Direct cremation is no longer a short-term trend but a significant shift, with funeral market information suggesting national online providers remove more than £300 million a year from the funeral sector. Yet while these providers offer simplicity, they often overlook the very thing families value most: a meaningful way to say goodbye. This is where the expertise and personal support of a local funeral director truly matters.
Melissa Goodwin-Field, Business Relationship Manager at Ecclesiastical Planning Services (EPS), explains, “Having spent much of my career in the funeral industry, I know a memorable funeral is about crafting a farewell that is authentic, healing and reflective of the life lived. A funeral director’s skill is multifaceted – helping families navigate an overwhelming time, balancing creativity, personalisation and tradition with sensitive, informed guidance.”
Research supports this. 79% of UK adults would prefer to meet the person arranging the cremation in person.¹ This is a clear opportunity for funeral directors to reframe public perception and remind families of the value of human connection. Unlike national unattended providers, local funeral directors can help families understand their choices fully, connecting them with celebrants, grief counsellors and local professionals who enrich the experience. This level of care shows families that real memories aren’t made in transactional, unattended processes – a realisation that too often comes too late.
Families want ceremonies that reflect individuality: favourite music, readings, hobbies, treasured objects, or references to their profession or values. Funeral directors facilitate this by asking thoughtful, open ended questions such as: What brought them joy? What habits defined them? Which stories made everyone laugh? These insights shape the personal touches that make a farewell meaningful.
Melissa recalls guiding a family through their first bereavement by clearly differentiating between choices needing immediate attention, such as the coffin and venue, and those they could return to later, like memorial jewellery.
While jewellery can be chosen months later, capturing a fingerprint cannot. National unattended providers rarely flag this because there’s nobody present to guide the family.
Melissa captured the fingerprint early at the family’s request, and months later they chose to create jewellery they now treasure. These experiences show how funeral directors notice, and preserve, the details that matter.
Tradition remains important too. Many families take comfort in rituals rooted in culture, religion or community identity. Funeral directors support these practices in a way national providers cannot, liaising with faith leaders, explaining traditions clearly, and helping families blend rituals with personal touches.
EPS is committed to strengthening and championing this expertise
EPS has recently invested in expanding its team recruiting colleagues who bring first-hand funeral directing experience, Melissa being a key example. This insight is proving invaluable in informing decisions about how EPS supports funeral directors day-to-day, and their funeral plan model is built entirely around supporting local funeral directors, because they believe speaking with a local expert is the best way for people to arrange a funeral plan.
EPS’ focus is on helping funeral directors to be recognised as the leading source of expertise and guidance around funeral planning in their community. From encouraging early, meaningful conversations, to offering plans designed to put the funeral director at the heart of the arrangement, everything EPS does is aligned to strengthening the relationship between families and their local provider.
Direct cremation may have reshaped the sector, but it has also highlighted why funeral directors remain essential to their communities. They bring humanity, reassurance and care at moments families need it most.
To find out what makes Ecclesiastical Planning Services different, visit www.funeralplans.co.uk/funeral-directors or call 0800 633 5626.
Sourcing
¹OnePoll research of 1,500 UK residents aged 50 and above, on behalf of Ecclesiastical Planning Services, August 2025.