Advance Funeral Wishes
Produced by The Natural Death Centre Charity ©
Funeral wishes, whether in a Will or in a letter or form as below, are not legally binding on
friends and relatives, but will normally be followed where at all possible. At the very least,
what follows may stimulate you to think of the kind of funeral you might or might not like;and to make sure that those who may be responsible in the event know your wishes.
See also The Natural Death Centre’s Death Plan for requirements whilst dying, and the Charity’s
Advance Healthcare Directive. (Separate sheets can be used for longer responses, using thenumbers below to refer to. Underline or tick or cross out or amplify as relevant.)
1. I have / have not written a Will (location.....................................................................................................) which
expresses / does not express my funeral wishes. (If there is such a Will) - please treat this additional document as
expanding on the wishes expressed in that Will, with the Will taking legal precedence if relevant.

2. With this Will / this present document is also added all potentially needed information such as NHS card,birth and marriage certificates, bank account details, credit cards, hire purchase agreements, mortgage andhome insurance details, council rent department, local gas, electricity, water and telephone offices, life
insurance, car details, share certificate details, premium bonds, pension details, details of doctor, solicitor,accountant, stockbroker, employer, main clients. Also my home address, my last occupation, full name andoccupation of spouse and my maiden name (if a married woman). Plus any deeds to a grave.

3. I have / do not have any preferences about what happens to my body. (If no preferences) I leave it all entirelyin the discretion of ...............................................................................................................................................................

4. I do / do not wish to donate my body after death. (If I am bequeathing my body) I have completed therelevant consent form from ……………………………………………………………………………………………..……

5. I would like my body to be cremated / buried / deposited in a vault /catacomb / mausoleum.

6. I would like to have a funeral ceremony with my body present in a coffin / a memorial service (with / withoutmy ashes present) / no ceremony at all7. I have / do not have a pre-paid funeral plan / funeral insurance scheme (If so, please give details and makesure your next of kin are aware of the existence of this plan. Some of what follows may then not be relevant inyour case).

8. I do / do not wish to donate my any / all of my organs after death (Specify)

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9. If possible, I wish my body left undisturbed after my death for .................... hours / days.

10. Nurses attending the death normally lay out the body, but I would / would not like it very much if ...............
....................................................................................... could also assist / do this instead.

11. If a post-mortem after my death requires the consent of my next of kin, I would like them to give it / not togive it.

12. I do / do not wish my body to be embalmed (an embalmed body cannot be buried in a natural burial groundor at sea)

13. I would / would not like my body to be brought back to my home after death / to remain at home until thefuneral if I die at home to remain in the hospital or other establishment’s mortuary if possible / to go to a local
funeral director offering a refrigeration service.

14. The relative(s) or friend(s) I wish to be mainly responsible for arranging my funeral is / are ..............................
....................................................................................................................................................................... (specify).

15. I would / would not prefer for the above-named to arrange it without using a funeral director (if using afuneral director some of what follows may then not be relevant in your case).

16. If a funeral director is used, I would like it to be ............................................................................ / I would likesomeone to phone around several companies for the cheapest / most suitable funeral director’s quote / I would
like someone to contact The Natural Death Centre Charity and/or see The Natural Death Handbook Edition 5 tofind a recommended funeral director locally.

17. In general terms, I would like the expenditure on my funeral to be as little as possible / about average / above
average / well above average.

18. I would like my body placed in a shroud or body bag on plank and covered in a drape (if allowed by thecrematorium or burial ground) / a cardboard coffin /) a coffin handmade by friend or relative or local carpenter(specify any details) / / the cheapest veneered chipboard coffin / a painted coffin / a willow coffin / a bamboocoffin / a solid wood coffin / other ..............................................................................................................(specify) or
My coffin is already in store waiting (location) ................................................................................................................

19. I would / would not like some of my personal items to be placed in the coffin with me (specify) ....................
................................................................................................................................................................................................

20. I would like my body to be dressed in my own clothes / clothed in a gown supplied by the funeral director /neither.

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21. I would like my body to be transported to the relevant place in my / a friend’s car or van (give details whererelevant) / I would like a large estate car / small van to be hired for the occasion / I would like a funeral director
to be asked to supply a hearse with / without following cars / I would like a horse-drawn hearse/ some othertransport (specify).

22. I would ideally like ......................................................................................................... as the bearers of my coffin.

23. I would / would not like flowers brought to my funeral / one flower per person / no flowers / donation
instead to ............................................................................................. charity.

