Classic Funeral With Traditional Etiquette across Somerset & Devon
Traditional Funeral (Cremation or Burial)
Our personalised farewell services focus on choice that's right for you. Our traditional funeral choice (cremation or burial) with black hearse, the customary etiquette of Funeral Director, professional pallbearers and officiant to conduct funeral ceremony
Our Classic Traditional Funeral Choice from £2400 plus disbursements
Not so long ago a traditional funeral was the only type of funeral readily available in the UK, its history from our Victorian era based mainly around the Christian faith. Today we have many religions, faiths, beliefs and cultures and also a variety of choices of the style of funeral. Yet the classic traditional funeral still remains popular for those who want a formal elegance including a visiting to spend time with a loved one before the funeral, a service carried out by a minister or other ceremony professional (secular or non-religious), a funeral procession led by a traditional black hearse carrying the coffin with the Funeral Director dressed in traditional attire paging in front of the hearse, the option for burial or cremation at different location, and a wake of an after funeral reception where family and friends can gather to remember the loved one.
Here at Amanda-Louise Funeral Director Services, we offer a traditional funeral affording all the dignity and etiquette of this classic funeral, and of course with our ethos on choice, there are endless adaptions you can make to ensure it represents the very essence and spirit of the person we are to honour.
And our support doesn't stop on the day of the funeral, as our expertise can support you with your grief for as long as you need us.
To read more about what our TRADITIONAL FUNERAL choice and pricing see below, or
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Traditional Funeral (Cremation or Burial)
From £2440 (our funeral directors fees) + third party disbursements - example total £3428
PERSONAL MESSAGE TO YOU FROM AMANDA-LOUISE
“I built my independent family run funeral business on kindness and experience with our desire to provide you with every aspect for you to arrange a funeral that reflects how you wish to say goodbye. So, I offer choice,support and value and am not rigid in our approach, so you only pay for what you want and need.Not all funerals are the same and no two funeral directors are the same either. Some funeral directors charge additionally for many aspects of the funeral elements. We care about the living and the departed and know how daunting it can be to arrange a funeral. So, with my heartfelt offering, below is my 10 point gift to support you in your important life decisions, warmly Amanda-Louise”
1. Our Pledge – your loved one remains in our local facilities
2. Our Compliments No Charge (if desired) - Collecting clothing in the local area, our flower placed on coffin if desired as sentimental touch, and delivery of ashes in the local area
3. 'Our Compliments No Charge - A Funeral Notice' online service
4. The ability - for Amanda-Louise Funeral Director to personally come out to your home locally to discuss arrangements in detail
5. Our Compliments No Charge - Choice is very important to us, so you have the option for your gentle funeral ceremony to be conducted by Amanda-Louise (celebrant capacity - subject to availability)
6. Our Pledge Our Heart is Local – we prefer to use only local crematoriums or cemeteries (and not take you out of our region)
7. Our Compliments No Charge - We believe that arranging a meaningful funeral can be a healing experience to support your grief journey. Amanda-Louise will personally support you and guide you through the practical aspects and offer to help you create a fitting ceremony and celebration of life. Our in-house trained bereavement support for adults and children, and open invitations to join us for our bereavement coffee sessions after the funeral enabling a comfortable space and shared experiences
8. Our Partnerships - Access to specialist bereavement counselling for those needing therapeutic structured support
9. Our Pledge for the Planet – we dedicate towards planting a tree in memory of your loved one and our unique way to benefit our environment for future generations by offering a variety of eco-friendly funeral procedures, arrangements, and products too
10. Our Pledge to Ease the Burden – we offer to provide everything you may want or need for a funeral, memorial or celebration of life under our one roof helping to remove some of the stress from your shoulders. From floristry, vehicles, orders of service and ceremony accessories, catering to venue provision and memorabilia and keepsakes
A fitting tribute of the person we are honouring with full etiquette, includes:-
· Taking the person who has died during day or night into our care in our mortuary facilities
· Ability to spend time with the person and/or have them dressed in other clothes if you wish
· Our care for up to 21 nights
· Assistance with all necessary documentation, meeting you in our office, online or in your local home
· Typically services from 10am to 4pm week days at Sedgemoor, Taunton or Exeter Crematorium (ceremony times vary)
· Traditional oak veneered standard size coffin
· Transporting the deceased directly to crematorium in a traditional black hearse (matching limousine available) with 4 professional coffin bearers who will convey coffin into chapel (onto catafalque)
· Funeral Director on day overseeing procession and everything in order
· 30 orders of service with photographs
· Ashes returned locally to you (where applicable) or collection from our office by 7 days
· Includes extra value of (with our compliments if desired):-
o Our wreath on coffin
o Online memorial page, collection of any donations
o Amanda-Louise to officiate ceremony religious or non-religious (subject to availability)
o Bereavement support including open invitation to bereavement coffee meetups
· This also includes the cost of the following disbursements (we have no control over these costs):
o Cremation fee Taunton (£946) or Sedgemoor (£1115)
o Doctor’s fee (if applicable) £82
Please Note
Deposit made up of third-party disbursements is required on booking with balance by 3 days before funeral. The Government (DWP) may grant for those eligible a Funeral Expenses Payment to help towards some of the costs. This choice has flexibility to add on limousine, longer in our care/additional visits if needed, other crematoriums, cortege routes, clergy minister/other celebrant at cost. See below for itemized breakdown and options
The Breakdown of Costs
Transparency is ever so important to us at Amanda-Louise Funeral Services, especially when it comes to pricing. To find out how much you could expect to spend to achieve the funeral that’s right for you see below. We will provide you with a personalised quotation once we have spoken for your consideration.
