Direct Cremation & Grief: Saying Goodbye without a Formal Service

Direct cremation is fast becoming the number one choice for families across the UK as a way of saying goodbye to a lost loved one.

In 2019, direct cremations were a choice in just 3% of funerals – four years later, that number had mushroomed to 20% and its increase in popularity shows no signs of slowing down.

Here at Tithe Green Natural Burial, we offer the option of a direct cremation and eco-friendly ashes interment, and we’re finding that it’s something that more and more of the people getting in touch with us are interested in.

What is direct cremation and why are people choosing it?

Direct cremation involves an unattended cremation with no funeral service, although this doesn’t preclude an ashes interment or other form of celebration at a later date.

It may well have been the pandemic – when we weren’t allowed to gather – that gave direct cremation its initial boost. And there’s no escaping the fact that its affordability has also helped to establish it, especially given the ‘cost of living crisis’ that we’ve experienced in recent years.

However, direct cremation allows families to concentrate on celebrations of a life that are less formal, more personal and not dictated by the time constraints that can often accompany a traditional funeral. They may also be looking for options that offer an eco-friendly alternative.

How direct cremation may affect the grieving process

Funerals have traditionally been seen as opportunities for family and friends to gather and share memories. And for many, this shared experience is viewed as an essential part of the grieving process and an opportunity to get closure and start to move on.

Next to that – and if they’ve not experienced it before – some people might consider direct cremation with no funeral service as an impersonal, even clinical, choice. And when someone chooses it for themselves, some friends and family may feel robbed of their right to grieve in a way they expect and understand.

The first thing to emphasise here is that with any direct cremation, the deceased will be treated with the same high levels of dignity and respect as they would for any other type of funeral. Meanwhile, just because you’re not having a meaningful service at the time of cremation, it doesn’t mean you can’t have one afterwards.

Ways to say goodbye in the absence of a service

Ashes interments, wakes and other celebrations are all ways of substituting suitable alternatives for the traditional funeral service. They can include the same elements – such as readings, songs and shared memories – it’s just that they are held at a later time and/or date. And that extra time gives you the opportunity to make the event more personal to the character of the person being remembered.

It also allows the event to be held at a time when feelings aren’t quite so raw, when the celebration of a life can come to the fore rather than that immediate and painful sense of loss.

Is direct cremation right for you or your loved one?

We understand that direct cremation won’t be for everyone, but if it’s something you’re considering, you may want to make more of it than just an unattended event.

Here at Tithe Green Natural Burial, our direct cremation service isn’t just affordable – you also get the opportunity to have a service at the time and place of the interment of ashes. That could be a small gathering, a large religious service or whatever you feel is most appropriate.

With prices starting at £1,915, a direct cremation with ashes interment includes a biodegradable container and interment in a wildflower meadow or woodland setting at one of our three beautiful natural burial sites.

Get in touch today to find out more or to arrange a direct cremation together with an environmentally-friendly ashes interment.