PLANNING A FUNERAL IN MID SURREY

Choose a type of service

The first step when planning a funeral is to think about what type of service you would like for your loved one. Funeral planning can be based around family traditions or religious preferences and can include anything that you feel is appropriate. Whether you choose a burial or cremation, we'll be there to help plan the funeral and make all of the arrangements on your behalf.

Speak to your local funeral director today, for more information about the types of funerals available.

Pick a venue and date for the service

A big part of the funeral planning process is to decide where to hold the ceremony. A funeral service can be held in any suitable venue. Common venues to hold a service include:

- Crematorium chapel
- Place of worship
- Private home
- Village hall
- Hotel

If you choose a religious service, the minister or officiant will guide you on what you can and can't do and can even advise you on how to plan a funeral service.

You will then need to choose a date for the funeral service. This can often depend on:

- Funeral director and crematoria availability
- Religious beliefs
- Family circumstances

If you have a date and time in mind, please contact your local Dignity Funeral Director to discuss availability.

Consider what type of coffin you want

Choosing the right coffin for your loved one is among one of the most important things to consider when planning a funeral. If you opt for a burial funeral service, you may be able to place personal items in the coffin or casket, so it's worth keeping this in mind when your Funeral Director is planning the service.

Common items to place inside a coffin include:

- Photographs
- Letters
- Flowers

For more information about coffins and caskets, speak to your local Dignity Funeral Director in Mid Surrey.

Create an order of service

You may like to provide a funeral order of service booklet. These are helpful for mourners and can be sent to people who can’t make the service. An order of service sheet may include:

- Hymns
- Songs
- Poems
- Readings
- Photographs

You can even tailor the order of service in the way you and your family prefer, helping to create a unique commemoration of your loved one's life. You could also place small attendance cards on the seats for mourners to fill in, so you know who was there.

Talk to your local Dignity Funeral Director in Mid Surrey for more information about what to include in an order of service.

Flowers, donations and the procession

Flowers and charitable donations

Many people choose flowers and floral tributes to honour a loved one. You may also want to choose an organisation or charity for people to give a donation to in lieu of flowers.

It is worth remembering that sending flowers can be a healing gesture for people who have lost someone close. Therefore, it might be worth giving people the choice of sending flowers or donating money to a charity, or both.

Funeral transport

Another thing to consider is the transport. On the day of the funeral, the hearse will take the coffin to the funeral service. It is usually followed by limousines which carry family and close friends. Choosing chauffeured limousines will mean you don't have to worry about parking, driving and getting to the service on time.

If you wish to make your loved one’s final journey even more personal, choosing a hearse or alternative mode of transport which celebrates their life can be a fitting tribute.

You may also arrange a particular route for the funeral procession to take and may need to decide whether it will begin at the home of the person who has passed away, or a different location.

Your local Dignity Funeral Director will have extensive knowledge of planning routes for funeral processions and will be able to advise on things like school times or bus routes, to ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible.

Obituaries and Funeral Notices

Writing and publishing an obituary in a local newspaper will help you celebrate the life of your loved one and share details about the forthcoming funeral. After the funeral, you can also place a 'thank you' message in a newspaper to thank the people who attended and sent donations and flowers.
We offer an online Funeral Notice service, allowing you to share the details of the funeral with friends and family via email, Facebook and Twitter.

You can also talk to your Dignity Funeral Director about organising a wake in Mid Surrey, they'll be able to recommend places to hold the gathering and ideas on how to make it special for all those who attend.