Planning own funeral

Planning your own funeral might seem like a daunting or uncomfortable task, but it can be one of the most considerate decisions you make for your loved ones. By taking charge of your final arrangements, you can ensure your wishes are respected and provide peace of mind for family and friends.

In this guide, we’ll explore considerations when planning your own funeral, including the benefits of planning ahead, steps to create your plan, choosing a funeral provider, and considering funeral plans.

Why plan ahead?

Funeral planning ahead of time has numerous benefits that can ease the burden on your loved ones. Here are some of the main reasons to plan for your own funeral.

Peace of mind

Planning your own funeral provides peace of mind for both you and your family. Knowing that your wishes will be carried out exactly as you want allows you to focus on enjoying life without worrying about the inevitable. For your loved ones, it alleviates the burden of making difficult decisions, or any uncertainty during a time of grief.

Pay in advance

Paying for your funeral in advance can significantly ease the financial pressure on your family. By taking care of the expenses now, you lock in today's prices and avoid potential future inflation.

For example, since 2004, funeral costs have more than doubled from £1,835 to £4,285[1], meaning pre-paying can secure current prices and save money. This ensures that your family won’t have to worry about financing your funeral during an emotionally challenging time.

[1] SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs

Keep your wishes safe

Documenting your funeral preferences guarantees that your final wishes are respected. Whether you prefer a traditional service or a simple celebration of life, detailing your choices ensures that everything will be handled according to your desires, giving you control over your final farewell.

How to plan your own funeral

1. Decide on the kind of funeral you’d like

When thinking about what kind of funeral you'd like, it’s important to consider your personal preferences, beliefs, and values. One of the first steps in this process is to decide between cremation or burial. Each option has its benefits and considerations:

Cremations

  • Cremations are typically less expensive than burials.
  • They also provide more flexibility. For example, options for ashes include scattering, keeping in an urn, or creating memorial items.
  • Cremations are considered more environmentally friendly.

Burials

  • Burials are typically more expensive than cremations.
  • They are often chosen for cultural or religious reasons.
  • Burial provides a permanent resting place, allowing family to visit.
  • A burial allows for a variety of choices across caskets, burial plots and headstones, though these additional considerations can increase funeral costs.

Laptop On Table With Coffee

2. Think about service details

When planning your funeral, consider the specifics of how you want the service to be conducted. These details can greatly impact the overall tone and cost of the funeral. For example, you might want to think about whether you want a simple or elaborate ceremony.

If you did have a more elaborate ceremony in mind, it’s important to remember that this kind of service tends to be more expensive due to additional elements and arrangements.

Alternatively, a simple funeral without the details associated with traditional services offers a more affordable option.

Here are some key points to consider:

  • Decide if you want your ashes scattered, kept in an urn, or divided among family members.
  • Consider whether you prefer a simple service or an elaborate ceremony.
  • Choose songs that hold personal significance or that you believe will comfort your loved ones.
  • Think about whether you want a separate celebration of life event in addition to or instead of a traditional funeral.

3. Choose a funeral provider

Choosing the right funeral provider is an important step in planning your own funeral. The provider you select will play a significant role in ensuring your wishes are fulfilled and that the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible for your loved ones.

The right provider should offer services that align with your preferences and budget while providing support and guidance during a difficult time.

Think about the following when choosing a provider:

  • Compare prices to find a provider that fits your budget.
  • Ensure they offer the type of service you desire, whether it's a traditional funeral, direct cremation, or something else.
  • Consider providers with multiple locations or a nationwide presence for added convenience.

Here’s a checklist of questions to ask potential providers:

  • What services are included in the price?
  • Are there any additional costs?
  • Do they offer the type of service you prefer?
  • Do they help with administrative details like funeral documents?
  • What are their customer reviews like?

At Distinct Cremations, customer service is our top priority. Read our reviews to find out why we're one of the most trusted direct cremation companies in the UK.

4. Consider a funeral plan

When planning your own funeral, deciding how to pay for it is one of the biggest considerations. A pre-paid funeral plan can help you cover costs in advance and ensures all details are handled according to your wishes.

The biggest benefit of a funeral plan is that it locks in costs at today's prices, protecting against future price increases. With funeral costs having more than doubled from £1,835 to £4,285 [2], this can save you a significant amount of money.

This makes funeral plans one of the most popular ways to pay for a funeral, with 40% of people choosing this option. [3]

A funeral plan also provides financial flexibility. For example, at Distinct Cremations, our plans can be paid as a one-off payment, monthly over 12 months, or over 5 or 10 years.

Our funeral plans cover essential elements such as:

  • Funeral director services, including legal and cremation paperwork.
  • Collection by private ambulance and preparation for cremation.
  • A coffin and cremation at one of our crematoriums.
  • Ashes delivered back to the family within 14 days or scattered at the crematorium.

Considering a funeral plan can provide peace of mind, knowing that both the financial and logistical aspects of your funeral are taken care of in advance. Learn more about how funeral plans work in our guide.

[2] & [3] SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2025, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs

Our funeral plans

Our low cost funeral plans let you arrange and pay for a simple and affordable funeral for yourself or a loved one ahead of time.

Pre-planning now ensures your final farewell is carried out according to your wishes and your loved ones are protected from the emotional and financial burden of arranging a funeral during such a challenging time.

