Your Essential Guide to Your Loved One’s Burial Service: What You Can Expect

Dealing with the death of a loved one is indeed difficult for many of us, but while we have to deal with our loss and the loss of the family, we also have to deal with various paperwork and funeral arrangements that can make the grieving process even more challenging. During this time, you need all the help you can get, whether you choose to have professional help or help from other family members or close friends. But the emotional and physical support can go a long way. One of your primary decisions, however, is whether to opt for a burial service or a cremation service for your loved one. If you have chosen to have a burial service, here’s your essential guide to your loved one’s burial service: what you can expect.

The required paperwork

A burial service will require various kinds of paperwork, and you can arrange and submit this yourself, or you can have a caring and competent professional arrange it for you, and funeral directors in Leeds such as those from Carroll & Carroll Independent Funeral Services know exactly what to do when it comes to burial service paperwork. Once you complete the forms, they can submit them for you as well.

First of all, you will need a burial certificate, and you can obtain this once you have registered the person’s death. Another piece of paperwork required for a burial service is the application form for the burial plot, and this is a necessity if you would like to re-open a burial plot or purchase a new plot. The form is often issued by the cemetery or your local town council, and the exclusive rights to burial are usually purchased for 75 years. The plot will also come with specific conditions depending on the kind of grave you want. If you already have the exclusive rights to a grave, you can produce the proper paperwork (the Deed of Exclusive Rights of Burial). If a coroner is involved in the death, they will hold an inquest and issue an order form for the burial.

Prior to the burial service

A hearse will transport the casket to the churchyard or cemetery, and you can follow the hearse with other mourners to form a funeral procession. Based on your beliefs, you can either have a non-religious service or a religious service, although some burial services also begin with a different or separate service held at your place of worship or another venue.

Where the service is held

You can hold the service at the cemetery, churchyard, or a woodland site, and the plot itself will be prepared prior to the service to ensure that it is the proper size for the coffin and in the proper location as well.

During and after the service

The burial service will often occur once the main service for the funeral is over, and it is commonly seen as a tradition for mourners to scatter sod or soil on the casket once it has been lowered into the ground. You can also choose to place flowers inside the grave as part of a tradition. Once the ceremony is concluded, you can then place flowers near or beside your loved one’s grave.