Funeral Planning Ahead of Time

Thinking about funeral planning for ourselves or someone we love can be hard. In 2023, just 1% of people knew all of their loved one’s funeral wishes.⁺ But knowing what the people you care about want to happen at their funeral is the only way to fully honour their wishes.

As well as talking with those close to you about your wishes and theirs, you can also look into how funeral plans can secure your future arrangements.

Don’t worry if you do find you’re in the dark about what your loved one wanted. There are simple and affordable funeral options available, like cremation only funerals, that allow you more time to plan a personal memorial.

⁺ 1% of people knew all their loved one’s funeral wishes in 2023 (SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs)

Why plan a funeral in advance?

Though it might seem daunting, taking the steps to plan a funeral in advance has several advantages.

Older Lady Filling Out Funeral Plan Form

Planning for yourself

If you choose to plan a funeral for yourself, it takes the stress away from your family as they know ahead of time exactly what you want to happen. Paying in advance takes away any financial burden too.

View our funeral plans

Older Couple Viewing Funeral Plans On Laptop

Planning for someone else

Making plans for a loved one’s funeral in advance also brings peace of mind as you can be reassured they will be cared for in the way you would want them to be when the time comes.

Setting up a plan for a loved one

Questions to consider when funeral planning

There are a few choices to be made to make sure that the funeral you’re planning reflects your preferences in the best possible way, but not all of them have to be made in advance. The more traditional aspects of a funeral can be done away with completely in favour of a simple funeral.

Type of funeral - Would you prefer a burial, cremation or direct cremation?
Funeral provider - Do the providers you're looking at specialise in your preferred funeral and offer the support you'd like?
Clothes - Do you want to be wearing anything specific? What would you like your family to wear?
Music - Are there any particular songs, hymns or special pieces of music you'd like played?
Readings - Would you like any specific readings, poems or prayers? Or any photos or letters to be placed in your coffin?
Personal touches - Who would you like to write your eulogy or obituary? Are any charity donations to be made in your name?
Burial - Where would you like to be buried? Who would you like to carry your coffin?
Ashes - If you've chosen a cremation, where would you like your ashes scattered or who would you want to keep them?
Memorial service - Would you like a sombre, serious and traditional affair or something more personal and modern?
Location - Where would you like the funeral itself and the memorial service/wake afterwards to take place?

Some people plan a funeral down to the smallest details. Others have a broader plan. How detailed you would like your funeral planning to get is entirely up to you.

Our funeral planning products

We have four simple and low cost funeral plans for you to choose from.

Our Unattended Direct Cremation Plan gives your family the flexibility to pay their respects in their own way. Alternatively, our Small Attended Cremation Plans include a small family-led service with mourners present. If you would like to set up a plan with a full length celebrant-led funeral service we also offer our Simple Funeral Plan.

View our services or for additional pricing information and a full list of our optional extras, please see our price list.

Unattended Direct Cremation Plan

From £1,699 or £19.44* per month

Our Unattended Direct Cremation Plan is a great choice for those looking for a simple farewell which takes place with no service or mourners at our high-quality crematoria where compassionate care is guaranteed throughout.

View our Unattended Direct Cremation Plan * Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £2,332.80 and includes administration fees.

Small Attended Cremation Plans

From £2,099 or £25.23** per month

With our Small Attended Cremation Plans, you can have up to 8 people attending a 10 minute funeral service or 20 people attending a 20 minute funeral service to pay their final respects.

View our Small Attended Cremation Plans ** Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £3,027.60 and includes administration fees.

Other helpful resources about funeral planning

Continue your funeral planning with our resources below.

Funeral alternatives

Know you don’t want to go down the traditional route, but not sure what you do want? Get to know the other options out there for your funeral arrangements.

Funeral alternatives

Cremation or burial?

Cremation and burial funerals have similar core elements. Finding out about the two options in more detail can help you decide which one is right for you.

Cremation or burial

Arrange a funeral

If you are planning a funeral for someone who is receiving end-of-life care, waiting and arranging the funeral when needed may be the better option.

Arrange a funeral

We offer the highest level of support, but don't take our word for it

Below are a selection of reviews from those who followed their instinct with Distinct and chose to buy a funeral with us.

4.9/5

4.8/5

4.7/5

Read all our reviews

Hayley, on Trustpilot 16 Oct 2024

From the moment I contacted Distinct Cremations after my father's passing my mind was put at ease. All of the staff were caring, compassionate & respectful. They handled all of the paperwork and made it that much easier for me. I was contacted at all of the stages and I was reassured by the fact that I could contact them at anytime. The ashes were delivered to me in such a dignified, compassionate way. Thank you to everyone at Distinct Cremations for helping me through such a difficult time.

Tresa Spruce, on Trustpilot 15 Oct 2024

My mom wished for me to deal with my brother's unattended cremation, as she was too distraught to deal with it. I did a search and found Distinct Cremations to be the most appealing for our needs. From the initial telephone call with Darren, and then follow up dealings with Alice, I can say that the whole process was very caring and considerate. I was kept informed at every stage of events, from collection of my brother, to service details, to follow up after cremation. I couldn't have asked for more. Thank you all x

Anonymous, on Feefo 15 Oct 2024

Very pleased with this plan just what I was after peace of mind

Caroline Bush, on Google 14 Oct 2024

Distinct Cremations made it so easy for me to purchase a cremation plan. The lady on the phone “Fiona” explained everything so I understood. My documents arrived all in order and to be honest “it’s a weight off my mind” knowing when the time comes it’s all sorted. Thank you so much to everyone at “DC” they also followed up with a courtesy call to make sure that I had received my plan and that everything was in order which it was. It’s a 10 off 10 from me :-)).

Alma Aganovic , on Trustpilot 11 Oct 2024

We chose Distinct Cremations to provide pre-need cremation services. From the very first interaction, their care and attentiveness exceeded our expectations. During what was an incredibly difficult and emotional time, the staff showed genuine compassion and understanding, making us feel supported every step of the way. They even suggested elements that we could include in the service, which was particularly helpful at a time when we were not feeling creative. They took the time to explain each part of the process clearly, ensuring that we felt comfortable and informed without ever feeling rushed or pressured. Their empathy was evident in every conversation, and their willingness to accommodate our specific wishes brought us much-needed peace of mind. The whole team went above and beyond in handling all the details, which allowed us to focus on honoring our loved one rather than worrying about logistics. Their professionalism and sensitivity were a great comfort, and it truly made a difference in our grieving process. We are deeply grateful for the care they provided and would highly recommend Distinct Cremations to anyone in need of cremation services. Their commitment to helping families in times of loss is truly exceptional. Thank you all, especially Maxine. x

Alice Alexander, on Feefo 10 Oct 2024

From the moment we got in touch with you the person we spoke to was so friendly and in tune with what we want excellent

Timothy Holman, on Trustpilot 9 Oct 2024

Distinct Cremations are an immensely professional organisation that make the process off organising a cremation plan so easy. “Fiona” , the lady that took my call explained everything I needed to know to get my plan set up “which I did”. My documents arrived shortly after and were in order , I received a follow up phone call to check that everything is ok. Thank you so much “DC” it’s a 10 from me. :-)).

Mrs I Dixon, on Trustpilot 8 Oct 2024

After reading the brochure and all the reviews, I decided to ring up. I spoke to a friendly and polite lady who kindly answered any concerns I had, so I decided to go ahead with the arrangements. The whole process was straight forward from start to finish. Would recommend to friends and family.

4.9/5

4.8/5

4.7/5

Read all our reviews

Funeral planning ahead of time

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