Funeral Types

Cremation is a dignified and respectful method of laying a loved one to rest.

A cremation service usually takes place at the crematorium, where the coffin will be carried into the chapel and placed on the catafalque, a raised box or platform at the head of the room.

Crematoriums usually have large service rooms with rows of seating for mourners. The service can be religious or non-religious and led by a minister or celebrant. It typically lasts 30-40 minutes, including music, readings, hymns, and prayers.

The committal is at the very end of the service. It is the moment in which you say a final goodbye to your loved one before being removed from sight by lowering or drawing a curtain around the coffin.

If you’d prefer a church service, we can arrange this. At the end of the church service, we will then transport the deceased to the crematorium for the committal ceremony before cremation.

After a traditional cremation, the ashes can be scattered in the garden of remembrance at the crematorium on your behalf or returned to you to keep or for scattering or interment.

Our Bespoke Funeral and Simple Funeral packages can provide you with this type of cremation service.

Burial is often chosen for its sense of tradition, permanence, and the opportunity it provides for family and friends to say a final goodbye in a meaningful and respectful way.

A service before burial can take place at a church, cemetery, or crematorium.

The coffin will be placed on the catafalque, a raised box or platform at the head of the room, or on a wheeled bier, a movable frame on which a coffin is placed.

The service can be personalised, as you wish, with music, readings, hymns, and prayers.

At the end of the service, the coffin is transported to the graveside for more readings and prayers before the committal, which is the process of lowering the coffin into the ground. Family members may wish to scatter soil or flowers into the grave.

After everyone has left, the grave is filled in. You can then mark the grave with a headstone or grave marker, providing a permanent place to visit.

Our Bespoke Funeral and Simple Funeral packages can provide you with this type of burial service.

This option focuses on providing a straightforward, respectful, and cost-effective means of saying goodbye.

An unattended direct cremation takes place without mourners present at the committal and without a ceremony or any associated funeral service.

After the unattended direct cremation, the ashes can be returned to you to keep or for scattering or interment.

Our Unattended Direct Cremation provides this type of cremation.

Repatriation is the process of returning your loved one to their place or country of origin.

You may wish for us to bring your loved one into our care here in Harborne if they have died away from home at a location in the UK or abroad.

Or, if they have died here in Birmingham, we can also assist with repatriating a loved one to a destination anywhere in the UK or abroad.

Repatriation can be complex if dealing with international borders and regulations. At Thomas Furber & Co., we have extensive experience handling repatriations. We can provide a comprehensive service to ensure your loved one is returned to where you want them to go with dignity and respect.

We will help and guide you through the repatriation process step by step, obtaining the necessary documentation and coordinating with other funeral directors. We aim to alleviate the stress involved with repatriations, allowing you to focus on honouring your loved one.