Funeral directors have many responsibilities, but their main role is to provide support for bereaved families.
They will offer a wide range of services and help to organise every aspect of a funeral service – liaising with you and your family, as well as the local government services and industry providers.
Seeking advice from funeral directors can bring great comfort at this difficult time. But how far will they go to ensure that the funeral arrangements meet the deceased’s wishes?
Allow the team at Brunel Funeral Directors to explain what we can do to help.
10 ways a funeral director can help in your time of need
1. Allow you time to grieve
Making the arrangements for the funeral can only add to the stress and heartache, which is why our caring and compassionate team will never rush you into making any hasty decisions.
Take as long as you need to, and if there’s anything you need from us – be it help with the funeral service or a listening ear – don’t hesitate to let us know.
2. Give you chance to prepare for the funeral
In the past, funerals may have been arranged within a few days of a death. However, it can easily take several weeks to organise everything these days – meaning your loved one will need to be kept somewhere suitable until the day of the service.
Luckily, we have specialist facilities where we can care for the deceased. Here, you’ll be able to visit your loved one and say goodbye before the funeral takes place, too, if you wish.
3. Place death notices and obituaries
There is a lot to think about when making the arrangements for a funeral, and it’s easy to forget about announcing the death of your loved one.
The good news is, your chosen funeral director will likely have contacts with local newspapers and be able to place death notices on your behalf – we certainly do! Many funeral directors also offer obituary services, allowing friends and family to leave tributes and light candles in loving memory.
4. Help you to find a local celebrant
Whilst a funeral should reflect the wishes and beliefs of the deceased, it’s also important to find someone trustworthy to lead the service.
Funeral directors, like ourselves, have vast experience in organising funerals and will know most of the celebrants in the local area. Taking into account your requests and religious beliefs, and drawing on our experience, we’ll source a reliable person to conduct the ceremony – ensuring your loved one gets the perfect send-off.
5. Take care of the paperwork
Registering a death and organising a funeral involves a lot of paperwork and planning, which can be daunting if you’ve never done it before.
Funeral directors are well aware of the many different forms that need completing and will often tell you how to do it correctly. Or they might fill them out for you, like we do.
6. Advise you on the rules and regulations
There are several regulations to bear in mind when arranging a burial or cremation. For example, green burial sites are particularly strict on the type of coffins they allow to be buried there.
Our team is aware of all the current rules and regulations and will gladly assist you in choosing a suitable coffin.
7. Organise the floral arrangements
At Brunel Funeral Directors, we are willing to go the extra mile for our bereaved families.
So, whether you’d like a bouquet of the deceased’s favourite flowers, a colourful coffin spray, a specially shaped tribute or letters spelling out their name, we can take care of the floral arrangements for you.
You can have flowers sent to our funeral home on the edge of Westbury on Trym and we’ll care for them until the day of the funeral.
8. Provide memorabilia and masonry
Whether it be a glass paperweight or a memory Teddy that’s made from your loved one’s favourite pieces of clothing, our funeral directors can supply jewellery and memorabilia to help keep your happy memories alive.
We also provide a full masonry service, which is perfect if you’re looking for a more permanent symbol of remembrance. You can choose the shape and type of headstone, as well as the font and inscription. If the deceased’s name will be added to an existing headstone, we can provide any necessary repairs or clean it up for you.
9. Ongoing bereavement support
Funeral directors will help you to make arrangements in the run-up to the funeral and be there on the day to make sure everything goes smoothly.
However, our team are on hand to support you every step of the way – including after the funeral has taken place.
We appreciate that everyone grieves differently. Whilst some people prefer to bottle everything up inside, others feel better after talking to someone and reminiscing.
Our comfortable funeral home is the perfect place to come when you like feel like sharing fond memories or you simply need somewhere peaceful to sit and reflect on the life of your loved one.
10. Funeral plans
Most people only turn to funeral directors when they lose someone they love, seeking guidance with the funeral. But our funeral directors can help you to make the arrangements for your own send-off, too – saving your family the heartache and financial burden.
We provide pre-paid funeral plans from Golden Leaves. With these, you can choose everything from the type of funeral you’d like to the music, flowers, coffin and transport. You can either pay for it in one lump sum or spread the cost with monthly instalments.
Want to know more?
If you have any questions about the role of a funeral director or how our team can help you in your time of need, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Brunel Funerals.
We’re always on hand and would love to hear from you.
Either give us a call on 0117 374 2002 or email admin@brunelfd.co.uk and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.