As we move through National Grief Awareness Week, Jane Diamond, owner and funeral director at Family Tree Funeral Company, is drawing attention to the increasing use of direct cremation and its potential emotional impact on grieving families when chosen for reasons that don’t fully reflect their needs.
Jane notes that while small, meaningful rituals are instinctive when a family pet dies, many people now opt not to give themselves the same opportunity for farewell.
“What we might naturally do for a beloved pet, we are increasingly choosing not to do for ourselves,” she says.
Direct cremation — where the person who has died is taken to the crematorium with no ceremony or attendees — has surged in popularity, driven in part by national advertising aimed at daytime audiences. Jane stresses that there are many situations where direct cremation is absolutely appropriate.
“I am not against direct cremation. Far from it,” she explains. “In some circumstances it is entirely the right choice — when family live far away, when a memorial is planned for later, or when finances make it the only viable option. In these cases, direct cremation is sensible, practical and respectful.”
However, Jane warns of a growing trend where people choose a direct cremation simply to avoid “a fuss,” or not be “a burden,” often through large, centralised providers. She believes this can unintentionally remove the meaningful rituals that support healthy grief.
“Funerals matter,” she says. “They are a vital part of how we say goodbye. Every culture on Earth marks death with ceremony. When families follow a loved one’s request for ‘no funeral’ out of obligation rather than conviction, they can feel confused, unsettled, or emotionally adrift.”
Family Tree Funeral Company has seen both appropriate uses of direct cremation and instances where families struggled with the absence of a farewell. Jane emphasises that funerals do not have to be traditional or formal.
“A funeral doesn’t have to look like what we see on television,” she explains.
“You don’t have to have the traditional Victorian-style look with a top hat and large hearses. Nor do you have to hold a funeral in a church or crematorium chapel. You can hold a funeral in your home, your garden, a village hall, or any suitable venue. A funeral can look and feel whatever way you want, and it can be designed to suit your budget.”
Jane also encourages families to remember that local independent funeral directors offer direct cremation too — with personal care.
Family Tree Funeral Company’s direct cremation service matches the price of the leading national provider but includes several additions at no extra cost. These include:
- In-person arrangement meetings at their welcoming office
- The option to visit the person in their care
- Dressing the person in their own clothes
- Placing photos or letters with them
- A guaranteed local cremation, with the family informed of the day and time
- Prompt collection from the place of death
- Ashes returned without delay
Jane says: “We are a small, friendly, professional team. Families deserve choice, compassion and care — even when choosing a simple option like direct cremation.”
For more information about direct cremation or personalised funeral options, click HERE
