Alternative funerals
A funeral does not have to follow a traditional pattern. This guide explains the main alternatives, from natural burial and direct cremation to non-religious ceremonies and celebrations of life, so you can see what might suit the person you are arranging it for.
- 6 minute read
- 2 September 2026
What counts as an alternative funeral?
There is no single definition. It usually means a funeral that departs from the traditional pattern of a religious service followed by a burial or cremation – either in where it happens, who leads it, or how the day feels.
Many families combine parts of both. A traditional cremation with a football club’s anthem playing as everyone leaves is as valid as anything else.
The main alternatives
These are the options families ask about most. What is available varies by area, so your funeral director is the person to confirm what is possible near you.
Ways to make a traditional funeral feel different
You do not have to change the whole shape of the day to make it personal:
- a colourful, picture or personalised coffin
- an alternative hearse, from a horse-drawn carriage to a motorcycle or a vintage lorry
- bright clothes, or a team shirt, instead of black
- music that belonged to them rather than traditional hymns
- a reading written by someone in the family
- donations to a cause they cared about instead of flowers
Things to check before you decide
- whether the person who has died left any wishes, or held a funeral plan
- what is available locally, and how far anyone will need to travel
- the rules of the site or venue, particularly at a natural burial ground
- what is included in the cost and what is charged separately
- how the rest of the family feel – a funeral has to work for the people who are left
Find a funeral director
Your local funeral director will tell you which of these options are available near you, and what each one involves.
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