Services
A simple, dignified choice
With G. Holland & Son, you can rest easy knowing that your loved one will receive a personal and caring service. And you’ll have the flexibility to commemorate their life in a way that feels right for you.
CREMATION
Cremations are now the most popular form of funeral. Most people will want a ceremony at the crematorium, but you can also hold the service in a church or other venue of your choice prior to the cremation.
It is entirely up to you if you want the service to be religious or non-religious. A religious service will be conducted by an ordained minister or clergy from a specific faith or religion whereas a non-religious ceremony can have a civil celebrant or officiant from the humanist society or even a family member or a friend. G. Holland & Son can help make arrangements for whichever type of service you would like.
On the day of the funeral the cortege will travel to the crematorium. Depending on your preference, mourners may assemble outside awaiting the arrival of the hearse, or may take a seat in the chapel before the coffin is brought in either by pall bearers, selected family and friends or a mixture of both.
A cremation funeral service varies but usually lasts between 30 to 45 minutes. Dependant on which crematorium you have chosen, you can also request extra time for your service. The service can include a number of hymns or non-religious songs that mean something to you and the deceased, eulogies, readings and prayers. The service may also include a slideshow of photos while the service is proceeding. There may also be a live webcasting service offered for mourners who cannot make it to the service to pay their last respects. Obviously this is at a set price by the individual crematorium. At the end of the service the coffin is usually obscured from view with a curtain, or the curtain can stay open, this is called the committal, so that mourners can pay their final respects before the cremation.
We can collect the ashes for you and keep them until you decide to collect them from us, or deliver them to an address of your choosing at a cost.
UNATTENDED CREMATION
Unattended Cremations provide an affordable alternative to a full service funeral, without compromising on the quality of care. They offer a no-fuss or simple cremation for those who are seeking simplicity, or where budget is limited.
On the day of the funeral, the coffin will be transported to the crematorium in a non-ceremonial vehicle with several team members accompanying them on their final journey. This normally takes place before 9am on a day of our choosing. An unattended cremation has no formal funeral service.
With an unattended cremation you can still have a private memorial service or celebration of life that you feel best reflects the wishes of your loved one at an alternative or unusual venue before or after the cremation takes place.
Discuss your requirements with us at G. Holland & Son Funeral Directors and we can help you decide whether this is the right funeral for your loved one. We can give you more information and organise an unattended cremation service for you.
There is also an attended direct cremation, which includes all of the above but with the service being at 9am, allowing a small number of mourners to be present and listen to some personal music while paying their last respects. This may incur further costs as the funeral director will have to employ more bearers to carry the coffin.
BURIAL
Funeral services can be as formal or informal as you would like – and it’s entirely up to you as to how religious the service is depending on your beliefs and the wishes of your loved one.
G. Holland & Son Funeral Directors can organise the funeral and a burial at your chosen cemetery, graveyard or burial ground and purchase a grave on your behalf where necessary. Some cemeteries have a chapel or room where the service can take place, but you may decide you want the service to take place in a particular church or other venue that has meaning for you.
On the day of the funeral, depending on your preference, mourners may assemble outside the church or cemetery awaiting the arrival of the cortege with hearse, or may take a seat in the chapel before the coffin is brought in. Alternatively, the coffin can be taken to the venue prior to the mourners arriving.
A funeral service usually lasts around 30 to 60 minutes and can include a number of hymns or non-religious songs that mean something to you, eulogies and readings.
Following the funeral service (should you choose to have one) the committal service usually takes place at the graveside with the minister, clergy or other non-religious officiant conducting the service. This can be tailored to your requests with readings, songs and prayers.
GREEN OR WOODLAND BURIALS
All funerals will have an environmental impact to some extent, based on all the choices which have been made for the service.
Woodland Funerals may offer you a setting which meets your needs. We would encourage you to look at the individual woodland burial ground you may be interested in to find out more about the way each burial ground is managed and maintained from an environmental or “green” perspective.
As an alternative to a traditional burial or cremation, G. Holland & Son Funeral Directors can help you arrange for your loved one’s final resting place to be in a woodland burial ground. These are attractive and peaceful places for you to visit and reflect on your loved one’s life moving forward. Woodland funerals are becoming increasingly popular, as people begin to consider the potential environmental benefits of woodlands funerals over other alternatives.
Woodland burials can still be faith based and many sites have dedicated areas for people of different religions. A wide variety of coffins and ashes caskets are still usually available to select.