A bespoke funeral service with ceremony (cremation or burial) in Somerset and Devon - our full, flexible support with no limits on the possibilities
Your Way Funeral (Cremation or Burial) With Our Flexible Support
At Amanda-Louise Funeral Services, we recognise we are all unique in life, and our funerals can be too, so we have ditched the "one size fits all" approach. Our attended bespoke funerals include the full and flexible support of Amanda-Louise to create an authentic meaningful service that is relevant to the person who lived. With no limits on the possibilities for the funeral or ceremony, together we can curate a funeral that’s traditional, modern or alternative handled with the upmost care and attention to details.
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A bespoke cremation or burial with attended ceremony - Our Funeral Director fees from £1400
Being initiative in our approach, we appreciate we’re all unique so our funerals can be too. Whilst we value the timeless traditions of the past, we appreciate there are no rules in funerals. We are experienced in honouring many religions, cultures and customs, so we proudly offer our comprehensive funeral services with its full nod to etiquette and traditional approaches and also offer devising new traditions for those who want something different. That way you can have the day your way, and pay for what you need.
With the full support from Amanda-Louise and her team, there are no limits on the possibilities for the funeral or ceremony. For example : from heartfelt cremations (from honoured traditional in style to modern with the ability to decorate or hand write messages on the coffin) to natural eco or traditional burials with all the etiquette, serving all beliefs, cultures and non-religions, from gentle to fabulous themed showstopping farewells with uplifting music, laughter and an abundance of alternative hearses, photo slideshows to keepsakes, to support carrying the coffin if that's important to you, to those who want a life affirming celebration uncoupled from the church or crematorium chapel; are just some of the ways we can help you curate an unique funeral service for your loved one, reflecting their life and personality.
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 YOUR WAY BESPOKE FUNERAL choices and pricing see below, or
More Services We Offer
Can't find what you are looking for?
Whether you want to talk through our funeral services or need help choosing from our range of funeral products. Get in touch with us today.
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Your Way Funeral (Cremation or Burial)
Funeral Director Fees from £1400
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
Our Your Way Funeral Service (Cremation or Burial)
This choice provides everything you may want or need to have an attended custom made funeral package service, with no restrictions on limitations. It allows us together to create a unique funeral service for your loved one and reflecting their life, with the full and flexible support of Amanda-Louise and the team. From traditional, modern or contemporary in style - you decide on the tone and style. This includes:-
• Taking the person who has died during day or night into our care in our mortuary facilities
• Preparations including dressing your loved one in different clothing if you prefer, and opportunity for you to visit them in our funeral home by appointment only
• Supporting you through all the funeral arrangements, logistics and liaison.
• Ceremony support planning and planning the reception if desired
• Includes added value of (with our compliments if desired) collection of clothing locally, single flower on coffin, online funeral memorial page, Funeral Director Amanda-Louise to carry out celebrant duties, collection of any donations, bereavement support including welcome to our coffee sessions, collection of ashes and return to you locally by 7 days (where applicable)
As this is a tailored made plan, here are some of the choices you will need to consider and ADD on the costs:
1.Coffins & Urns– a simple coffin starts at £300, urns at £45
2.Hearse on the day of Funeral– our private vehicle with driver £195 or traditional black hearse with driver £350 or horse drawn hearse from £1300, motorcycle hearse from £1100 (or ask about alternative hearses) professional pall bearer £70. Additional charges if crematoria or cemetery is over 50 miles
3.Cortege routes for example home, church, and cemetery or church to cremation, or stopping off at certain locations on route to funeral incur cost from £225
4.Limousine(s) to family to arrive with the hearse £350
5.Ceremony leader(clergy or celebrant religious or secular) – we work with some amazing people who can help you put together the service and lead it on the day, prices range from £217 to £350 typically) or ask Amanda-Louise availability as ceremony leader with no additional charge
6.Orders of Service designing and printing from £70
7. Flowers from £60
8. If Cremation: Cremation with Chapel Fees (£946 Taunton, £1115 Sedgemoor, or other crematorium prices vary) and if Coroner not involved Dr’s medical fee £82
9.If Burial: (price varies according to residency and if you already own a plot)
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 below for itemized cost breakdown, OR
Take the Next Step
Discuss with Amanda-Louise by calling 07879-22-00-46 or email at office@amandalouisefuneralservices.co.uk
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, putting you in control of how you spend your money. We will provide you with a personalised quotation once we have spoken for your consideration.
