When asked which item, if any, they would like to be buried or cremated with, 150 survey participants provided a response.
Planning a funeral, either in advance through a pre-paid funeral plan, or on behalf of someone who has died, is an extremely personal thing, and it’s not uncommon to ask for a meaningful item to be placed inside the coffin with the deceased. There are some limitations however, and some items may need to be removed before a cremation or woodland burial especially. Your funeral director will be able to advise of this and potentially return any such items to you or your loved ones after the funeral ceremony has taken place.
According to this survey, 25% of over 50s would choose to be buried with photos of their pets or loved ones, making this the top choice. If considering this for your own or a loved one’s funeral, it’s a good idea to bury a copy of the photograph and keep the original, as family members may want this item later on.
In second place, chosen by 12% of respondents, was sentimental jewellery, including engagement and wedding rings. One respondent cleverly combined the top two answers by saying they would most like to be accompanied by ‘my pendant with my parents [sic] picture in it’.
Other popular answers included the ashes of a pet or loved one (11%), a teddy or childhood toy (8%) and sports mementos such as shirts, scarves and flags (7%). In addition to the items mentioned above, favourite books, letters and religious tokens are also common choices.
Emma Simpson, Marketing Manager for Ecclesiastical Planning Services comments “We recognise that the funeral industry is changing, with the rise of direct cremation funerals and other ‘set’ options, but it’s nice to see that many people would still choose to personalise their funeral in this way. Our network of funeral directors is best placed to discuss the various options.”