Our funeral director fees of £2400 & third party disbursements of £1028 - total £3428 Includes:-
- Collection of person who has died to be cared for in our mortuary for up to 3 weeks
- Supporting you through all the funeral arrangements, logistics and liaison
- Ability to spend time with the person and/or have them dressed in other clothes if you wish
- Oak veneered standard size coffin
- Ceremony – designed to your choosing, organised by us (plus celebrant duties if required) - typical times between 10am to 4pm
- Provision of traditional black hearse, 4 smart coffin bearers to convey coffin into chapel
- Funeral Director on day overseeing procession and everything in order
- 30 orders of service with photographs
- If required: collection of charitable donations, our wreath on coffin, online funeral memorial page, list of attendees recorded, celebrant duties, and bereavement support
- Third party costs: Taunton Crematorium (£946) or Sedgemoor (£1115) or Exeter (£1115) + Doctor’s fee (if applicable) £82 for one Dr medical paperwork - we will advise of burial costs
Overview Things to Consider:-
- This package is our traditional option, designed to give you the classic style of funerals.
- Surcharge will be added if you desire the following additional options:- (longer distance collections, and extended stay with us, limousine(s), cortege routes to funeral, overnight stay in church or home night before funeral, flowers, clergy minister or other celebrant, different coffin choice, wake/catering provision)
- Deposit made up of third-party disbursements is required on booking with balance by 3 days before funeral. The Government (DWP) may grant for those eligible a Funeral Expenses Payment to help towards some of the costs. Prices are correct at time of publishing.
See possible costs below in case any of the conditions apply to you
Out of hours collection (3pm – 9am, weekends and bank holidays) £195 (if this applies)
Our additional mileage from £1 to £2 per mile
Clients over 75kg stone – our additional charge due to logistics (for example lifting equipment Price on Request and/or extra staff to help with transportation £55)
Pacemaker and/or other internal electronic device removal (if required - a must if cremation) £95
Staying at our facilities after time frame shown in package - price is calculated at £173 per week thereafter
Supplement for coffin interior size over 6'2" x 20" Price on Request
Our handling fee for supplying your own coffin £100.00
Monthly storage fee for ashes beyond 1 month to 6 months £25.00
See optional costs below in case any of the conditions apply to you
Professional Embalmer (we do not routinely embalm but happy to provide a price on request if required)
Flowers From £60
Designed & Printed Orders of Service From £70
Refreshments/catering for private service in our chapel/facilities Prices on Request
Delivery of ashes back to you - Price dependent if address is not local to us
Your choice of our urns and scatter tubes for cremated ashes from £40
Your choice of our memorabilia and keepsakes Prices on Request
Additional events - we can assist organising scattering of ashes Price on Request
We can supply everything that you may want or need for a funeral or event. For further ideas please see out catalogue categories
See third party costs/disbursements (these are not our costs) below in case any oft he conditions apply to you
CREMATION WITH CHAPEL PRICES – over 18 years
Taunton : £946 (10am-4pm) £807 (9am or 9.30am)
Sedgemoor (Highbridge) : £1115 (10am-4pm) £825 (9am or 9.30am)
Yeovil : £825 (10am-4pm) £685 (9.20am)
Exeter – East Devon : £995 (10am-4pm) £780 (9.30am)
Exeter – Exeter & Devon :£1150 (10am-4pm) £885 (8.30am, 9am or 9.30am
North Devon (Barnstaple) : £810 (10am-4pm) £700
Mendip (Wells) : £909 (10am-4pm) £750 (9.30am)
OTHER FEES set by Crematorias : Penalty if service runs over by 5 minutes (late arrival or departure) typically £450
Drs Fees (If Cremation)
£82 Doctor’s fee for 1 x cremation certificate - n/a if coroner involved in cremation
BURIAL PRICES - over 18 years
Typical Church Burial – from £217 for service, plus heating,verger, minister, grave preparation and plot purchase costs, typical costs £1633
Natural Woodland Burial Sites
- Fevin Nature Reserve, Somerton– from£1090 or Burial of Ashes from £50
- Crossways, Exeter – from £1400 or Burial of Ashes from £550
- Hackpen, Cullompton – £1125 or Burial Of Ashes from £200
- Bath Meadow – from £1505 or Burial of Ashes from £660
Burial at Sea – Licence fee + boat fee – price on request
Professional Services
Professional Embalmer We do not routinely embalm, but f you request this, we can obtain a price
Professional Ceremony Leader (Minister, Celebrant or Humanist) from £217
Other Professionals (prices on request)
Professional Funeral Photographer, Videographer, Interpreter/Translator, Sign Language Professional, Dove Release, Musicians/Singer, Bagpiper, Bulger etc
Talk to Amanda-Louise today us to obtain your personalised quotation
More services we offer
