How simple or elaborate you want the funeral you're arranging to be, from the type of coffin you choose to the transport you use, will affect the cost of the funeral. The date, time and location of the service can also have a serious impact on the final bill you receive.
However, whatever choices you end up making, there are three main areas of cost that will definitely require some consideration:
The cost of the services provided by your funeral director make up the largest portion of the funeral costs. These services include transportation of your loved one and caring for their body until the time of the funeral; coordinating with third parties over funeral arrangements; the coffin, hearse and staff to be in attendance at the funeral service.
Third party funeral costs, sometimes called disbursements, are associated with the provision of official services necessary to conduct a funeral. These include burial or cremation fees and fees paid to churches and celebrants.
Discretionary funeral costs include optional extras such as flowers and decoration for the funeral venue; the order of service; additional funeral cars; funeral notices in the local paper; and all the venue hire and catering costs associated with the wake, if one is to be held.
If you're arranging a funeral on a budget it's important to talk to your funeral director about ways to manage the costs. Your funeral director can provide information on lower cost alternatives regarding coffins, cars and floral tributes. They may also be able to provide information on alternative service times and locations that will work out at a better price.
Costs for a burial compared with a cremation break down along very similar lines, but burial costs do tend to be higher. Location in particular can have a significant impact on burial costs, which can be almost 60% higher in London compared to other parts of the UK.
Increasingly popular, direct cremation can be seen as a way to remove many of the elements that add to the total cost of a funeral. Better defined by what it doesn't have, a direct cremation removes many elements from the standard funeral cost breakdown.
As the cremation is carried out as soon as possible after the death, there's no need for embalming or for an expensive coffin. With no funeral service, the cost for flowers and cars are also taken out of the final cost break down.
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