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Burial or Cremation Service?
One of the first decisions will be whether to have Burial or Cremation? – This is a decision which may have been decided long ago or never been discussed with the loved one who has died. Cremation has been the more popular choice, since 1968 when the number of cremations exceeded burials for the first time, current figures suggest around 75% of all funerals are now cremations.

From your first call into Barrington’s we can guide you with choices and costs and support you whatever you choose.
Burial
Many families follow tradition and keep a family grave – traditional local cemeteries near to us include – Thornton Garden of Rest, Bootle Cemetery or Liverpool Road and Duke Street Cemeteries in Southport for Sefton. Anfield Cemetery, Allerton Cemetery, Everton or Ford Catholic Cemetery which come under Liverpool Council and Liverpool Catholic Cemeteries alike.
There is also an alternative option of Woodland Burial at Greenacres Ceremonial Park in Rainford, there are many options within the ancient woodland and surrounding areas. If you are interested in this option you can go and visit Greenacres they are always delighted to show people around.
We will handle all of the paperwork with you as our client – helping you to purchase a new grave or re-open an existing one, perhaps you may only need advice on interring ashes into an existing grave, we can also advise you on this. Are you planning to have a church service beforehand or perhaps a smaller gathering at the graveside itself?
Council prices change every year usually in-line with inflation. When considering burial costs you must remember the purchase of a grave does not include the grave opening or a headstone – these are extra costs.
The person who owns/buys the grave must give permission (sign) for that grave to be re-opened and if they cannot sign as perhaps they are deceased or their the person about to go into the grave then an indemnity must be signed. The direct family (daughter/son) of the grave owner becomes the next in line to hold permissions directly on that grave.

Your funeral director, will talk you through everything from collecting the deceased person right through to the service. This will finish with the burial (interment), or sometimes people have the burial first and a memorial celebration afterwards – guiding you with advice on bearers – how many people you may need to help carry the coffin, coffin choices or perhaps how your loved one will be dressed within.

Cremation

The advice and journey with our team begins the same way, from when we are contacted and arrange to collect your family member. Our discussions involving a cremation service talk thorugh as with a burial – if the person is to be seen again by other family members, how will their appearance look and what instructions there are for the coffin. 
A ceremony before a cremation can be held anywhere – if you are a family who have faith and will be holding a service at a church or having a civil ceremony / service of celebration perhaps at a local community venue, this will usually then finish at the crematorium or be held entirely within the adjoining chapel itself.
After the coffin is brought to the crematorium it is placed onto the catafalque – often carried or wheeled in by family members and placed onto the (catafalque) raised platform at the front which is usually for all the congregation to be able to see. Some families prefer no procession – the carrying of the coffin with family walking behind – this can be very emotional so another option is for the coffin to already be in place with the family walking in afterwards or you can take your seats and the coffin is then brought in once everyone has settled.  These options can all be discussed with the Funeral Director to ensure the timings and flow of how the service works.

A further part of the service to consider is whether or not you would like the curtains to be closed or left open usually at the committal before the ending of the full service, some newer crematoriums have incorporated a voile – a tasteful see-through net curtain – as a third option to leave the chapel being able to see the coffin at all times.

After a cremation the ashes are usually ready to collect by the family or the Funeral Director within the next couple of days. The cremated remains (ashes) can also be interred if you so wish into a full-size family grave or a dedicated ashes plot – the cost to open either grave is usually the same. If you need to transfer a grave into another name – this can be done with help from the authorised office who look after that particular cemetery.
Personal Touches
There are many ways to make a funeral service special and memorable in many cases these personal touches cost nothing or very little. At Barringtons Funeral Services, our experience and personalised approach means that we can help make the day truly unique and memorable.