All of our fuss-free funeral plans include:

  • Collection by private ambulance and preparation for cremation at our state-of-the-art mortuary facilities.
  • Essential funeral director services including help with all legal and cremation paperwork.
  • A coffin and respectful cremation at one of our own crematoriums.
  • Ashes personally delivered back to the family within 14 days or respectfully scattered at the crematorium.

Direct Cremation Plan

From £1,899 or £19.79* per month

Our Direct Cremation Plan is a great choice for those looking for a simple, low-cost unattended cremation without a funeral ceremony.

With our Direct Cremation Plan, the cremation takes place with no service or mourners present at our high-quality crematoria where dignified care is guaranteed.

View our Direct Cremation Plan * Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £2,374.80 and includes administration fees.

Funeral Service Plan

From £2,399 or £27.51** per month

Our Funeral Service Plan offers an affordable funeral for those looking for simplicity and to be surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

With our Funeral Service Plan, you have the choice of a 30 or a 60 minute service. This can be family-led or led by a professional celebrant. The choice is yours.

View our Funeral Service Plan ** Price advertised is for a 50 year old paying over a 10 year period. Total cost is £3,301.20 and includes administration fees.

Planning your funeral in a short time

Sometimes, circumstances require planning your funeral quickly. This can be a challenging time, filled with many decisions that need to be made swiftly. Choosing a provider who can handle the details and offer quality support can make the process much more straightforward.

One option to consider is direct cremation, which is simple, affordable, and allows for flexibility in planning a celebration of life later on. Distinct Cremations offers both unattended direct cremation and attended cremations, providing options to suit different needs and preferences.

Get in touch with us today

If you'd like to chat with someone to talk through your funeral options or you have any specific questions you'd like to ask about our services, please do get in touch. We're here for you 24/7.

Call us on 01543 211997

Other helpful resources

Learn more about funeral plans and funeral types. Or if you already know you want a simple cremation funeral, you can go ahead and set up a plan with us.

Choose a funeral plan

Couple Choosing Funeral Poems From Book

Now you know what a funeral plan is in more detail, find out some steps you can take to find the right funeral plan product for you.

How to choose a funeral plan

Cremation or burial?

Traditional Burial

Still undecided about which type of funeral you would like? See the ways cremation and burial funerals differ to help you make up your mind.

Find out about cremation and burial

Set up a funeral plan

Senior lady arranging a funeral plan

Like the look of our simple and low-cost plans? You can set up any of our unattended or attended funeral plans over the phone or online.

View our funeral plans

What our customers say about us

We offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.

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Anonymous, on Feefo 2 Apr 2025
Anonymous, on Feefo 2 Apr 2025
Arranging my funeral plan was straightforward and easy with Distinct Cremation. I chose their basic cremation option and found their customer service and attention to detail splendid. If they take care of me in death as they have in life, no worries, lol.
Anonymous, on Feefo 28 Mar 2025
The team have been amazing during dealing with the death of two family members in a very short period of time . We dealt mainly with Yasmin who has been do helpful and understanding during our time of loss. As result of the service provided during this time further family members have decided to proceed with booking such services for themselves for the future.
Lisa Matthews, on Feefo 22 Mar 2025
Very helpful with difficult decisions. No pressure sales as with other funeral services I approached. Also very good price in comparison with others.
Anonymous, on Feefo 19 Mar 2025
From my first interaction requesting a guide to my conversation with Sophie, I cannot fault the service I've received. All my questions have been answered in a way that I can understand what I am being offered and what I have asked for. All processes and procedures have been explained and I have been given ample time to research other possible companies and I haven't felt pressurised or been given the 'hard sale'. On the service i have received so far I would highly recommend them to family and friends
Anonymous, on Feefo 10 Mar 2025
Bought a policy online which was quick and simple to do and then received a courtesy call from Distinct Cremations to make sure that I was happy with my purchase. Very professional.
Debbie Burchell, on Feefo 8 Mar 2025
I had no idea where to go when my mum passed away. We had discussed that she wanted to be cremated, but that was it. My partner saw Distinct Cremations on our local Crematorium website, as they work with them. I didn't want loads of fuss, or to go into an office. Just a lovely personal service. Distinct Cremations went above and beyond in every area. I picked my options on the website, nice and simple, to get an idea of my quote. Then had a lovely discussion on the phone with Dan. We talked about all the options I wanted and he was so thougthful, sincere and genuinely supportive, I was really nicely surprised. It was really simple to put the order through and to pay for. Since then I have had a singluar, regular contact called Grace who looked after me every step of the way. The professionalism and compassion of the staff at Distinct Cremations is second to none. I was informed at every step with what was going to happen. They regularly checked in with me, to make sure I was doing ok. The service and celebrant Carol Porter was incredible. Everything happened exactly as planned. I couldn't have wanted anything better. The ashes were delivered to me at home, I had the standard box for them to be delivered in. The gentleman who delivered them was really kind and compassionate also. They came in a really nice blue box. Thank you for making one of the worst times of my life as easy as it could have been. I would highly recommend Distinct Cremations to everyone. I would definitely use them again myself.
Anonymous, on Feefo 7 Mar 2025
I purchased a cremation plan for my wife and myself. It was very easy to do and so far everything is fine. Just hope I don"t need to use it for a while. Bob
4.9/5
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4.9/5
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4.8/5
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