An Update on Funeral Proceedings

Posted on August 3rd, 2020

With lockdown restrictions slowly lifting, the guidelines to funerals are gradually changing too. The government have allowed slightly more leeway with regards to planning a funeral, especially when it comes to the number of guests.

Planning the Service

After recent alterations to the guidelines, you can now invite up to 30 guests, allowing both friends and family to attend. Social distancing rules still apply, and the capacity is the same for both indoor and outdoor venues. You can now host a gathering before or after the funeral, which is another way to make sure everyone you want to be there can be.

Travelling Guests

If coming from afar, guests can stay the night in another household. If you are coming from abroad, so long as you are not showing any symptoms of Covid-19, you are able to leave your self-isolation in order to attend the funeral. If you are showing symptoms, you must stay at home; however, it is still possible to live stream the funeral for the people who are unable to make it.

The Service

It is still not permitted to have singing or chanting, due to risks of Covid-19 transmission, but an alternative is to have recordings of your loved one’s favourite songs played throughout the service.

Grief and Wellbeing

We understand that in this current time, the grieving process will be even harder, due to remaining social distancing measures. There is no right way to feel, and grief will appear in different ways for everyone. You can learn more about handling grief, and the support available through organisations such as Cruse Bereavement Care and ataloss.org.

We’re here to offer you any support we can give during this difficult time – give us a ring on 01206 862963 to chat, or email us at info@freedomfunerals.co.uk.

More of our FAQs can be found here