As COVID continues to restrict funeral attendance and mourning, opting for a direct cremation in the UK is becoming an increasingly utilised way to celebrate and send your loved one off during the global pandemic.
Before, most families would opt for a traditional funeral service when saying their final goodbyes. However, as coronavirus remains, the restrictions on funeral attendance become harsher and it can be more difficult to organise the perfect memorial service to really honour our loved ones.
If you and your family are in this situation and are contemplating whether to still go through with a traditional funeral service or not, here are some tips on how to know if a direct cremation may be the better option for you.
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What Are Direct Cremation Services?
A direct cremation service is the cremation of the deceased without friends or family present. A chapel attendant stays with your loved one for the duration of the cremation, to ensure a respectful and dignified send-off.
Your loved one is taken care of right from the beginning, through to the days leading up to the cremation, and the handling of the ashes afterwards.
Direct cremation services, for UK residents, are becoming a popular alternative option to a traditional funeral service, for a various number of reasons:
More Accessible, And No Hidden Costs
Direct cremations are considered more affordable than traditional funerals. Particularly due to the hardships faced during a global pandemic, spending money on a funeral service in which many friends and family may not even be able to attend might be a gamble.
With a direct cremation, you are able to see where your money is going and can plan for a traditional service at a later stage if you so wish.
Your loved one’s ashes can also be returned to you to scatter in a memorable or special location at a certain date when friends and family can gather again. This allows you to plan for a respectful and cherished goodbye, instead of a socially-distanced funeral.
Socially-Distancing At A Funeral Is Tough
Any funeral is a tough occasion to get through, no matter what the circumstances. Though, with COVID’s strict distancing regulations, having the comfort and solace from loved ones will be a difficult thing to bypass.
A funeral is generally attended by those close to the deceased and the deceased’s family. It is only natural for mourners to come together in close groups and offer support through hugs or hand-holding.
COVID rules make this physical closeness impossible, and in turn, the closure felt by mourners can be lost.
How A Direct Cremation Can Benefit You And Your Family
Apart from the obvious social-distancing rules, having a direct cremation can save you and your family a lot of stress that planning a funeral service would generate.
For many of us, finding a UK-based direct cremation provider willing to go that extra mile is one of the most important aspects. We want to be assured that our loved ones will receive the care, attention and respect that we ourselves would offer them.
So finding a family owned and operated provider is one of those comforts that not only ensures your loved ones are taken care of in the way they deserve, but it also means that you and your family will be treated as individuals by a business that understands you. It removes a little of the stress and emotional burden that comes with trying to organise a full traditional funeral, which can be burdensome and difficult.
A Final Decision
One of the best things that direct cremation services offers you is the time to decide on how you want to properly say goodbye.
Right now, no one knows when restrictions for funerals and larger gatherings will be dropped. So, putting pressure on yourself and your family to plan a funeral that does not allow everyone to pay their respects and say goodbye can be a route that is completely avoided.
A direct cremation, for many UK residents at the moment, will allow you to take time to heal and organise the best way to send-off your loved one.