24. I would / would not like my death and funeral announced in the following publication(s) ..............................
.............................................................................................................................

If cremation is chosen:
25. I would like my funeral ceremony (if having one) to take place at a church / other venue (specify) before /after my body is delivered to the crematorium (state what if anything is to happen at the crematorium and who isto attend) / I would like the funeral service to take place at the crematorium.

26. After cremation, what I would ideally like done with my ashes is .......................................................................

27. (If an urn to be used) the kind of urn I would most like is home-made by ..............................................................
........................... / standard crematorium container / other (specify)

If burial is chosen:
28. I do / do not have a burial place reserved / in mind (details if so). I would like to be buried in a churchyard/ cemetery / natural burial ground / my own garden or land / at sea (please give extra details where relevant.
Please note that sea burial can be difficult to arrange as well as costly).

29. If I am to be buried in my own garden or land, I have / have not informed those who will inherit my estate /other next of kin / neighbours (There is no a legal obligation to do this but it is recommended)

30. If I am to be buried in a natural burial ground, I have chosen the one I want / I would like those in charge ofmy funeral to contact an information source such as The Natural Death Centre to find out the nearest or mostsuitable site at the time of my death. I would prefer such a site to be run by a local authority / private individual /larger company / wildlife trust / I have no preference.

31. If permitted, I would like ...............................................................................................to help dig / fill my grave.

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If having a funeral ceremony:
32. I would like my funeral ceremony to take account of the fact that my religion / spiritual belief / philosophy is.................................................................................................................................................................................................

33. I would / would not like my coffin to be open at the ceremony if possible.

34. I would like the ceremony to be led by my priest / minister / rabbi /an interfaith minister / other faith leader /a civil celebrant / a humanist officiants / my family / my friends (specify individuals if known)

35. The form of ceremony I would like is .........................................................................................................................

36. The rituals I would most like it to include are ...........................................................................................................

37. The kind of music, hymns, psalms, songs etc I would like include .................................... (be as specific as youlike) played by / sung by ..............................................................................................

38. The kind of texts / poems I would like include...........................................................................................................

39. If possible I would like a main address about my life given by ..............................................................................

40. At this service / at some later occasion (specify) I would / would not like my friends to have a chance tospeak about me.

41. Amongst those I would most like invited who might otherwise be neglected are .................... (names andcontact details )42. The kind of numbers I would like at my funeral ceremony are ....................... (I see it as ideally a small family
affair / family and friends / anyone who wishes to be there.)

43. I have / have not left a last audio / video / written message (specify) for my family or friends (if yes, location)
and wish for this to be played / read aloud at the funeral service

Party or gathering after funeral
44. I would / would not like a gathering after the funeral.
45. (Assuming one is wanted) in general terms, I would like as much money spent on a gathering after thefuneral as on the funeral itself / less money / much less money / more money

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46. The form I would like this gathering to take................................................................................................................
(specify indoors / outdoors / location / food / drinks / etc).

Memorial service
47. I would / would not like a memorial gathering some ...................... months after the funeral.

48. The form I would like this memorial gathering to take is ……………………..……………………………..……....

49. The rituals I would most like it to include are ...........................................................................................................

50. Those who may not have come to the funeral that I would like invited to the memorial gathering
include...................................................................................................................................................................................

Commemoration
51. I would / would not like a tree / flowers planted on / near grave / other location, in memory of me (specify)

52. I would ideally like my life to be commemorated by a plaque / headstone (suggest wording of inscription) /garden bench / window / an entry in a Book of Remembrance / an online memorial / an endowment to charityor a specific establishment / other (specify)

53. I would / would not like there to be a ritual or remembrance on the anniversaries of my death. Ideally theform this could take would be ..........................................................................................................................................

54. Amongst things left unsaid to particular people that I would like to say now the following letters areattached (specify)

55. I may find out for sure in due course, but as a matter of interest, I do / do not believe in an afterlife, which I
visualise as ............................................................................................................................................................................

56. My next of kin is: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(name, address, phone number).

Signature and Witnesses
Signed on this day ……………………. of ……………………………………………………………………….. 20 ……
Printed Name: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Address: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..…
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signature: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This signing is witnessed by the two undersigned, neither of whom stands to benefit from the signatory’s Will:
1st Witness’s printed name …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Address …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signature ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2nd Witness’s printed name …………………………………………………………………………………………………
Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……

					

Copyright © The Natural Death Centre Charity 2012 (Charity No. 1091396)
w: www.naturaldeath.org.uk e: contact@naturaldeath.org.uk t: 01962 712690
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