What to expect from us
The enduring strength of women
We care for you and your family
As your Lady Funeral Directors, Amanda-Louise can meet you in the comfort of your own home, or in our peaceful office, or via video call if you'd prefer. We will never tell you how 'things should be done', or rush you, but support you to understand and consider your choices, so that you can decide what is right for you and your family and friends.
We will listen to you, and can help you plan a funeral ceremony. We'll respect your personal beliefs, values and culture and ensure your requirements, and those of the person that has died, are reflected in the funeral. You may prefer a religious funeral, a more secular service or might want to include a number of different religious and spiritual perspectives within the same service.
We can help you to reflect on the life of the person who has died and enable you to create some positive memories to support you at a time when people can often feel sad and alone. We can support you to have a farewell that you desire - so we will support you to understand the wide range of options such as visual, musical, floral, donations, readings/poems for example, as well as organising venue and/or hospitality for your after funeral wake or reception, if you wish.
Importantly, we will be flexible to your needs and wishes and give you our time to help put your ideas into action. You can take as much control as you like. We are able to support families from across Somerset or Devon, are not regionally restricted, we can help you create an event at a time and place that is best for you.
Amanda-Louise Funeral Director, can also personally deliver a heartfelt celebrant led service on your behalf should you wish, or we can recommend other talented professional ceremony leaders including religious ministers, celebrants and humanists.
We work hard to support the wellbeing of every family we support (adults and children).We can also provide a wealth of practical bereavement information for adults and children, and we'll ensure the funeral is meaningful for you, which helps in coming to terms with loss too.
We care for the person who has died
In our care you have trusted us to look after your loved one and we take enormous pride in treating people with respect and dignity. From the very moment the person who has died comes into our care, to the moment they leave, we will treat them with compassion, kindness and consideration. We see this as part of the cycle of life
We reach out and support people from 15 to 50+ miles away from us, as we safely transfer the deceased into our facilities. We'll care for the person entrusted into our funeral home with compassion and dignity, and treat everyone as guests in our home. Or we can assist if you prefer the deceased to remain at home or liaise with a repatriation company for deaths abroad.
We provide a comprehensive range of coffins in different materials, including coffin accessories to suit all tastes. This is a very personal choice, so we happily talk about them or can show you the differences.
We can provide the ability for family to spend time with their loved one, and to change clothing if this is important to you. Plus you can be involved in as little or as much of their care as you desire. We will gently prepare them for their funeral following your wishes including hairstyles or makeup, and whilst we do not routinely embalm we can provide this if you desire. We’ll take great care of any person effects, and give them to you ,or they will remain with the person Plus we can arrange for your items to be placed in the coffin if you wish.
We can even support you to keep your loved one at home right up until their funeral if you wish.
On the day of the funeral
We understand that attention to detail is really important, from considering the way people enter the service to carefully calculating the journey time.
We can provide our professional pallbearers to convey the coffin. We can help you bear the coffin if that's important to you. We can arrange special routes to the funeral if you wish, or alternative hearses and limousines.
We can arrange to collect family from railway station or airport if helpful.
Some families prefer not to hold the funeral ceremony at a crematorium chapel or in church, so we can support you to have a service in a chosen hotel, hall or alternative venue that is meaningful to you.
Amanda-Louise will be by your side giving you that reassuring presence ensuring everything is going to plan smoothly, and we leave when you are ready for us to go. We can also provide attendance cards so you know who has attended the funeral ceremony service.
After the funeral
We remain connected should you need us. If we collected donations, we will provide you with audit trail so you know they have been forwarded to the relevant people, organisation or charity. We'll collect ashes if that's helpful & deliver them to you. We can arrange for you to scatter them or preserve them if you wish.
