Planning a Funeral | How to Arrange a Funeral Service

What do Funeral Directors Do?

If you are not familiar with the work of funeral directors or know a little, but what to find out more, please read on.

THE MAIN ROLE OF A FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Funeral directors’ main role is the planning of a funeral. This encompasses first contact with the client of the deceased, the care of the loved one who has died and supporting the family before, during and after the funeral.

HOW FUNERAL DIRECTORS HELP FAMILIES?

The shock of a bereavement or an impending one means you need time and space to process it all. However, at the back of your mind is the realisation that certain steps need to be taken to register the death and plan the funeral.

However, although the registration of the death has to be done within 5 days, you do have some breathing space for a few days before you start planning the funeral. It is important to choose a funeral director that you feel comfortable with because it will be one of the most important days of your life. When you feel ready, you can phone White Rose and arrange a face-to-face meeting.

Your First Meeting

One of the first things we do is arrange a meeting. Sitting down together we will chat about your choices. The main decision is whether your loved one wanted a cremation or burial. Don’t worry because we will explain everything and you will be under no pressure to decide it all in one day. We look together into every aspect of what will make the perfect send off, flowers, readings and poems, transportation, coffin type or casket etc.

The important thing is that a Funeral Director helps you design the funeral based on the choices that are right for you. If it is a massive shock and you hadn’t expected to be in this situation, you don’t need to worry because we are trained professionals with years of experience. Calmly and gradually we will help work out the finer details.

Together we can create a funeral that truly represents your loved one. In cases where you don’t know their wishes, we can carefully plan together without any pressure. We have a series of questions to ask in these situations to find out who they were, what they liked & did in life and their beliefs etc.

DEALING WITH PAPERWORK

Registering the death is one of the first things which you have to do. We can help you with all of this, but if you prefer to do it alone by all means proceed. The registration of the death must be completed within 5 days which you can do before we meet for the first time. But if you need help with it please give us a ring and we would be happy to assist you.

If the death was in unusual circumstances, i.e. the coroner is investigating or they passed away overseas, we can also answer your queries regarding the processes involved. We are here to support you if you need us at any stage of the process.

PLANNING THE FUNERAL

Whether you opt for a simple funeral or something more elaborate, White Rose will talk you through all the options. We LISTEN to what you want, not the other way around. You design the funeral according to you, your family and the deceased’s wishes.

Everything from the flowers, to the transport, the coffin or casket, the music, the readings and poems; basically every detail needed to give your loved one a beautiful and elegant farewell. White Rose will shoulder the burden of tasks you are not able to deal with and help you every step of the way.

The main focus is that we create a funeral which is calm, stress free and well organised. Whether you want to be hands on or take a step back, we accommodate the choices of the funeral which you design together with our expert assistance.

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POST-DEATH CARE

As funeral professionals, we take the duty of caring for the dead with utmost dedication, care and sensitivity to ensure that your loved one is in safe hands. Having a chapel of rest on site means that we are with them each and everyday.

Furthermore, we come to your house or setting to collect the deceased and then house them in our mortuary. All the time we keep in touch and let you know when we are coming and when we have safely transported your loved one to our premises.

THE DAY OF THE FUNERAL

On the day of the funeral, we will transport the coffin to the venue and co-ordinate with your family and all the staff involved to make sure that it runs smoothly and to plan. There is always a carefully constructed plan in place, so that everyone playing a role during the funeral will be fully informed about what they will be doing on the day e.g. coffin bearers from your family or friends, people reading poems etc, the celebrant conducting the ceremony etc.

We also make sure the music is all scheduled to fit the timings you have chosen and any musicians are fully in the picture. Whatever you choose for your ceremony to say farewell, we will support you fully to create a beautiful goodbye to the one you have lost.

Please know that the White Rose team is always here for you. Just pick up the phone and reach out to us.

A White Rose Customer Story

We were particularly moved by this customer story from Nicola in Leeds. We strive to uphold the highest standards of care and hearing such feedback as this makes us very happy to know that we have served a family in their time of need.

This story perfectly illustrates the consistent level of service our family business gives to every family in Yorkshire and beyond:

“From the moment that I first spoke to Suzanne on the phone I knew I was in good hands. Here I was in the midst of the most traumatic experience of my life and she put me right at ease and told me everything would be ok.

I was on the phone for nearly an hour. I just needed to talk and even though technically she was off that day packing for a trip it wasn't any trouble. She told me I could call her anytime I needed, which I did a few times and texts flew back and forth. I always got a reply maybe not within 30 seconds but as soon as she was able.”

“I met Stephen at the offices and just as with Suzanne I was put at ease nothing was an inconvenience no question too stupid to ask. The whole experience was made so much easier.”

“The funeral itself went ahead without me having to worry about anything; everything I needed was done and sorted out ahead of time. Even a few days after I needed to speak to them they didn’t hesitate and made sure I was ok.”

“Losing my husband has been the hardest thing I have ever had to endure in my life but they made it that tiny bit brighter throughout my darkest days. Thank you for everything.”

Nicola Brooker (Leeds)