Is direct cremation popular?

Last Updated: 17th October 2022

The first thing people might want to know before asking is direct cremation popular is what a direct cremation entails.

There may be a lack of knowledge about direct cremations that creates a sense of uncertainty or misunderstanding on exactly what direct cremations are and what a person can expect if they choose a direct cremation as their way of being laid to rest.

The question of ‘Is direct cremation popular?’ is something being asked increasingly and, with a full understanding of what a direct cremation is, there is more opportunity for people to understand all the type of funeral choices open to them when they are their loved one is to be laid to rest.

It is no secret that the answer to the question ‘Is direct cremation popular?’ is ‘yes’, and we can look at the various reasons as to why this is the case. 

Whilst there are many choices of funeral options and ways a person can be laid to rest, the fact that it can be confirmed is direct cremation popular it is interesting to acknowledge why.

If a person plans their own funeral, it is sometimes difficult for them to visualise a funeral service, or those in attendance at a cremation, with their loved ones mourning the loss of them.  It might be painful for them to wonder what might be done or said at their own funeral as they acknowledge their own mortality and plan for their own final arrangements.

Often, those planning a funeral for a deceased loved one can find funerals and attended cremations more painful and stressful, and by opting out of this option to lay their loved one to rest, it can help ease the grief they feel at an emotionally challenging time. 

Some families may choose to agree with the answer to the question ‘is direct cremation popular’ because there has been a family ‘fall out’ and having a direct cremation can avoid having a reunion of family members come together at an already fraught time. 

The process of a direct cremation is also a lot faster because there are no additional arrangements needed to be taken care of and so it is often much more straightforward for funeral directors and the person arranging the direct cremation, whether it is the person pre-planning their own final arrangements themselves or their family members organised their loved one’s final arrangements after they have died.

When considering is direct cremation popular, the financial implications of holding a traditional and more funeral may be a contributor to direct cremations becoming more popular.  A direct cremation mitigates much of the financial burden that people face when planning a funeral, either in advance or at the time of a person’s death. 

‘Is direct cremation popular?’ is a question that can also be answered affirmatively if the final wishes of the deceased person who is laid to rest or their next of kin or family members honour their loved one’s request of how they wish to be laid to rest.

Statistically, the question of: ‘Is direct cremation popular?’ is evidently positive that it is.

Twenty per cent of all cremations in the UK are now carried out as direct cremations (in other words, cremations that do not have a funeral service or have any family or friends present or in attendance at the time of the cremation).

The straightforward and less fussy process of a direct cremation in which a person’s deceased body is collected, cremated and then the ashes of whom are returned to the deceased person’s loved ones or family or scattered is a choice that more and more people are increasingly taking when choosing how to be laid to rest.

If a person planning their own funeral or if they leave their express wishes with their next of kin or family and loved ones that they wish to be laid to rest by way of a direct cremation, it should be noted that their family and loved ones will not have an opportunity to visit them in a chapel of rest as direct cremations do not allow for this service.

Direct cremations also do not provide an opportunity for the deceased person’s loved ones to gather together to mourn for their loss of their loved one during a funeral service or ceremony of any type.  They can therefore not witness the actual committal to cremation.

However, a direct cremation allows for the deceased person’s loved ones, family and friends to come together at a later date, in whatever form and way they wish, and commemorate and remember their deceased loved one in a special way, unique to them.  These types of gatherings are often personalised and much more relaxed with a less morbid tone that a more formal funeral service might present.

These points might or might not be viewed as advantages or disadvantages and it is very much a personal preference as to what a person wants for themselves or their deceased loved one during the final arrangements that are made.

It is apparent when considering ‘is direct cremation popular’ that direct cremations are becoming increasingly understood and therefore accepted and this is proven as more and more funeral directors offer direct cremations as a choice of final arrangement for a deceased person.  In fact, almost all funeral directors now do offer direct cremations as a choice, proving the question: is direct cremation popular.

It has been predicted that, should the trend of direct cremations continue to be chosen by people in the UK as their final arrangements in the way they have over the last couple of years, direct cremations could become more popular than the traditional funeral choice that, in the past have been popular, in less than ten years.

The next article will be published next week, and the title will be What is a funeral care plan?