What does a funeral director do

• As much time as is necessary from our local funeral experts and someone always available on the phone 24 hours a day
• Facilities and transport that enables us to deliver one of the highest quality funeral services in the UK
• Personal, face to face contact to discuss your individual requirements and take instructions either at our premises or your home
• Advice and guidance on all aspects of the funeral, including liaising with third parties on your behalf
• Booking and managing the timings of all aspects of the funeral service which will include venues, transport and required personnel – to a time and day that suits you
• Consultation on choice of coffin and any lasting memorials that you may wish to have
• We will prepare, collect and distribute all the required documentation and coordinate ‘external payments’ for you that are necessary for the funeral to legally proceed
• Collection and administration of charitable donations
• Co-ordination of music for the service, floral tributes, service stationery, obituary notices, catering and any other special requirements

You will have an experienced, professional and fully trained Funeral Director to personally oversee your chosen arrangements. They will guide and support you through every step.

We will:

• Meet with you prior to the day of the funeral to ensure all your requirements are met, confirm arrangements and ensure all instructions are correctly recorded and any changes noted and acted upon
• Be present at your side on the day to supervise the occasion and direct all in attendance
• Ensure sufficient pallbearers are available and instructed to escort the coffin with dignity and respect
• Prepare all locations for the service and committal and liaise with any Minister or officiants
• Personally see to every detail, including the collection of cards from floral tributes, charitable donations, book of remembrance and other memorials from the day for you to treasure and keep

• We will bring your loved one into our care at the soonest available time using Dignity’s fully trained, regulated people, specialist vehicles and equipment
• We will provide continuous care for as long as they are in our protection, resting in modern climate controlled mortuary facilities
• We will prepare the deceased in accordance to your wishes, dressing them in their own clothes if you wish or a suitable gown. We will also follow any instructions regarding hairstyles and make-up
• We will care for any personal effects in accordance with your instructions
• We will prepare a private Chapel of Rest and allow you to spend some private time with your loved one by agreed appointment at any time, or we will bring them back home for you to pay your last respects

We maintain a fleet of the highest quality hearses and limousines that are available for you. Your loved one can be transported in one of our traditional chauffeur-driven motor hearses, or you may choose from a range of alternative options to suit your wishes. These include a customised VW Camper, Morris Minor an eco hearse as well as horse drawn and motorcycle hearses.

We can provide any number of chauffeur driven limousines from our luxury fleet to provide families with comfort and refinement for a dignified occasion. Should you require a personalised alternative to tradition, such as a fleet of taxis or a London bus, we can make these arrangements for you as well.

We will also discuss specific requirements regarding the processional route for the cortege with you. This may be comprised of a journey that includes treasured memories or personal landmarks.

We recommend choosing a funeral director which is a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD). The NAFD is a voluntary trade association whose members agree to follow its code of practice, and it operates a complaints procedure you can use if something goes wrong. Membership is voluntary and is not the same as regulation. Price transparency does not depend on it: every funeral director in the UK must display a standardised price list, in the same format as everybody else’s, in the branch and on their website.

Dignity is a member of the NAFD, so you can rest assured that all of our professional Funeral Directors across the UK will uphold the highest possible standards for funeral services, facilities and care.

More on choosing and working with a funeral director.