Arranging a funeral can feel like a daunting task given the emotional stress that many people are under when they have lost someone. A lot of information is given to us and it can be hard to make the choices that you feel are fitting.
We will guide you from the moment you contact us and continue to be there for you after the funeral. At all times we will listen to you to arrange a send-off that reflects your wishes to honour the person who has died. This could be a simpler funeral to something more bespoke and tailored.
What to do first?
The first thing you need to do is to arrange to register a persons death. When you are ready contact us to meet with us or we can visit you in the comfort of your own home.
Types of Funeral
We offer a full range of funerals from the most basic to the most elaborate to suit different budgets.
The most basic funeral is a direct cremation or burial. Even within this option you can choose to view your loved one in our chapel of rest, select flowers and (for a limited number of people) still attend.
A simple funeral (tags) can reduce costs, compared to a traditional funeral by choosing the serenity service at Cannock Crematorium (link) at 9.30a.m where the hearse only would meet mourners there.
We can also make the funeral that you arrange for your loved one to be completely bespoke from choosing
There are three types of service available to you;
A religious funeral service is either at a church, crematorium or somewhere requested by you. It is taken by an ordained person of a religion. Services must have a divine theme.
A humanist service is a service that does not have a divine theme.
A tailor made service is a service taken by Ralph Poole who will tailor his service to your wishes including as much or as little religion that you wish. Ralph is not an ordained member of any religion but can include prayers and religious readings in his services.
We have experience in arranging funerals across all religions and cultures. When you have made your choice we will liaise with the necessary parties to agree a day, date and time for the funeral service to meet your requirements.
Funeral flowers and donations
Many people choose flowers that were a favourite of the person who has died, which can be another way of making the funeral more personal. There are many types of floral arrangements.
Some people prefer to have flowers from the family only and choose an organisation for people to donate to instead of buying flowers. It is worth remembering that sending flowers can be a healing gesture for people who have lost someone close. It might be worth giving people the choice of sending flowers or donating money to a charity, or both.
We will collect the cards from the wreaths and bouquets and give them to you later if you want. If you’d like a longer-lasting reminder of the flowers, we can take a single fresh flower from each arrangement and press it as a memento. We can also collect donations for you, and record who sent them.
Miranda Poole, a member of the family at A.J.Sellman, is our florist of many years.
Funeral service music
Music, including hymns, tapes, CDs and live music, often plays an important part in a funeral service. Some churches have strict rules on the type of music allowed. If there is an organ, make sure the organist can play the hymns or songs you want.
Special funeral requests
You may want to think about other ways of making the funeral reflect the life of the person who has died. We will do our best to arrange anything we can for you. Some of the things people choose include horse-drawn hearses and releasing doves at the crematorium or at the grave and designing their own coffin.
What happens at the funeral?
There is no set procedure for a funeral but traditionally the funeral procession starts at the house of the person who has died, or sometimes the funeral or nursing home, with the cortege travelling to the place where the funeral service will take place. The hearse sometimes goes straight to the service and mourners meet there.
Where the funeral service is to be held, close family members usually follow and sit at the front.
For a cremation please remember that there will be a time limit for the service. You can book more time at the crematorium if you like, although this may cost extra. We will advise on times and costs.
After the funeral, friends and family usually get together for some refreshments, which often takes place at the deceased’s house, the house of a close family member or at a local pub or hotel.
