Grieving is a natural process, and the experience is different for each person – but for some people it can be devastating.
Support when you are grieving
You can turn to your funeral director for support. As well as providing practical advice and guidance (and being an important source of comfort) during the funeral arrangement period, your funeral director can also help you as you grieve the loss of the person that has died.
They can introduce you to local bereavement organisations that can offer support. Some funeral homes hold annual Services of Remembrance to which they invite all of their previous client families, or have Trees of Remembrance in their funeral homes at Christmas. Others create support networks for clients, including drop-in sessions or social opportunities for bereaved people to get together.
You can also contact some of these national bereavement organisations for support:
Commemorating the person that has died
Scattering ashes
In the UK, you can scatter the ashes of someone that has died in a variety of open places, including in a garden of remembrance, in a green space, over water, or on private land. Some people request to have their ashes scattered in a place that was close to their heart.
You may wish to hold a small ceremony for the scattering of ashes. Some people choose to say a short prayer or a religious reading, others might share personal stories or read a favourite or meaningful poem.
It is also possible to have portions of ashes added to fireworks for a memorial display, or to have them turned into jewellery or added to piece of sculpture. Talk to your funeral director to find out more about what’s available.
Setting a headstone
After a burial, many families commission a headstone to be set over the grave, marking their loved one’s final resting place. Your funeral director will be able to advise you on any restrictions on design or size in the cemetery where the person is buried – and put you in touch with memorial masons who can create the headstone for you.
Holding a separate memorial event
If you have not been able to involve all those close to the person that has died in the funeral service, you might consider holding a memorial or celebration of life event at a later date. This can have a religious or faith component – or can be purely celebratory, sharing stories and raising a toast to the person that has died.
Commemorating the person that has died
Scattering ashes
In the UK, you can scatter the ashes of someone that has died in a variety of open places, including in a garden of remembrance, in a green space, over water, or on private land. Some people request to have their ashes scattered in a place that was close to their heart.
You may wish to hold a small ceremony for the scattering of ashes. Some people choose to say a short prayer or a religious reading, others might share personal stories or read a favourite or meaningful poem.
It is also possible to have portions of ashes added to fireworks for a memorial display, or to have them turned into jewellery or added to piece of sculpture. Talk to your funeral director to find out more about what’s available.
Setting a headstone
After a burial, many families commission a headstone to be set over the grave, marking their loved one’s final resting place. Your funeral director will be able to advise you on any restrictions on design or size in the cemetery where the person is buried – and put you in touch with memorial masons who can create the headstone for you.
Holding a separate memorial event
If you have not been able to involve all those close to the person that has died in the funeral service, you might consider holding a memorial or celebration of life event at a later date. This can have a religious or faith component – or can be purely celebratory, sharing stories and raising a toast to the person that has died.
Searching for a Will
Not being able to find a Will, or a concern that you have an old or outdated Will, can be distressing, particularly if you are unsure of your loved one’s wishes.
Certainty’s Will Search facility is used by the legal profession, charities, insurance companies and financial institutions. Certainty searches the Will Register and, if a Will is not found, it will issue a formal missing Will search notice to solicitors in the areas where your loved one was most likely to have made their Will, for example where they lived and worked.
Searching for a Will
Not being able to find a Will, or a concern that you have an old or outdated Will, can be distressing, particularly if you are unsure of your loved one’s wishes.
Certainty’s Will Search facility is used by the legal profession, charities, insurance companies and financial institutions. Certainty searches the Will Register and, if a Will is not found, it will issue a formal missing Will search notice to solicitors in the areas where your loved one was most likely to have made their Will, for example where they lived and worked.