A growing demand for simpler and more economical funerals has led the Island’s oldest-established funeral company to offer a new, stand-alone service.
Weaver Brothers, now in its seventh generation, has been serving Island families for almost 200 years, and is the only independent funeral director on the Island to offer direct cremation as a self-contained package option.
Caroline Weaver says that Isle of Wight Direct Cremation offers the same personal and dignified approach on which Weaver Brothers has built its long reputation, but at around half the cost of a more traditional funeral.
The direct approach means there is no service – which essentially separates the crematorium element from the celebration part of a funeral.
Caroline explains: “Many families seem to prefer this because they are not fixed to a crematorium time, and so have the flexibility to celebrate a loved one’s life at a time and in a way of their own choosing”.
She points out that while there are companies on the mainland that offer similar services, their prices often will not include ferry fees or out-of-hours collections, notwithstanding the lengthy time it takes for those operators to travel to the Island.
The direct approach is not for everybody, says Caroline, and for some families a traditional funeral as offered by Weaver Brothers will always be the preferred option.
But where cost, or the logistics of getting people together on a set date at short notice is an issue, a direct cremation can be the best way to go.
Pre-paid Golden Charter funeral plans are also available for direct cremation, to lock in the cost at today’s prices.
For more information or advice, you can visit the website www.isleofwightdirectcremation.co.uk or call 01983 632598.