You do not need a funeral director to hold a legal funeral.
Before the service
Caring for the body
If the person died in hospital, they might keep the body for a reasonable amount of time.
If you want to care for the body at home, you should keep it somewhere cool and ideally for no longer than a week.
Buying a coffin
You can buy a coffin from most suppliers directly. A funeral director might suggest a supplier or offer to sell you one directly. You can also do an online search.
A coffin isn't a legal requirement for a service, and some cemeteries or crematoriums might accept shrouds - these are environmentally-friendly alternatives to a coffin. You will need to check with the cemetery or crematorium directly.
For the service
The date and location
You'll need to book a date and time with the place that you want to hold the service at. You should think about:
- If the funeral service will be held at the same place as the wake or a church or different venue
- If you want a minister or celebrant to conduct the service
- If you want flowers
- An Order of Service
- If it's a cremation - the scattering of ashes
Transporting the body
You will need to organise getting the body to the church, cemetery or crematorium. It does not need to be a hearse, and you can use a large car or van as long as it's secure enough.
You should also think about how many people you will need to help move it - a standard coffin takes about four people to carry. Some funeral directors do offer guidance on this.
After the service
Burying the body at a cemetery
You need to follow the same process as a standard funeral. This means you need to buy or have reserved rights to a burial plot. You can contact our Cemeteries team for more information.
Burying the body at home
You can bury the body at home, as long as it's buried at least two to three feet below the soil, depending on the conditions.
The Burial Laws Amendment Act 1880 says that bodies must be placed:
- 30 metres from any spring or running or standing water.
- 10 metres from any 'dry ditch or field drain.
- 50 metres from a well, borehole or spring that supplies water for use.
You might want to contact the Environment Agency to see if the property is in a sensitive location or prone to flooding.
You do not normally need planning permission to bury a body at home, but you should let us know what you want to do.