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Save £100 when you purchase two funeral plans together. Call us for more details.
12 minute read
Despite the fact that cremation is the most popular funeral type in the country, and despite the rising popularity of direct cremation among British people, many of us are still unsure about what happens at a cremation in the UK.
We wanted to write this article to ease some of the uncertainty that you might have around the cremation process, helping you to feel more sure of what is likely to happen.
Cremation is a simple process that takes place at a crematorium, and how it proceeds will vary depending on whether or not the family has opted to have guests present.
What happens at a crematorium, will largely depend on what the family wants. The cremation ceremony may begin with a formal service attended by guests, and conclude with the respectful cremation of the person who has died. If it’s a direct (or unattended) cremation, then the cremation proceeds without any mourners, and no ceremony.
Either way, with Aura, when the person who has died arrives at the crematorium, they are treated with the utmost care. The person who has died is transported in a private ambulance to the crematorium, from one of our local, state-of-the-art care centres, where they’ve been resting. They’ll be handled respectfully by crematorium staff, who will bring them inside and place them upon the catafalque. Music that the person who has died was fond of in life can play, either as they are brought into the chapel, or, should the ceremony be attended, whilst the guests are arriving. In that case, the coffin will have been laid upon the catafalque before their arrival.
If the family has chosen an attended cremation, a service in the crematorium chapel often takes place. Aura can help the family to personalise the service with music, readings, or eulogies, allowing family and friends to pay tribute to their loved one in a meaningful way. We can even help them beforehand to find a self-employed celebrant or religious minister, who can work with them to design the perfect ceremony around the life of their loved one.
However, some families opt for a simpler service, such as a cremation-only funeral or an unattended cremation, where no service is held, and only the cremation takes place.
The Aura cremation process can be broken down into a couple of key phases:
Whilst the process is designed to be efficient and concise, it’s important to remember that the dignity of the person who has died is paramount at every stage. Crematorium staff work with the utmost care.
Before a cremation can take place, several legal and practical steps are required. These preparations are essential to ensure the cremation is carried out in compliance with UK law.
The main thing to consider is the medical side of things, which, following some recent changes to the death-registration process in England and Wales, has gotten a lot easier and less likely to result in delays. A Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) must be obtained, and the death must be registered. These documents confirm that cremation is appropriate for the individual and that no further investigation is required by, for example, the coroner or law enforcement. The family or funeral director then needs to apply for a cremation permit from the local authority.
The cremation is normally organised by a funeral director (e.g., Aura), though some families may choose to handle this themselves. Each of us handles grief differently, and we know that, while some need extra support, others find it helps to distract themselves with the admin. Regardless of who takes care of the logistics, the key priority is that the process remains respectful and timely. Aura’s industry-leading Angel Team can compassionately support you or your family with the logistics, ensuring that the paperwork is properly completed, and that the arrangements can be made smoothly.
Timing is a crucial aspect of the cremation process, and understanding how long each stage takes can help families plan accordingly.
The length of an Aura cremation service time will depend on whether or not the service is attended. Unattended ceremonies are far quicker than their attended counterparts, which can last for up to 40 minutes.
It takes 1-to-3 hours to fully cremate a body, depending on various factors such as the size of the body and the type of coffin used. The cremation itself is carefully managed to ensure it is completed with respect.
There can sometimes be delays in the process, particularly if there are issues with paperwork, if there is a high demand for crematorium services, or if your loved one has died outside of mainland Great Britain and needs to be repatriated. Whilst we can’t advise ahead of time how long things will take, as each funeral is as unique as the next, you can rest assured that we’ll be in frequent contact with you or your family about our process.
After the cremation, it usually takes up to 21 days for the ashes to be either hand-delivered to you at home, or scattered on your behalf in the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance. Families are notified once the ashes are prepared, and they can then decide what to do with them.
After the cremation is complete, the ashes are carefully collected from the cremator, and stored for the family; usually in an urn or scatter tube. Aside from scattering ashes in a place special to the one who has died, families are having increasingly creative cremation ashes ideas, from objects that can stay at home, to cremation tattoos, to planting the ashes in a tree for the environmentally conscious.
Aura’s cremation services allow for a range of personalisation options, enabling families to create a fitting tribute for their loved one.
Attended
Aura has a couple of different options available, offering both unattended and attended services. Our attended services start at £1,895 for those requiring support at short-notice, and £2,195 for those planning ahead for the future.
For families seeking something a bit more elaborate, we can arrange for friends and family of the person who has died to gather for a ceremony. The ceremony can include personalised touches such as music, eulogies, and tributes to the person who has died.
