Ceremonial Services

After the cremation, you may wish to keep hold of your loved one’s ashes. In the days after the funeral, your funeral director will collect the ashes from the crematorium and keep them until you feel the time is right for you. There is no time limit on how long funeral directors keep your loved one’s ashes. It’s only ever when you are ready.

You may want to keep them forever and there are a number of different ways that you can do this:

You can choose to keep them in an urn – there are some beautifully designed urns online.

The ashes can be divided amongst family members by being placed into smaller keepsake urns.

You may wish to create a piece of memorial jewellery with some of your loved one’s ashes contained within. Some examples can be found on the Everwith website.

You may want to have some artwork with the ashes incorporated into the workpiece.

Scattering of Ashes

However, there may come a point when you wish to release your loved one into the natural world.

This could be a place that was truly special to them and your family, such as a favourite hike, viewpoint or perhaps a place that you hold dearly in your heart.

Most crematoriums have a garden of remembrance where ashes can be scattered.

A scattering ceremony can be personalised so that it reflects the unique life and personality of your dearly departed. We can choose locations or themes that hold special meaning, making the ceremony a deeply personal and meaningful experience.

**There are some restrictions on the scattering of ashes in some places, such as ancient forests, waterways and protected areas of land. This is due to the environmental and ecological impact it can have on flora, fauna and biodiversity. Please discuss this with me or your funeral director beforehand. The following links provide information on the scattering of ashes in Scotland: Bereavement Advice.org and Woodland Trust.

It would the greatest honour to help you plan a special scattering ceremony which reflects the memories and beauty of your loved one.

Interment of Ashes

The interment of ashes is the procedure of placing cremation ashes in a permanent resting place. This takes place after the funeral, and in some cases can be many months or years later. Normally the ashes are stored in a container such as an urn or biodegradable box before they are buried.

Many natural burial grounds, crematorium ‘gardens of remembrance’ and woodland burial sites across the UK offer plots for the internment of ashes. If the service is being held at a natural burial site, you will need to choose a biodegradable urn

Some people want to inter their loved one’s ashes on private land, such as farmland or large gardens. In order for this to go ahead, you must seek permission from the landowner.

If you choose to bury ashes in your own back garden you must be aware that if you move house, you will need to notify the new owner or obtain an exhumation order if you’d like to relocate the ashes. This article from Legal & General provides more information on this process.

Some families choose to inter their beloved’s ashes privately. However, I can also help you to organise an interment ceremony which is a beautiful way of saying your final goodbye. It also gives people a place to come and visit in the future.

Memorials

The difference with a memorial is that there is no committal of your loved one. There can be a variety of reasons for choosing to have a memorial ceremony, but they are every bit as significant as a burial or cremation.

Memorial services can take place anywhere and can often provide closure to the family.

Together, we can chat through how you want the ceremony to be structured.

The service can still have poems, readings, hymns, prayers and music that are personal to your loved one.

Creating tangible keepsakes can be really helpful to comfort the family through the bereavement. For example, a memorial book, a memorial tree/plant or small cards can help add that little personal touch.

It would be a privilege to honour your loved one with a memorial ceremony.