We will have spoken to you about the arrangements of the funeral flowers and carried out those wishes. And if required, we can organise graves and headstones to be put in place at a suitable time after a burial or ashes placed.
And we welcome you to stay in touch. Often our clients pop in to talk about how life is treating them, or to attend one of our coffee afternoons as life can be isolating at times following the loss of a loved one. Our kettle is always on, likely biscuits too. Rest assured, we will never stop caring - here for you whenever you need us, wherever you are.
Do you need more help?
"We all felt totally safe opening our hearts to Amanda-Louise and were so impressed in the skills and empathy she has to understand how we all felt."
Traditional Funeral (Cremation or Burial)
Our frequently asked questions to guide you
Can I view the cremation?
Many crematoria’s will allow one or two family members to be present but this will need to be arranged prior to the cremation to accommodate this. There may be an additional fee for this. If you are worried about the process, then talk to Amanda-Louise who will answer all your questions honestly.
Are bodies cremated one at a time?
Yes they are. The chamber only allows for one body at a time, which allows to check the right person is being cremated at the right time, plus the law states this.
Are coffins ever reused?
No. During a cremation the coffin is always burned. At a burial, the coffin is lowered into the ground. Out of respect for the deceased and family a coffin would never be reused under any circumstances.
What is cremation jewellery?
This term is also known as remembrance or memorial jewellery and is jewellery that has incorporated a small amount of the cremated ashes. Popular items such as rings, bracelets and necklaces but there are a variety of other items such as coloured glass ornaments too.
Do you get cremated in the coffin?
Yes, the deceased is always cremated in the coffin or a shroud (if desired). All UK crematories have to follow a very strict code of practice. Once the funeral director has sealed the coffin, no one opens it again. Sometimes you may see a coffin flag or drape over a coffin, and as these can be recycled they are often removed prior to the cremation at the request of the family.
What actually is a direct cremation?
A direct cremation is a cremation with no service or mourners in attendance. Here at Amanda-Louise Funeral Services our ethical approach means we prefer to use local crematoria’s, we still drive to the chapel in a funeral suitable vehicle and take the coffin into the chapel with full honours. As a direct funeral is seen as a no frills no fuss approach, then the deceased is placed into their coffin in clothing they have arrived in and there’s no facility for viewing. The family do not choose the date/time and location of the cremation. Availability at crematoriums is limited for this type of funeral, so the time afforded to us is only 15 minutes maximum. Its usual practice not to inform the family of the details, as we need to obey rules of direct funeral of no attendees. If this is not the option that’s right for you, then we offer a full and flexible funeral service.
Which is more expensive burial or cremation?
Typically, cremations are less expensive than a burial, but there isn’t much in it these days.
For burials, the cost will depend on whether it’s a new plot needed to be purchased, or an existing one that needs to have a stone removed in preparation, plus there is the burial cost on top. Having said that, cremation prices do vary with each crematoria provider, whether you want a funeral ceremony and for how long. Please do talk to us about your individual requirements as we always supply a quotation.
Can you be cremated without a coffin?
Yes, the UK law states that a body must be covered up when in public. As coffins are a legal requirement for cremations, a shroud can be used. There are of course a variety of materials for coffins these days, from wood, to wood products, to wicker and cardboard too.
Are you clothed when you are cremated?
That’s up to you. You can be cremated with or without clothing. The majority of direct cremations, the deceased is cremated in whatever clothing they are wearing when they died, however for more traditional support the funeral director can help the family redress the person who has died into something chosen by the family.
Will Prosthetics or Implants be Cremated too?
This will vary. Prosthetics will depend, for example pacemakers and internal defibrillators will need to be removed before cremation, as they will explode. Many implants such as silicone breast implants will likely remain with the deceased and will form part of the cremated ashes. Whereas metal implants do not burn, and these are separated after the body has been burned.
Will the crematorium provide a ceremony leader to conduct the funeral service?
No that’s not their role. We can help you find someone that is suitable for you, unless you have someone else in mind.
We don’t want to have the funeral service held in the church, chapel or crematorium, where can we have it instead?
The choices are limitless. Many halls, sports clubs, hotels, galleries, zoos, castles, outdoor areas can be suitable to host a funeral ceremony. You can have the coffin present if you wish. Best advice is to book somewhere that is enthusiastic to your needs.
"Dedicated to giving you the funeral you deserve & want"
"With my vision on providing wrap-around-care from start to finish. Our team are here to help you with every aspect of planning and organising your funeral needs from the preparation of the body to events and memorial services, I will be with you every step of the way"