Planning a Funeral Service in the North of the UK

Making the arrangements for a funeral service in the northern parts of the UK will initially mean dealing with the authorities in the North of England or Scotland. The rules in both parts of the UK are very similar. In Scotland, any registration office can be used to register a death. Just like is the case in England, you will need a medical certificate from a doctor to give to the registrar. You will also need some documentary proof of the person’s identity. Their passport, their birth certificate, their marriage license or an NHS medical record card will usually suffice. The big difference is that you have five days to register a death in the North of England whereas eight days – including weekends and bank holidays – are offered north of the border.

According to a leading funeral planning service provider handling services in the North, Newrest Funerals, the next most important step to take is to decide which firm of funeral directors to appoint. Not only will funeral directors look after the body until the funeral can be staged but they will prepare it for you. This is an important service that many people want to get right but have little clue about what makes one firm superior to another. 

That’s why getting expert help from a funeral planning agency can be so useful. Ideally, the company will offer tailored advice based on your preferences but also have localised knowledge of funeral directors in the Northeast, the Northwest and throughout Scotland, too.

With a suitable firm of funeral directors appointed, the next step is to book the service itself. The cheapest way to do this is with a direct funeral. Both burials and cremations can be arranged this way but you will be limited in the number of people who can come – just one or two at most – and there will be no service. Instead, most people in the North of the UK book a funeral venue and an officiant to oversee proceedings. You don’t need to opt for a priest or other religious leader if you don’t want one, however. Humanist services can also be arranged at local authority-run crematoria and funeral homes.

Choosing whether to bury the body or to have it cremated is another big choice. Look to see whether the deceased left instructions about this. In some cases, they may have even requested an eco-funeral or a burial at sea. Indeed, he or she may have already taken out a funeral plan to pay for the sort of service they wanted. It is certainly worth confirming this before you pay any disbursements or other funeral fees.

With the funeral booked, it is time to let people know about it. Traditionally, most northerners placed adverts in local newspapers such as the Manchester Evening News, the Yorkshire Post or the Glasgow Times. However, today it is more common for people to notify friends, family members and neighbours with a social media post. Don’t feel obliged to use a traditional notification method unless you really want to.