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Two Together: Save £100!
Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
A direct cremation allows families to arrange a simple cremation at a fraction of the cost of a traditional funeral. But what is a direct cremation, and how do they differ from traditional funerals?
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted our day-to-day lives in many ways. But one of the most noticeable changes from two years in lockdown is the rise of direct cremations.
Limitations on attendees meant that families could no longer gather to say goodbye in the way that tradition once led.
For many, these limitations inadvertently paved a new kind of goodbye, one that felt more fitting and personal for those whom traditional funerals weren’t quite the right fit.
Direct cremation is a low cost alternative to traditional funerals, removing expenses such as embalming, hearses and limousines. It also allows families to take a breath, do the things they need to do in the weeks after their loved one’s death, and arrange a more meaningful, personalised celebration of life at a time that feels right.
If you find yourself needing to arrange a funeral for someone who has recently died, the first step is to give us a call, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Take the time you need to say your goodbyes, then once you’re ready for us, we’ll bring them into our care at our state-of-the-art mortuary facilities.
Our industry-leading Angel team will make sure that all of your paperwork is completed correctly, and make all of the arrangements for the cremation.
Unlike other providers, Aura also offers the chance to add a service in honour of the person who has died at a local crematorium.
We’ll bring the person who has died to the crematorium in a private ambulance for the cremation. We always let the family know when this will take place.
We can either hand-deliver the ashes to the family at home within 21 days, or scatter them privately in the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance.
As a direct cremation doesn’t include attendees at an officiated ceremony, and all of the extras like pallbearers and hearses, then none of those things need to be organised and planned. Instead, families can easily handle the most important practical matters and then focus on grieving those they’ve lost.
Given that direct cremation dispenses with the typical extras of a traditional funeral, it means that they tend to be much more affordable. For instance, according to SunLife’s 2024 Cost of Dying report, the average UK funeral cost was £4,141. The price of a direct cremation with Aura starts at £1,095, which is more than 50% cheaper.
With a direct cremation, it’s entirely up to the family what happens next. You can have a no-fuss funeral taking care of the necessary matters in a dignified and simple manner, and then you can take some time to catch your breath. In the following weeks, if you prefer, you can arrange a celebration of life that truly feels right for the person you’ve lost.
When someone close to us dies, navigating the early stages of grief can be overwhelming. A direct
cremation is a manageable yet meaningful way to commemorate our departed loved ones that eases some of the difficulty of planning a funeral.
One of the main advantages of an Aura direct cremation is that it’s significantly cheaper than the average. Our direct cremation prices are already less than half of the UK’s funeral cost*. Our direct cremation services are available both for those requiring our help now and for those looking to arrange a funeral plan.
If a loved one has recently passed away, we can support you to arrange a simple, direct cremation with an optional service at any crematorium in the country.
If you’re considering a prepaid funeral plan for yourself or a loved one, Aura provides the UK’s highest independently rated cremation plans with flexible payment options.
*Source: Sunlife 2024 Cost of Dying Report, stating the average cost of a funeral at £4,141. Aura’s direct cremations start at £1,095.
A direct cremation is usually something that takes place without any mourners or guests being present, with families typically appreciating this option for its simplicity and ease of organisation. However, others prefer to say goodbye in person. That’s why Aura, unlike most other providers, also offers an attended option for direct cremation, where families can bid farewell to someone they’ve lost at a local crematorium.
Our attended ceremonies can run from 15-to-45 minutes, and start at £1,895 for those in need now, and £2,195 for those looking for an attended cremation plan. We can help to find the perfect independent celebrant who can help you or your family to design a respectful service around the life of the person who has died.
Here at Aura, we understand that those first stages of grief after we lose a loved one can bring some of the most difficult days that a person can face. That’s why we have a dedicated, professional team of Aura Angels to guide you through the process from start to finish.
Our Aura Angels will guide you through the process step-by-step, or step back and let you lead the way.
Whether you would like to arrange a simple direct cremation so that you can celebrate your loved one’s life when the time feels right, or a fully attended ceremony to bring the most treasured people together for one final goodbye, our Aura Angels are there for you.
If you’re looking to arrange a funeral or would like a loved one brought into our care, our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re looking to make plans for the future, our dedicated planning team is available Monday–Friday, 9.00am–5.00pm.
To see our full list of FAQs, please click here.
We know that delays and the feeling of inaction at a time when we might have lost somebody can exacerbate feelings of grief. That’s why we’ll always deliver the most efficient service possible without giving up on quality.
It’s important to remember that each funeral is as unique as the one whom it remembers, which makes it difficult to offer a meaningful timescale in advance. That said, we’ll make sure to update you every step of the way so that you’re never left in the dark.
The best way to understand a direct cremation is that it leaves the typical extras of a traditional ceremony, like a hearse, funeral procession or floral tributes, to the side. Instead, with Aura, the person who has died is brought to the crematorium in a private ambulance, and, shortly after a few respectful words from a crematorium attendant, they’re cremated.
Direct cremation focuses on the practical matters, like the cremation itself and the return of ashes. Generally, there are no attendees, and many people prefer this for its simplicity and fuss-free nature. If they would like, the family can then use the money they’ve saved on the traditional extras to arrange a private celebration of life for the person who has died that is more in line with who they were and how they lived.
Because a direct cremation is generally more streamlined than a traditional ceremony, it means that there are fewer things to organise. This allows bereaved families to focus on the things that are important to them when they might be grieving, rather than being burdened by extensive admin or funeral arranging.
A direct cremation trims away all the unnecessary hassle and expense, enabling families to handle death in a dignified way true to them, free from extra worry.
One of the main advantages of direct cremation is its flexibility. While there is not normally a formal ceremony, or any guests, rather than holding a wake immediately afterwards such as after a traditional funeral, the bereaved family can decide to postpone the celebration of their loved one’s life until they’re ready.
A direct cremation lets them handle the important practical elements, save money that would otherwise be spent on formalities that their loved one wouldn’t have wanted, and then spend it on a personalised celebration of life that is more meaningful and enjoyable.
However, Aura does offer both unattended and attended options for direct cremations. If you’d like to learn more about pricing for our direct cremation options, feel free to give our friendly team a call.
Within 21 days of an Aura direct cremation, we can either hand-deliver the ashes directly to the family at home, or we can scatter them on their behalf at the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance – whatever option is preferred.
When scattering ashes, take care to think of their environmental impact on the local ecology. While it’s a popular cremation myth to say that ashes are harmful or toxic to humans, it’s true that they could upset the environmental balance of a certain area.
An increasingly important benefit of direct cremation is its reduced environmental impact compared to a traditional funeral. One of the most vital chemicals used in the embalming process is formaldehyde, which helps to prevent the decomposition of a body. However, this chemical is extremely toxic to life and the environment. We can avoid the use of it with direct cremation without the need to embalm the body of the person who has died.
We can also avoid the environmental impact of burying bodies in the earth and of taking up space with burial plots, and, with an unattended direct cremation ceremony, we can cancel out the environmental cost of having guests and mourners travel to the crematorium for the ceremony.