You might not have even heard of direct cremations more than a few years ago but the chances are that you will know about them these days. This is down to one simple fact – direct funerals, especially direct cremations, are more popular in the UK than they have ever been before. In fact, such has been the rate of uptake of them that many funeral industry analysts now think that they will become more popular among British people than traditional funerals within the next decade. That’s quite astonishing when you think about it. So, what is making this sort of cremation such a preferred option by so many people nowadays?
Firstly, it should be pointed out that many people like the idea of a low-cost, no-frills cremation when they eventually pass on for no other reason than personal preference. If you think about all the people who really didn’t like a fuss being made about them during their life, then you can certainly imagine such a person choosing to be cremated directly. The same goes for people who were very private in their lifetime or who simply didn’t like to do anything with their money that they thought was wasteful. It seems that more and more of us are willing to choose a direct cremation simply because it suits our individual ideas about what a funeral service should be about which, to put it bluntly, is disposing of the body of the deceased in a legal and dignified manner.
For others, the most important thing about a direct cremation is the low cost that is associated with it. With direct cremation, there is no celebrant or officiant you need to pay. You don’t need to fork out on flowers or an expensive urn for the ashes either. And since no mourners will be in attendance for the cremations itself, there are no travel costs and certainly no need to hire limousines.
There again, some people look at the financial side of cremation and decide that they’d prefer to pass their money on to those they leave behind rather than asking them to pay for a grander service from the proceeds of their estate. With people worrying about the rising cost of living since the global financial crash hit, the macroeconomic conditions that underpin all of our purchasing decisions for the last two decades or so shouldn’t be downplayed.
In addition, some people realise that staging a full cremation service soon after they’ve died does not always allow people to mourn in the way they’d like. For some, the solution is simple – a direct cremation, collect the cremated remains and then hold a memorial service later. Many agree that this gives more of an opportunity to grieve before gathering together in a more thankful way for the life and legacy of the person who has died. Some prefer celebration of life services for the same reason but the essential point is the same – a direct cremation will delay the service part of a funeral until family members and friends might be better able to cope with it.
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