many providers, some local and some national, and the arrangements behind the price vary a great deal. Whoever you are considering, these three questions are worth asking. Here are our answers.
Where will they be cared for? With us, your loved one stays here in North Wingfield, at our own premises, in our care until the cremation.
Where will the cremation take place? Locally, at a crematorium you know, and we take them there ourselves.
Who will answer when you ring? One of us, whenever you call, and the same people each time.
And if you would like to visit them in our chapel of rest before the cremation, you can. It is not a standard part of a direct cremation, but we are close by, so simply ask.
How it works
There is very little for you to do, which is rather the point of it.
You call us
At any hour. We will talk it through, answer your questions, and bring your loved one into our care.
We handle the paperwork
The cremation forms, the liaison with the doctors and the crematorium, and clear guidance through registering the death, which is the one thing only you can do.
The cremation
Quietly, at a time arranged with the crematorium. We take them there ourselves, as we would for any family.
The ashes come home
We will let you know when they are ready, and you can collect them from us whenever suits you.
Saying goodbye afterwards
A direct cremation frees you to mark their life however you like, whenever you like, with nothing booked and nothing hurried. Some families hold a memorial service weeks later. Some scatter the ashes somewhere that mattered. Some have a party, which is not a lesser thing at all, and is often exactly what the person would have wanted.
You do not need a funeral director for any of that. But if you would like a hand with it, ask, and we will help however we can, whether that is a memorial service, a scattering, or a memorial for the ashes to rest under.
A celebration of life
Held wherever you like, whenever suits everyone, and led by whoever you choose. We can put you in touch with a celebrant if you would like one.
Scattering the ashes
Somewhere that meant something to them. We can advise on permissions if the place is not your own land, whenever the time feels right.
A lasting memorial
Our own masons make plaques and memorials for cremated remains, so there is somewhere to visit. See our memorials.
Talk it through with us first
No obligation, no pressure, and an honest answer about whether a direct cremation is the right thing for your family. That conversation costs nothing, and it is better had before you decide.