Personalise a funeral service

Our coffins, caskets and urns are available in a wide range of designs and materials, from eco-friendly willow and bamboo through to solid bronze caskets. We understand that choosing a coffin may be distressing and we are here to support and guide you through the options.

• Caskets – a premium selection of American, British and Italian style casket designs, made from exceptional quality metal and solid wood, with a luxurious interior and finish.
• Themed picture coffins – every life has a story and our range of colourful coffins can help you tell it. From military and patriotic designs suitable for those in the armed forces, to sport or wildlife themed designs, your loved one can have a coffin as individual as them.
• Eco-coffins – our eco collection provides an attractive, comforting and environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional style coffin. Handcrafted from natural and biodegradable materials, such as bamboo, willow, wool and cardboard; this style of coffin is popular for woodland burials.
• Traditional coffins – designed with tradition in mind, these coffins are of a classic style in solid oak and mahogany, as well as veneered wood using medium density fibreboard (MDF) and chipboard.
• Children’s coffins – in addition to the more traditional design, our special range of colourful children’s coffins include personalised themed designs, depicting a favourite cartoon character, nursery rhyme or cherished toy that may have held a special meaning to your child. Alternatively, our environmentally friendly eco collection in bamboo, willow, soft tactile wool and cardboard is a comforting option.
• Urns – for many, the ideal way to say farewell to a loved one is to keep, scatter or bury the ashes. From traditional to themed pictured urns to eco options, there is something for everyone.

A eulogy is when someone pays tribute to a person’s life by saying a few words at the funeral service that will help remember that person at the service. You can prepare a speech yourself, or you may prefer to read a favourite poem or passage.

Here are some prompts to help you get started in writing a eulogy:

• Who am I speaking to?
• How would the person like to be remembered?
• What made them special?
• Favourite pastimes and interests, likes and dislikes?
• When were they happiest?
• Who was really close to them?
• What did I really like about them?
• What did other people really like about them?
• What are the highlights of their life story?
• If I could say only three things about them, what would they be?
• Who can help me check my facts?
• Do I want someone else to give the eulogy on my behalf on the day?
• Is anyone else planning to speak about the person at the funeral?
• Do we need to avoid saying the same thing twice?

Many people ask for specific pieces of music to be played during the service, this can be anything from traditional hymns and organ music to something more modern. As funerals become more personalised and unique, families are opting for personal favourite songs, often choosing light-hearted or humorous music to reflect a loved one’s personality.

Ways to personalise the funeral service with music:

• Music the family associate with the person e.g. My Way, Angels, Wind Beneath My Wings, Simply The Best, You Say It Best
• Music reflecting their hobbies or interests e.g. TV theme tunes – Channel 4 horse racing, Match of the Day
• Live music e.g. bagpipes, buglers, guitars, jazz bands
• Personal music recorded by a family member

Most crematoriums will provide:

• An organist
• Pre-recorded music from an extensive musica library which you can choose
• A music system on which you can play music of your choice

Your local Southern Co-op funeralcare home will be able to advise on the availability of these music options and make all of the necessary arrangements for you.

Some crematoriums offer the option of displaying a visual life tribute during the funeral service.  A combination of family photos, images and home video of your loved one is overlaid with favourite music from a media library to play on screen at the funeral.

For family members or friends who are unable to attend the funeral, or for you to keep as a memory of a poignant day, we can arrange for the funeral to be professionally photographed, recorded or live-streamed. Our professional photographers and videographers will discreetly capture all elements of the funeral, from the flowers to the cortège, in a sensitive and considerate manner.

It is possible at certain venues to transmit live chapel proceedings, privately and securely over the internet to invited guests. Using the latest network technologies, a virtual environment is provided in which absent family and friends can view the service from anywhere in the world.

Your local Southern Co-op funeralcare home will be able to advise on the availability of these visual tribute options and make all of the necessary arrangements for you.

When it is difficult to find the right words, floral tributes can express feelings in a unique way. A collection of beautiful funeral flowers and sympathy flowers can help you create a personal and fitting tribute to your loved one.

You may wish to create a personal design to reflect the personality, interests or career of your loved one. We will be happy to discuss your ideas and liaise with the florist on your behalf.

Following the funeral, you may decide that suitable floral tributes could be used to benefit others, such as a hospital, nursing home or another organisation (subject to them wishing to receive them). We will be happy to arrange this for you. The flower tribute cards can also be saved and collected for you.

Your local Southern Co-op funeralcare home can organise floral tributes for you, we source our funeral flowers from local florists in our community. We can arrange for delivery to your home or directly to your local funeral home in readiness for the funeral.

The final journey can be an emotional and poignant part of the service and often families look to personalise this by selecting a vehicle to reflect the life and passions of their loved one. From a traditional hearse, a majestic horse drawn carriage through to a motorcycle hearse or double decker bus, we have a wide range of funeral transport options available to help you create a unique and fitting tribute.

Important considerations when choosing transport for the funeral service:

• The funeral cortege route – you may want the hearse and following cars to take a special route to the funeral, passing a favourite place or view.
• The number of limousines required – to travel with family and friends in an accompanying limousine can be of great comfort. Our limousines carry a maximum of 6 people along with a uniformed chauffeur.
• Mobility – will you require wheelchairs for elderly or disabled mourners?
• Floral hearse – will an additional hearse be required to carry the flowers?
• After the funeral – where will you return to after the funeral? Will you require transport to the wake or funeral reception?

Funeral stationery is a simple way of personalising the funeral and provides an opportunity to create a unique commemoration to the person who has died. Our stationery collection includes a selection of beautifully designed orders of service, attendance cards, memorial cards, thank-you cards, mourning cards and remembrance books, all of which can include photographs, personal messages, readings, hymns and poems of significance to you or your family.

We will spend time helping you to choose a fitting design and provide advice on the content and layout to help you provide family and friends with a perfect way of remembering someone special.

• Funeral order of service – many people choose to have an order of service, to let guests know what to expect and for them to keep afterwards to commemorate the day. The order of service normally contains readings, hymns and the order of proceedings.
• Attendance cards – attendance cards are given to those attending the funeral service to write individual condolence messages to family members.
• Memorial cards – a lasting keepsake of a loved one designed to be kept in a wallet or purse. The memorial cards are usually sent out following a funeral or can be given out on the day.
• Funeral thank-you cards – thank-you cards can be sent after the funeral to all those who have supported you at the time of losing a loved one, allowing you to add words of thanks and reflection.
• Mourning cards – mourning cards can be sent before or after the funeral to notify friends and family of a loved one’s passing.
• Remembrance book – personal messages of condolence and remembrance can be written and kept by the family as a lasting memorial in a hardback leather effect book.