Considerations of choosing direct cremation funerals Blog
Looking to have a pre-paid funeral plan set in place to help alleviate emotional and financial stress from your loved ones when you pass? You're not alone - many people choose this route as it has numerous benefits not just for you to ensure your wishes are respected, but for your loved ones, too.
However, if you're pondering over choosing a unattended cremation for your funeral plan, there may be some elements you should consider before you make your choice.
What is a unattended cremation funeral?
Firstly, it's important to highlight exactly what a direct cremation funeral is. It essentially removes the formality of a traditional service by having no family or mourners in attendance, no funeral ceremony, and the body is cremated on its own, away from the traditional types of funeral services.
This type of prepaid funeral plan is becoming increasingly popular over the years, surging in popularity after David Bowie opted for this choice in 2016. Here at Open Prepaid Funerals, we have seen a substantial in direct cremation plans since this.
Why people would choose direct cremation
- Saving money - affordability is arguably one of the most common reasons why people would choose a direct cremation. Without the cost of the service itself, as well as the additional elements that are required for a funeral such as the flowers, a standard cremation service, a burial and the gravestone, this can help to save a lot of money.
- Avoiding emotional distress - it could be argued that by removing the aspect of a traditional funeral service, this could alleviate emotional distress from family and loved ones at the time of a person's passing.
- Single person estate - a direct cremation may be a popular choice for a person who is a single person within their estate, and would not typically have many people attending their funeral.
- Memorial services - instead of funeral services, family and friends often opt for organising a memorial service. Without the formalities of a funeral to consider, this can often be more manageable for family members. This also ties in with the notion of celebrating life as opposed to focusing on death - which is deemed as the most common lifestyle mantra for people who are selecting this type of funeral.
Why direct cremation isn't for everyone
- Lack of closure for loved ones - However, by choosing this route for your prepaid funeral plan, it can cause sadness and confusion to your family in a way that means they might feel they haven't had closure from your death. Without having the traditional opportunity to say goodbye, this could lead to them feeling more emotional distress due to the solitary decision made.
- Religious beliefs and ways of mourning - It also doesn't accommodate for religious beliefs. Of course, the funeral of someone who has passed away should remain in tune with their own religious wishes and beliefs, but some may argue that a direct cremation is too far removed from any religious or traditional connotations, again disallowing people to be able to mourn in their own way for the loss.
- Who the funeral is for - It's also important to consider who the funeral is actually for - although it's celebrating the life of a loved one who may have their own beliefs, it can be argued that funerals are much more so for the mourners and attendees. By having a more traditional funeral service, this is more likely to enable them with a chance to say goodbye, and arguably gain more closure than they would from a direct cremation.
A Direct Cremation funeral does have its place for some, but we are seeing more often that families left behind are perhaps experiencing greater emotional confusion when a more traditional goodbye has been missed.
If you're unsure which type of prepaid funeral plan you should choose, or how funeral plans actually work, get in touch with our helpful team today for more information.
- Posted 2nd March 2022