Forget the prayers and pomp: No-frills funerals on the rise

A major funeral provider is taking inspiration from the late singer David Bowie and offering no-frills cremations, in a move away from more traditional and costly services.

Saying a final farewell to a loved one is a highly emotional time, and many families struggle to juggle their huge grief with planning a funeral. With everything from music to food and even prayers and readings to plan, it’s a large job to manage at such a difficult time.

Now, the UK’s largest funeral director is preparing to launch a new service, catering to mourners who prefer more of a life celebration instead of a traditional church service or cremation ceremony.

Co-op Funeralcare told The Guardian it has noticed a shift in more families wanting a more basic, cheaper option, and will now offer a service where there’s no mourners present, no official ceremony, and a larger focus on scattering the ashes later.

There has reportedly been growing interest in the idea since the late singer David Bowie asked his family not to plan a funeral, and instead wished to have his ashes scattered in Bali.

While a “direct cremation” – which is expected to launch in the coming months – would cost around £1,500 (AU$2,712), a more traditional funeral planned by the Co-op usually comes at around £2,500-£3,000.

Co-op Funeralcare director David Collingwood told the publication: “We know that talking about death is one of the hardest conversations people have to have and many choose to avoid it.

Read more: From difficult memories to funeral fears: Grieving for an ex partner

“But having to make lots of decisions under pressure can add to the stress and pain of bereavement. We would really encourage people to discuss or write down their wishes.”

Paying for a cremation or burial, catering a wake, and covering the cost of everything from floral tributes to hearses can mean a classic funeral ceremony runs to big expense. In fact, according to funeralplanner.com, Aussie funerals stack up to more than $7,000 on average, with many costing much more.

A past study found while Western Australia is the most expensive state to die in, with the average Perth funeral coming in at $7,764, Sydney ($7,621) and Melbourne ($7,586) are not far behind. 

Co-op is also planning a survey in the UK, asking around 20,000 adults about their views on dying in an effort to break taboos around bereavement preparations. Already, half of those asked have said they’d have preferred more open conversations about death to help them deal with their grief.

Read more: Expensive funeral providers should fear Baby Boomer burial trends

Meanwhile, according to a recent report in the prestigious Economist magazine, the funeral industry has seen a huge shift as Baby Boomers choose new ways of having their loved ones farewell them.

“Undertakers have long been able to get away with poor service,” the Economist says. “Their customers are typically distressed, under time-pressure and completely inexperienced (people in rich countries buy more cars than they do funerals). As a result, few shop around, let alone haggle.

“Nearly everywhere, the bereaved have put up with rip-off last rites because of the lack of better options,” the magazine adds, ripping into “ludicrous” mark-ups on coffins and the sale of unnecessary services such as embalming.

Now, however, a generation of less religious, more individualistic Baby Boomers are changing the game, the Economist explains, for their parents and themselves. They’re choosing alternative ways of saying goodbye, whether it’s a cremation instead of a burial, scattering ashes instead of visiting a grave, or even a celebration of that person’s life instead of a more sombre, all-black affair.

Would you choose a ‘no frills’ cremation without an official funeral service?

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your financial or legal situation, objectives or needs. That means it’s not financial product or legal advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a financial or legal decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get independent, licensed financial services or legal advice.