Direct cremation and unattended funerals
A cremation with nobody present, at a time the crematorium chooses. The cheapest option by a wide margin, and bought by mistake as often as by choice.
What this covers
An unattended funeral, usually sold as direct cremation, is the second package every funeral director must publish. There is no service and no mourners: the deceased is collected, cremated at a time the crematorium allocates, and the ashes returned or scattered.
It costs a fraction of an attended funeral, because almost all of that cost is staff, vehicles and a booked slot at a fixed hour. Check what happens to the ashes and when: return by courier, collection in person and scattering by the crematorium are three services at three prices.
Common questions
- Can we still have a service if we choose direct cremation?
- Yes, and many families do. The memorial is held separately, without the constraint of a crematorium slot, which is why it can be at a time that suits people travelling and in a place that means something.
- Why is direct cremation so much cheaper?
- Because most of the cost of an attended funeral is people and vehicles at a fixed hour: the conductor, the bearers, the hearse and a booked slot. Remove the attendance and almost all of that goes with it.
Related
Part of funeral costs. Every figure on this site comes from the published fee dataset.