On the day of the funeral County Funerals will be here to guide you through every step of the process; we aim to make you as informed and comfortable as possible at a very tough time.
The service
If you choose to have an attended service, then mourners will meet at the crematorium – usually there is a waiting room close to the chapel. You can choose to have the coffin placed in the chapel prior to family and friends entering or alternatively you may wish for mourners to wait until the hearse arrives and have the mourners follow the coffin into the chapel; the choice is entirely yours.
When the hearse arrives at the crematorium the chapel attendant will confirm the identity of your loved one by checking the nameplate with the information the crematorium holds for that service.
The content of the service is entirely the choice of the family and will be decided with the funeral director and officiant in advance. You may choose to have a religious or non-religious service and we can help you find a suitable celebrant or religious officiant if you wish. You can choose music, hymns, poems as appropriate to your loved one.
As the service draws to a close the officiant will lead you in your final goodbyes. The curtains can remain open or be closed as you wish
At the end of the end service all mourners will leave the chapel and then have the opportunity to view the floral tributes (if there are any) and have the chance to speak with other mourners. Some families ask for donations to a chosen charity in memory of the deceased – there will be a box for anonymous donations if this is the case.
After family and friends have left the chapel the coffin will be collected by the crematorium attendant; the name plate will be checked once more. The coffin is transferred to the cremator and the cremation process will take approximately 90 minutes. When the cremation is complete the remains are removed from the cremator and sorted via a machine which reduces any remaining fragments to ash. The remains are then placed into a container which is labelled and stored safely.
The remains of your loved one can be held at the crematorium, collected on your behalf by the funeral director or collected by yourself. You may choose to organise scattering or interment; some families opt to purchase a decorative casket or urn for keeping their loved ones close at home or in the garden. The choice is yours and will be discussed with you when you are arranging the funeral.