Alternative funerals

An alternative funeral is any funeral that could be considered non-traditional, such as a celebration of life or a direct cremation.

There are many different types of alternative funeral options out there. You can choose something that’s non-religious, more environmentally conscious, or humanist to name a few.

Direct cremation

A direct cremation is a unattended cremation where a person is cremated shortly after death without a funeral service, procession, or mourners in attendance.

Once the cremation has taken place, the ashes will be returned to the person who arranged the funeral, typically within two weeks. They can be kept in a memorial item, such as an urn, scattered in a meaningful location, or interred in a permanent resting place. Some people choose a combination of these options.

If you're planning to scatter or inter ashes, you'll need permission from the landowner and, in some cases, may need to buy an interment plot.

There are also a growing number of alternative ways to memorialise or scatter ashes, from dedicated scattering ceremonies to more personalised tributes. We'll explore some of these options below.

What can you do with ashes after a cremation?

After a cremation, many people choose to keep, scatter, or bury their loved one's ashes. While traditional options remain popular, there are now a range of more personalised ways to create a lasting tribute.

These can include:

• Scattering ashes in a meaningful location (with the landowner's permission)
• Interring ashes in a cemetery, churchyard, or memorial garden
• Keeping ashes in an urn or memorial keepsake
• Incorporating ashes into jewellery or other memorial items
• Using specialist services that scatter ashes at sea, from the air, or in other significant locations
• Creating commemorative displays, artwork, or other personalised tributes

Celebration of life funeral

A celebration of life or humanist funeral is a non-religious service or event, that can be tailored entirely to the person who’s died. They tend to follow a similar format to a traditional funeral with a tribute or eulogy, music and maybe readings from loved ones, but it can be entirely as you want it, wherever you want it. It’s usually run by a celebrant who will lead the service but then is passed over to family or loved ones when asked. They are typically held at non-religious locations but can be held in a variety of venues like hotels, event centres, barn conversions, sporting locations or private residence.

Your chosen funeral director will work with the venue to make the necessary arrangements for the day.

For those looking beyond traditional funeral arrangements, alternative burials options provide additional choices for end-of-life planning.

Woodland burial

Woodland burials can be a great option for nature lovers who want an environmentally friendly place of rest. Usually, a biodegradable coffin or casket is used, and then the body will be laid to rest in its natural state rather than embalmed. Trees or plants can often be used to mark the location instead of traditional head stones.

Green burial

A green burial is a more environmentally conscious alternative to a traditional burial. While the funeral service itself can be much the same as a conventional funeral, the burial avoids practices that may have a greater environmental impact.

Green burials typically avoid embalming fluids and use natural, biodegradable materials, such as wicker, bamboo, or cardboard coffins. They may take place in a cemetery, churchyard, memorial ground, or other burial site, depending on the arrangements made.

Unlike woodland burials, which are often held in natural settings such as woods, meadows, or fields, green burials focus on reducing the environmental impact of the burial itself rather than the location.

Burial at sea

Sea burials aren’t reserved to sailors or the navy, but you will have to apply for a special licence and make sure it meets the rules for sea burials. There are also designated locations as to where you can be buried at sea.

There are also some rules such as the person being buried must not be embalmed, and clothing needs to be biodegradable.

If you’d prefer to scatter your loved one’s ashes, there are no rules around doing so, which may make it an easier way to say goodbye at sea.

Over 50s life insurance can be a great option if you want to leave money to your loved ones to help towards paying for your funeral.

Sometimes referred to as ‘whole of life cover’, over 50s life insurance can usually be taken out from the age of 50 to 80. It will last for as long as you live, rather than a set period of time like some standard life insurance policies.

It pays out a lump sum when you pass away, and then can be used to help towards bills or your funeral.