The Funeral Shop

What to do in time of bereavement

The following is a brief guide to things you should do in time of bereavement. Please note that procedures may vary throughout the UK. Your local Funeral Director will be able to help you make all necessary arrangements and will advise throughout.

If death occurs at home
You should contact your family GP who will visit to confirm that the patient has died. If the doctor is satisfied with the cause of death, they will usually issue the Medical Certificate of Death.
Once you have this, contact your chosen Funeral Director who will arrange a mutually acceptable time to visit you and will remove the deceased to a Chapel of Rest.

If death occurs in a nursing home
The nursing home staff will contact a doctor, if possible, advise them of your choice of Funeral Director.

If death occurs in hospital
The ward staff will arrange for a doctor to issue the Medical Certificate of Death. If possible, advise them of your choice of Funeral Director and whether a burial or cremation will take place. Thereafter, contact your Funeral Director.

Sudden death
When someone dies suddenly, normally the police are involved. The death may be reported to the coroner or procurator fiscal. From here, procedures may differ from those shown above. Contact your chosen Funeral Director who will be able to explain procedures and make all necessary arrangements for you.

Choosing a Funeral Director

We have included a Funeral Shop search facility, to help you locate your nearest branch.

The Funeral Director's role is a very important one as they are able to facilitate all necessary arrangements and give you professional advice while carrying out your wishes and requirements along with the expressed wishes of the deceased.

You may choose a Funeral Director based on past experience of yourself or your family, alternatively you may choose a local Funeral Director.

Ask the following questions when choosing a Funeral Director;

Who would the deceased have chosen ?
Can I have a written quotation ?
Are you a member of the Funeral Standards Council, Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors or National Association of Funeral Directors ?

Costs can vary widely and it is important as in other services that the price you pay is competitive. Ensure that when asking for a written quotation that you are comparing 'like-for-like' and exactly the same services are being quoted for.

Funeral directors in the North-west of the UK
The Funeral Shop has been produced by a group of over 125 Funeral Directors based in the North-west.

All of them will be happy to discuss your needs.

If you require further information from your local Funeral Shop Director, please complete this form:

Title:
Forenames:
Surname:
Email:
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone Day (including STD code):
Telephone Evening (including STD code):
Date of Birth:

Data Protection The Funeral Shop utilises the latest in secure server technology to ensure that all personal transactional information is protected. The information on the form you submit will be held and used by The Funeral Shop or their representative in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act for the purpose of order processing, account administration, statistical analysis, business analysis, marketing and consumer research. You may be contacted by either via e-mail, letter, telephone or other reasonable means of communications to assist us in our consumer research activity. This information may be used by The Funeral Shop or its business partners to keep you informed of products and/or services that may be of interest to you. Please note that the information you enter may be transferred outside the European Economic Area for the purpose of marketing. Any transfer of personal information outside of the European Economic Area is done in circumstances ensuring that the information is processed only in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the UK's Data Protection Act. By submitting your order, you consent to this transfer. If you prefer not to receive such information, or participate in such research check this box.

Making Funeral Arrangements

There are many things that you should consider when arranging a funeral and your Funeral Director will be pleased to discuss all available options with you. The most important thing is to ensure that the funeral you are arranging is a fitting tribute to the person you have lost whilst remaining affordable.

Viewing your loved ones
Most Funeral Homes should be able to offer viewing facilities to enable you to pay your last respects or alternatively, you may wish to have your loved one at home. Please discuss your preference with your Funeral Director. For viewing, he or she will usually require you to make an appointment.

Press notices
It is usual to publish an Obituary notice in a local newspaper. This will usually ensure that distant friends, relatives and acquaintances are informed of the date and time of the funeral. Your Funeral Director will be pleased to assist in writing the message and publication in the newspaper of your choice.

The funeral
Will you require a burial or cremation ?
Usually, a burial is the more costly option but for some, personal or religious preferences are for a burial option. There may be local restrictions in force and disbursement prices may vary from area to area. You may require a religious service before the burial or cremation and you may have a personal preference for cemetery or crematoria. Your Funeral Director will ensure that your wishes are taken care of.

Coffin or casket
When selecting a coffin or casket, a wide range of styles and prices are available. You should ensure that your choice best fits the personality of your loved one. Ask your chosen Funeral Director for examples of the range that they supply.

Funeral shop can supply a range of coffins and caskets, available for sale online and can deliver them to any Funeral Director in the UK.

If a cremation option has been taken, you may wish to purchase an ash casket. Again, these come in a range of styles and your choice will depend on whether you wish to scatter the ashes in a favourite place, or retain all or some. Funeral Shop can supply a wide range to meet your needs from a standard wooden casket to a hand-made Royal Crown derby urn.

Limousines
Your Funeral Director will be able to supply a hearse and limousines for the following cortege as required. Some Funeral Directors may even be able to supply a vintage or horse-drawn hearse. Please ask for details.

Floral tributes
These can be arranged through a Funeral Director or alternatively a local florist. In conjunction with our partners at Flowers UK, Funeral Shop are pleased to offer a range of tributes available online.

Catering
A buffet or meal is usually arranged for after the funeral. If you require this service, your Funeral Director will be able to give you full details.

Stationery
Your Funeral Director will be able to provide a range of stationery, from Thank You cards to personalised service and hymn sheets tailored to your exact requirements.

Acknowledgement
You may require an acknowledgement notice to be published in the newspaper after the Funeral to allow you to express your gratitude to those who attended and passed on their condolences.

Memorials
For those who wish to erect a lasting tribute to their loved ones, a memorial headstone or other alternative can be arranged through your Funeral Director. A range of suggested styles are available online. Funeral Shop can arrange almost any memorial in any material so please contact us to let us know what you have in mind. For one of our monumental masonry staff to contact you, please mail funeralshop.co.uk with details of the cemetery/crematoria where you want the memorial sited and full contact details.

Quotations
Prior to arranging your funeral, your chosen Funeral Director should provide you, on request, with a written quotation.

For a no obligation quotation from a Funeral Shop Funeral director, please complete this form:

Title:
Forenames:
Surname:
Email:
Address:
Postcode:
Telephone Day (including STD code):
Telephone Evening (including STD code):

Burial or Cremation?:	Burial:	Type of Coffin required: Please refer to our online guide.
	Cremation:	Ashes casket required: Please refer to our online guide.
Name of Cemetery or Crematorium:
No. of Limousines required:
Obituary Notice (tick box):
Floral Tribute required: Please refer to our online guide.
Catering required ?:	Yes	No
Stationery required ?:	Yes	No
Newspaper acknowledegment? (tick box):
Additional Comments:

Data Protection The Funeral Shop utilises the latest in secure server technology to ensure that all personal transactional information is protected. The information on the form you submit will be held and used by The Funeral Shop or their representative in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act for the purpose of order processing, account administration, statistical analysis, business analysis, marketing and consumer research. You may be contacted by either via e-mail, letter, telephone or other reasonable means of communications to assist us in our consumer research activity. This information may be used by The Funeral Shop or its business partners to keep you informed of products and/or services that may be of interest to you. Please note that the information you enter may be transferred outside the European Economic Area for the purpose of marketing. Any transfer of personal information outside of the European Economic Area is done in circumstances ensuring that the information is processed only in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the UK's Data Protection Act. By submitting your order, you consent to this transfer. If you prefer not to receive such information, or participate in such research check this box.