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Can I arrange the funeral myself?

You don't have to use a funeral director, you can make all the arrangements yourself.

DIY funerals can be made more personal and be less expensive.

You need to take into consideration that there is much more to organise, including making arrangements with the cemetery or crematorium yourself.

As these are generally managed by your local authority, contacting our Bereavement team is a really good place to start - telephone 01744 675490.

Choosing a coffin

You can purchase a coffin from an undertaker or have one specially made. Some funeral directors will help with a DIY funeral, such as dealing with the paperwork and supplying a coffin. If you are having a cremation, you should make sure that the coffin is made from suitable materials as not all are appropriate.

You can find out more from the following websites, among others:

Visit:

www.comparethecoffin.com

www.coffincompany.co.uk

Burial or cremation?

What you will need to do will depend upon whether the deceased is going to be cremated or buried. If the deceased is to be buried, is there a family grave or do you need to purchase a grave?

If you are using a funeral director, they will be able to advise you, including the cost and can help you with the purchase of a grave. You will also have to complete a 'notice of interment' form and, if they are being buried in an existing grave, you will need to produce the grave deeds. Contact our Bereavement team for more information - telephone 01744 675490.

Please see our full guides to making burial or cremation arrangements:

A guide to personalised burials in St Helens (PDF) [236KB]

A guide to personalised cremations in St Helens (PDF) [246KB]

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Last modified on 16 November 2023