A traditional funeral plan is built-up of familiarities and tradition. They typically involve visitations to the Chapel of Rest, where loved ones can view the body and say goodbye in private. When the visitation period is over, the body will be transported for a full funeral service at a religious building or crematorium. Afterwards, mourners will be invited to a more relaxed venue where they can remember the deceased in less formal circumstances.
This process is probably what comes to mind when you think of a traditional funeral plan. Yet there are signs that tradition is falling out of favour, with more and more people in the UK opting for simpler funeral plans and direct cremations.
In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the factors that have changed the way we arrange funeral plans and why the trend towards simpler funerals might be more than a matter of taste.
Tweaking Tradition in Funeral Plans
More and more often, we’re seeing family members taking full control of funeral planning for their loved ones to make their ceremony as personable as possible. People have hired musicians to play while guests arrive at the service hall rather than greeting them with the music of an organ. Some individuals choose to officiate services themselves, opting for more personal control of the tone of the event. While religious services were once the standard mode of laying someone to rest, research has found that fewer than one in five people would like hymns sung at their funeral.
There’s no simple answer as to why this change has occurred in such a broad fashion, but many of the traditional aspects of funerals have endured. Eulogies, flower arrangements, and funeral processions are still incredibly popular. Rather than falling out of favour, it seems that traditional funeral plans have adapted to modern mindsets.
Is This a Question of Cost?
This shift is widely attributed to changing attitudes with regards to death, and to pragmatism. Loved ones are increasingly looking to cut costs and save money when it comes to funeral planning, with the price of a traditional funeral averaging almost £4,000.
A simple funeral plan from Capital Life Funeral Plans costs just £1,695. This doesn’t provide all the traditional aspects such as a visitation at the Chapel of Rest or a service, but it does provide a prompt cremation with dignity. When faced with higher costs of living and dying across the UK, many individuals are cutting corners with a simple funeral plan that provides for all the necessities without fuss.
Yet there’s still room for tradition with a well-prepared funeral plan costing less than the average burial in the UK. Capital Life Funeral Plans offers a traditional funeral plan that includes all the aspects you would expect from a conventional funeral at just £3,395. You can use this plan to remember someone with formality and familiarity or alter tradition as you see fit to memorialise them in a modern way that suits your family.
Capital Life Funeral Plans
At Capital Life Funeral Plans, we provide five classic plans and two premium plans that can be adjusted to suit your tastes and beliefs. We know how difficult it can be to prepare a funeral for yourself or for a loved one, but it can provide peace of mind knowing that the funeral you plan will be unique to you.
Call us on 0800 411 8683 if you’d like to hear any more information about our services or our prepaid funeral plans. Or, if you’re a little busy at the moment, contact us by filling out a short form and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
We can also assist with Wills, Inheritance Planning, Probate, and LPAs.
[Source: The Telegraph]