Our Professional Funeral Director Fees £1400 Service includes:
• Collection available 9am to 3pm weekdays* to bring person who has died (within 50-mile radius) into our care
• Our care for up to 14 nights** (excluding embalming)
• Ability to have them dressed in another choice of their clothing if you prefer
• Ability for you to spend time with them at our funeral home***
• Meeting with you (in our office, online or if easier for you visit you in your own home), supporting you through all the funeral practical processes and completing all necessary documentation, coordinating with third party and authorities
• Ceremony support planning including music choices, readings, poems, hymns, photos, webcast etc, so together we can design your fitting tribute to say farewell
• Ashes returned locally to you (where applicable) or collection from our office by 7 days
• Includes extra value (with our compliments if desired):-
o Our floral wreath on coffin
o Collection of clothing locally
o Online funeral memorial page
o Collection of charitable donations
o Amanda-Louise to officiate ceremony (religious or non-religious)***
o Bereavement support including open invitation to bereavement coffee meetups
Things to Consider
** for up to further 7 nights in our care is calculated at £173.
***opportunity to have further visits chargeable £50
****Subject to availability and for a simple single ceremony
Now you can choose your vehicle, coffin, and any additional requirements to tailor make your funeral design – see additional extras/prices below to add on to achieve your total costs for example:
1.Coffins & Urns– a simple coffin starts at £300, urns at £45 - click here to see our range of coffins and prices
2.Hearse on the day of Funeral– our private vehicle with driver £195 or traditional black hearse with driver £350 or horse drawn hearse from £1300, motorcycle hearse from £1100 (or ask about alternative hearses) professional pall bearer £70. Additional charges if crematoria or cemetery is over 50 miles - click here to see our range of vehicles and prices
3.Cortege routes for example home, church, and cemetery or church to cremation, or stopping off at certain locations on route to funeral incur cost from £225
4.Limousine(s) to family to arrive with the hearse £350
5.Ceremony leader(clergy or celebrant religious or secular) – we work with some amazing people who can help you put together the service and lead it on the day, prices range from £217 to £350 typically) or ask Amanda-Louise availability as ceremony leader with no additional charge
6.Orders of Service designing and printing from £70 - click here to see our range of ceremony accessories and prices
7. Flowers from £60 - click here to see our range of flowers and prices
8. If Cremation: Cremation with Chapel Fees (£946 Taunton, £1115 Sedgemoor, or other crematorium prices vary) and if Coroner not involved Dr’s medical fee £82
9.If Burial: (price varies according to residency and if you already own a plot)
See possible costs below in case any of the conditions apply to you
If your loved one passes away at home, nursing home or the hospice then a small charge will be made for this service, this charge is for the extra staff required to carry out a dignified collection
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
CREMATORIUM 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, butif you request this, we can obtain a price
Professional Ceremony Leader (Minister, Celebrantor 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?
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"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."
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.
What does a Modern Funeral Directors mean?
Amanda-Louise Funeral Director Services is owned by Amanda-Louise Knight who lives in Somerset between Taunton and Minehead with her family. She created the funeral home to serve the community and surrounding areas across Somerset and Devon.
Amanda-Louise,along with the team offer a modern approach to funerals while respecting the traditions of the past.
There is no longer a need for funeral services to be standardised, like those that have dominated people’s perceptions for the last century.
Amanda-Louise Funerals offer families choices which will enable them to create a personalised and tailored service reflective of the person who has died, whether that’s a service which is positive for the environment, a lively celebration of life, an intimate occasion or a more formal, traditional approach.
As modern funeral directors, everything we do helps people feel connected after a bereavement.
We listen to our families and they can be as involved as little or as much as they wish -we can even help families who wish for their loved one to remain at home right up until the day of their funeral too.
At the same time we’d like to provide as much clarity and transparency as we can in terms of our pricing, ahead of arranging a meeting to talk through your needs in detail – we can help with traditional, modern or alternative funerals and everything in between.
Our pricing for funerals is fully transparent and flexible – you only pay for those elements that you require. Some fees are essential, others are optional, so the total cost will depend on the choices you make.
We believe that planning a funeral isnt something that you 'get through' or you have to do things in a certain way - we recognise some of our clients will have different and personalised support from us. Some people would like to be given clear guidance and direction (so we put together free guides of useful advice).
When it came to pricing, some of our families like to opt for our packages and some packages) whereas others would prefer to be informed about their options and then feel empowered to make the choices that are right for them (see our bespoke choice).
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Thomas Brothers Funeral Directors
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"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"
