What Is an Intimate Farewell?

An Intimate Farewell allows families to say a private goodbye to their loved one, without the formal fuss and pressure of a traditional funeral service. 

For many families, a fully attended funeral ceremony with all of the bells and whistles isn’t the right way to say goodbye to their loved one, but a direct cremation is too far the other way and they need the opportunity to say a private farewell at the crematorium. 

An Intimate Farewell is Aura’s answer for those families. It involves a 15-minute time slot at one of 35 crematoria locations across England, Scotland and Wales for up to 15 people to spend a few final moments in the crematorium chapel with their loved one.

What happens at an Intimate Farewell?

Aura’s Intimate Farewell gives families the choice to say a private goodbye with a simple, intimate ceremony that feels right for them. 

Taking place early in the morning – usually between 8:30am and 9:30am – loved ones are given a 15-minute time slot to spend with their loved one in the chapel. That time is theirs to do with what they feel is right. Some families opt to play music for the full duration, whereas others might prefer to sit and reflect in silence. 

Friends and family can speak, sing, or stand with their loved one’s coffin and talk privately to them. There is no formal structure, no pressure and no formula to follow; that’s the beauty of an Intimate Farewell with Aura.

How much does an Intimate Farewell cost?

An Intimate Farewell with Aura costs a total of £1,895. which includes the cremation fees, a simple coffin, administration and paperwork support and the hand-delivery of your loved one’s ashes to your chosen address.

This cost also includes full Aura Angel support in preparing everything for the ceremony, including uploading your chosen music to the crematorium’s system and helping the family to prepare readings, poems and a eulogy – if that’s what the family would like.

There may be additional costs depending on the circumstances surrounding a death, such as urgent collection fees and oversized or bariatric coffin fees, but our expert Aura Angel support team will guide you through these if they are required.

What’s the difference between a direct cremation and an Intimate Farewell?

An Intimate Farewell includes all of the services of a direct cremation, including bringing the person who has died into our care at our state-of-the-art facilities in Birmingham, a simple coffin, cremation fees and returning the ashes of the person who has died to the family within 21 days of the cremation.

With a direct cremation, there are no attendees or service to attend, and the family are unable to choose the crematorium in which the cremation takes place.

An Intimate Farewell, on the other hand, includes the option for a small number of close friends and family members to gather together at the crematorium for one final farewell – which means they also have a choice of where the cremation can take place.

Intimate Farewell with Aura

Here at Aura, we help families to focus on celebrating the life of someone they love, in a way that feels right to them.

But we also 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 talk to you, listen to you, celebrate with you, and mourn with you. They will take you by the hand and help you through the process step-by-step, or step back and let you lead the way. In whatever way you need them, whenever you need them, our Aura Angels will be there.

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, Aura is with you.

To find out more about Aura Funerals or to speak to a member of our Aura Angel team, please call 0333 242 1088.