Unattended
For those seeking a more straightforward approach, an Aura direct cremation is an option where the body is cremated without a service; it’s available from £1,095 for those in need now, and £1,595 for those looking for a funeral plan. According to SunLife, this is less than half the price of the average British funeral.
With an unattended cremation, the family can then organise an end-of-life celebration for the person who has died afterwards at a time that suits them, spending the money that they have saved on the unnecessary extras not included with a direct cremation to do something that they really want to do. In this way, Aura passes on the direct-cremation savings to each family, who can then use that money how they see fit.
After the cremation, families can choose how they wish to remember their loved one using their ashes. It might be that the family would prefer for Aura to scatter the ashes for them at the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance, which is a perfectly respectful choice that many people make.
With the decline of religion in the UK, people are more alive than ever to the possibility of a funeral, memorial (or celebration of life) that is not bound by a traditional format. Our founder, Paul Jameson, for instance, envisages a great party with all the people he loves, including music, drinking and dancing. He also wants his ashes to go up into the sky on an ashes firework, and explode in a ball of colour and light. There’s an almost endless amount of variation in the ways that people want to be remembered.
Cremation is often chosen for its affordability compared to traditional funerals, burials or otherwise. The price can differ depending on whether someone needs to arrange a funeral imminently, or whether they’re looking for a prepaid direct cremation plan.
The cost of arranging a low-cost cremation in the UK can vary significantly based on the type of service selected and any additional options the family chooses. A basic cremation, which includes only the essential elements, is generally more affordable than a traditional service with added features.
SunLife puts the cost of an average funeral in the UK at £4,141, with the cost liable to vary based on the locale, and the types of extras selected. This can cover everything from the cremation itself to the service, administration, and handling of ashes, as well as additional extras like flowers or a catered wakes. Further cremation costs, such as limousines for a procession, or mausoleum and columbarium space, can increase the overall cost.
For families looking to reduce costs, an Aura direct cremation offers a simple and dignified solution. With no ceremony and no attendees, direct cremation keeps expenses low while ensuring a respectful farewell for the person who has died.
Some people worry that low-cost cremation options compromise on care or dignity. Rest assured that this couldn’t be further from the truth: simple services like these allow families to honour their loved one without the additional costs associated with more elaborate funerals.
Understanding who typically attends a cremation and what families need to consider can help alleviate concerns during the planning process.
A cremation can be attended by close family members, friends, and sometimes religious figures. The number of attendees depends on the type of service chosen. For an attended cremation, family and friends usually gather in the crematorium chapel for a ceremony.
If the family is interested in opening up the funeral to the public, it will be clear from a death announcement posted in the local paper, bulletin or on social media. However, sometimes families want to keep the attendees to an intimate few, so if you’re unsure of whether it would be appropriate for you to attend a funeral, you can seek clarity from the family.
For those families interested in organising a cremation service, there are a few things worth considering. Ask yourself whether you or the person who has died would or wouldn’t want guests to be present. Aura offers options in either case, so there’s no issue either way, but this is a personal choice, so it would be worthwhile reflecting on what the best option is likely to be.
You may ask yourself, what level of personalisation is appropriate. Would you or a loved one want a simple, elegant, and unattended ceremony without any fuss whatsoever, and for the ashes to be scattered in the absence of their family at the crematorium’s Garden of Remembrance? Or is maximum customisation a better option, with a themed coffin, a celebration of life personalised around cherished hobbies and memories, and cremation ashes converted into keepsakes? Each of us is very different, after all, and what works for one family won’t work for another. Thankfully, Aura’s cremation services are flexible enough to cater to everyone.
Finally, you ought to consider what company you want to place your trust in to deliver on your cremation wishes. Aside from doing consumer research with independent experts like Money Saving Expert, and comparing direct cremation providers and costs, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve selected a provider that will put you first, offering compassionate and family-focussed service.
Aura’s cremation services are the top-rated on TrustPilot, with a score of 4.9/5 stars. We’ve earned that recognition from the families who have entrusted themselves to our care, and who’ve appreciated our respectful, patient and compassionate approach to customer service. Our industry-leading Aura Angel team are who you’ll help to arrange the funeral, whether for yourself in the future for someone who has recently passed away. They’re there to guide your family by the hand through the difficult times it may be facing, organising the funeral, helping with the paperwork, and lending a supportive ear, should it be needed.
We hope you have found this article helpful. We offer our direct cremation services to families across Great Britain who need us now, and to those who are looking to the future with a prepaid funeral plan. If you have any questions whatsoever about those options, or about cremation generally, our wonderful team is ready to talk to you whenever you need.
