FUNERAL SERVICE GUIDANCE & ADVICE
At J Stamp & Sons we understand that no two lives are the same, which is why we cater for all types of funerals. There are numerous options available that will help to make the funeral as personal and as individual as possible. You are very welcome to come and have a no obligation chat with one of our arrangers to discuss all your options and then, when the time is right for you, we can put a plan into action.
What is a funeral for?
The days of a traditional Victorian service being the only way to celebrate a life are far behind us. You can now do almost anything you want. Funerals are not just for the deceased, perhaps more importantly, they are also for the people left behind with who they had a relationship. They can be described as ceremony where we celebrate the life they led as well as acknowledging they have died. Every faith or culture has a ceremonial aspect in disposing of the dead. The need for this is real, however, that doesn’t always have to be with the body. A funeral ceremony or service of thanksgiving brings people together so they can share and support each other through the grieving process. Remembering the times shared, acknowledging, recognising and celebrating the influence and contribution the person has made as an individual, and as a group, with ultimately help with recovery from the loss.Services at the crematorium
The majority of funeral services in the UK are held at a crematorium. They are designed for the job with most having modern facilities with music and multimedia equipment and video screens to help personalise the ceremony. You can have any particular ‘flavour’ of funeral you see fit, whatever suits the family best, be that a religious service or one led by a trained celebrant, or even a member of the family. The only real restriction being time. Most services are around 30-35 minutes long with funerals coming through every hour. Extra time can be booked at the time of booking if required.Church services
Many funeral services still take place in Churches. If the person who has died attended a particular Church it seems natural and fitting that the funeral ceremony should be held there too. Churches are a community focus point and have been venues for Funerals for generations. Most churches have an organ and some are installing, or have installed, multimedia facilities too. We are expert at services in all our local churches, bringing in music equipment if required and always assisting with singing the hymns! Traditionally a church service is followed by a trip to the nearest crematorium or a burial in the churchyard or nearest cemetery. However, more and more families are requesting a private cremation of burial followed by a service in the Church later in the day.Graveside services
You don’t have to go to a Church or chapel to have a funeral service. Services can be held at the graveside, out in the open air, and are more suitable for smaller gatherings as its difficult to speak to large numbers of mourners outside. Woodland Burial grounds can be natural, peaceful places for those that don’t like the formality and regimental layout of a traditional cemetery or Churchyard. Our advice would be to go and have a visit and see how they feel for you. Obviously you wont be having a slide show at a graveyard service but we can bring portable music equipment along if required. Services can be conducted by a member of the clergy or by a trained celebrant. The one big disadvantage of a graveside service is the weather, it’s the one thing we cant control, although we do have a few umbrellas!Unattended or direct cremation
The days of a traditional Victorian service being the only way to celebrate a life are far behind us. You can now do almost anything you want. No service, No minister or Celebrant, No fuss, just straight to the crematorium. It must be remembered that an unattended cremation is not a funeral. There is no ceremony. We can offer the same (or even better) service as the low-cost providers. We complete all of the paperwork, collect them as soon as we are able, wash and dress them in a simple gown, place them into a simple coffin then arrange for the cremation to take place. The cremated remains are then returned to our premises for you to collect. Unlike other low cost providers, we will collect your loved one from home or hospital as soon as we are legally allowed. We will not let your loved one sit in a hospital mortuary for days on end. We will tell you when the cremation will take place so you can take time out to remember. We use a local crematorium. We are the trusted, family owned and run Funeral Directors in Market Harborough since 1946, so you can be sure that we will care for your loved one in the same way as we would care for any member of our own family. Also, we do not restrict your choices to one strict restricted offering. Our package is starting point, if you wish, for an additional charge, we can dress them in their own clothes and prepare them so you can spend whatever time you need with them before the day of the cremation in our private chapel of rest. You can select a superior coffin, request we use a traditional hearse, choose a special urn or even send flowers. We don’t operate on an industrial scale so we are able to treat people as individuals with a personal one to one service.Service of thanksgiving
A service of thanksgiving, or celebration of life, can be a beneficial alternative to the traditional funeral model of a service followed by a committal. The often difficult ‘saying goodbye’ can be done in private, with those closest to you, before steeling yourselves for a celebration with the wider community. So rather than the close few dash off to the crematorium, and come back later to a half eaten buffet, the whole congregation stays together so the celebration and remembering can continue in the informal setting of a reception venue. Also, services of thanksgiving don’t have to happen in Churches either, they often take place at a large reception venue that can both cater for and accommodate larger numbers of people. Our experienced team can help organise and manage the venue and the day as required. PRICING & PAYMENT
At J Stamp & Sons we have always tailored our pricing very much to the individual requirements of a family or to reflect the instructions or wishes left by the person who has died. We provide each family with :
- A Verbal Estimate – at any time from your first contact with us, but more often after discussing the arrangements with you.
- A Written Estimate – This is provided after our arrangement appointment.
- An Invoice – Usually between 7 and 10 days following a funeral.
We have available ‘Pricing Examples’ of the typical cost of funerals using local crematoriums and burial grounds. We also have available details and costings of our ‘Simple Funeral’ and ‘Unattended Cremation’ . If you would like to view any of these prior to discussing arrangements with us, please click on the links below:
BEREAVEMENT CARE
At J Stamp & Sons we understand that after the funeral is the beginning of your future journey. We want to continue to support you as you embark upon this journey and are therefore very proud to announce that we are partners with SAIF Care.
SAIF Care is a service offered by funeral homes that are members of The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF).
SAIF Care provides a range of services to bereaved people, over the age of 18, including:
- A freephone telephone helpline 0800 917 7224
- Email support and information help@saifcare.org.uk
SAIF Care services are offered by friendly staff who are trained in counselling and bereavement skills and who will be able to listen and support you. They will be able to help you to understand your experience of grief, develop self-care, coping strategies and support you to deal with the challenges you may be facing.
Available Monday– Friday, from 9am–9pm.
This service is confidential and free of charge to people who have used the services of J Stamp & Sons.
CATERING
At J Stamp & Sons we provide funeral catering & refreshments in the main reception rooms of our Georgian house, with its own private walled garden and outdoor seating area. We cater for up to 50 mourners and provide a traditional menu priding ourselves on our homemade fayre. Mourners have been returning to The Chestnuts of over three generations to enjoy our food and homely hospitality. We are also able to provide outside funeral catering in your own home, village hall or other locations. Please contact us on 01858 462524 for more details.