Society

Premium funeral directors Hertfordshire UK

Best rated funeral services Harpenden: Austin’s Funeral Directors is one of the oldest and most prestigious companies in Hertfordshire. (We’ve been helping Hertfordshire people for over 320 years.) Each year, the directors choose a local charity to support. As a family business working closely with members of the community, we carefully select charities helping local people. During 2024, Austin’s chosen charity is Feed Up Warm Up, a homeless charity based in north Herts. Feed Up Warm Up offers food and friendship to homeless people in our community who need support. However, it is not a traditional food bank or homeless shelter. Instead, Feed Up Warm Up provides a safe, welcoming space, one evening a week, where guests can pop by to enjoy a hot meal and a chat, hear some live music and find practical and emotional help. Find extra information at funeral directors Hoddesdon.

A funeral celebrant is someone who officiates at funeral services. Typically, they are professionally qualified and separate from religious beliefs. A funeral celebrant supports the bereaved family to celebrate the life of the person who has died. Their role is to help create, organise and conduct a personalised and meaningful ceremony that honours the life and legacy of the deceased person. Conducting the funeral or memorial service in a compassionate and respectful manner, providing comfort and support to the grieving family and friends.

Some people choose to place their loved one’s ashes into a rocket and fire them towards space! Lighter-than-air gas balloons can be used to scatter cremains at the edge of space. Alternatively, ashes can be added to a man-made coral reef under the sea. If you would like to scatter or bury your loved one’s ashes at our beautiful Harwood Park gardens, please let us know. Our team offers a variety of options regarding the storage and collection of the ashes. We are pleased to discuss these with you.

Direct cremation is an increasingly popular funeral option, with demand more than quadrupling in the last four years. The number of burials has remained consistent throughout this period. However cremations, traditionally the most popular funeral choice, has become split between traditional and direct cremation options. A direct cremation is the simplest option available: one without any service or ceremony with no congregation and a very simple coffin. Demand has increased from just 2% in 2018 to 18% in 2022. (Sunlife Cost of Dying Report 2023) See additional info on https://austins.co.uk/.

It’s essential to be relevant and honest … to speak from the heart. You can ask others for their input or any memorable stories they would like included in the eulogy. Before the funeral itself, practice reading the eulogy aloud. This helps you to feel more confident when reading it during the funeral service. Writing and reading the eulogy can be an emotional process and it’s acceptable to show your emotions during this time, from crying to laughing! The team at Austin’s is here to help with guidance about the timing involved with funeral services and eulogies. If you’re arranging a funeral and writing a eulogy, please contact us with any queries.

Those working within the family business are proud to provide a standard of professionalism, dedication and depth of knowledge, recognised by members of the public, professionals and other funeral directors. As a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors, Austin’s Family Funeral Directors adheres to a strict Code of Practice. This ensures each and every funeral service is carried out to the highest professional standards, for your peace of mind.