• After the death of a loved one, the first step will usually be for a medical practitioner to officially confirm the death. This may be a doctor or a specially trained nurse. (Ring their GP / out of hours doctor if necessary.) If cremation is preferred, mention this to the doctor.
• Once death has been confirmed, you would usually contact a funeral director, (although you can call us for guidance at any time, even before a death).  We will gather some initial details and arrange for your loved one to be brought into our care.
• We will guide you through the process of registering the death with the local Council, (If the death has been referred to the coroner we will follow a different process).
• After you have had some time to consider your wishes, we will arrange for you to visit us to discuss the arrangements for the funeral.

You can contact a funeral director at any time for help and guidance on what to do, or if you have any concerns regarding the passing of a loved one. We operate on a 24/7 service and there will always be someone to take your call.

We cover all of Northern Ireland most commonly within the North Down and Ards areas (Newtownards, Bangor, Groomsport, Holywood, Donaghadee, Millisle, Greyabbey, Comber, Ballygowan, etc), and Greater Belfast areas (Dundonald, etc.)

We take care of all aspects of administration with the registrar, councils, and coroner (if necessary), completing and submitting all paperwork and paying any relevant fees. We transport, take care of, and prepare the deceased for viewing, offering a private viewing room and a funeral venue if required. On the day of the funeral, we make all arrangements and coordinate transportation, vehicles, staff, officiants, cemetery / crematorium staff, the service and interment.

A death is registered with a Council Registrar and has become simpler in recent years. We notify them of the contact details of the next of kin and they will ring and do the registration over the phone. (For further detail, contact your local Council.)

Click below for more details on the registration process / who can register / what you need to know / important documents you receive:

Personal preferences will usually decide Burial or Cremation. Traditionally in Northern Ireland, a burial will usually take place 3-5 days after death in a new grave or an existing family plot.

For cremation, the local crematorium is Roselawn Crematorium, Belfast, although the new crematorium at Dough Road, Newtownabby can also be chosen.  Normally it will be 7-10 days in advance from the time of passing. We will arrange the additional doctor and extra paperwork required if cremation is chosen.

There will be a difference in Council fees depending on whether the deceased was a resident of the city / borough in which the cemetery or crematorium is located. We can provide information on this, with current fees.

Yes, of course. Every funeral service we conduct is very personal and tailored to the deceased and their family. We have a long-established working relationship with many Humanist Celebrants who will officiate a non-religious ceremony. Some families prefer to lead the service themselves with tributes from family members and friends. Our staff will always be on hand to guide you through the best decision for you.

Should you be eligible, Funeral expense payments and Bereavement Support Payments are available from the Government. For further details see below. We are here to help you through this difficult and distressing time, so please do not face affordability concerns alone. We can offer payment plans to work with your financial circumstances.

Funeral costs will vary depending on a Cremation or a Burial and what is included in the funeral. For an accurate funeral cost, please contact one of our offices.

The deceased or a family member should have documentation for the funeral plan. If unsure, please contact us and we will confirm if there was a funeral plan.

Anyone can make funeral arrangements, but it would normally be done in conjunction with the next-of-kin / immediate family and an Executor of the will.

Embalming is the process where a body is treated using preservatives to slow down the effects of natural deterioration. The embalming process helps by making the person appear restful and can even help with the effects of disease or other causes of death. Embalming helps to achieve a natural and comforting lasting image of your loved one when viewed in the coffin (if an open coffin is chosen).

There is no set time period for funeral to take place however, in Northern Ireland it would normally be a minimum of 3 to 5 days, whereas in England it would often be 1-2 weeks. It can often depend on the availability of the Cemetery or Crematorium, or family members returning home from overseas. Crematorium times will usually be up to a week ahead.

If someone has died while on holiday, please contact our offices for further advice and we can arrange repatriation.

Planning ahead for your funeral is one of the most thoughtful and caring things you can do for your family. Some people never get around to discussing funeral wishes with their loved ones, which can lead to all sorts of worry and anxiety when the time comes.

With a pre-paid funeral plan, you can cover the cost of our professional funeral directing services. As long as we carry out the services for your funeral and your requirements don’t change, your loved ones won’t be asked to pay a penny more for our funeral director services when the time comes. You can also include a contribution towards third party costs, such as the fees for interment or cremation, doctors’ fees and payment to an officiant, which are outside of our control and cannot be guaranteed. Your funeral pre-payment, excluding the initial administration fee and any instalment charges, is held in an individual whole of life assurance policy, arranged by our plan provider, Ecclesiastical Planning Services Ltd who are part of a specialist financial services group. The money cannot be used for anything other than your funeral, for your  total peace of mind.

For more information, please download our funeral plans brochure here. You can also book a funeral planning appointment by clicking here.

Taking out a funeral plan is a simple and straightforward way to make provision for the future. Some of the other benefits include:

• Pre-arranging the details of your funeral and including any special wishes
• The ability to choose your funeral director in advance
• Ensuring your family has access to expert help at a difficult time
• No complicated medical or health forms to complete.

Next Steps

The easiest way to learn more or set up a plan for yourself or someone else is to visit us at one of our branches. You can book an appointment by clicking here. Alternatively feel free to have a chat with us at 028 9124 2057 or 028 9163 8383 (Bangor branch).

UK residents can take out a plan. You can choose to pay for your funeral plan by lump sum or instalments. There is an additional cost for flexible instalment plans paid over two years or more, and eligibility criteria applies – please refer to the Instalment Q&A and the  Terms and Conditions for more information. There are no medical or health questions to answer but should you have any questions please ask us.

The value of the plan is kept safe in a whole of life assurance policy. The provider of our plans, Ecclesiastical Planning Services Limited, is part of a large financial services group and if they are unable to meet their liabilities, you or the covered individuals may be entitled to compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This is an independent body which provides protection should Ecclesiastical go out of business. You can find further information at: www.fcsc.org.uk.

We cover all of Northern Ireland most commonly within the North Down and Ards areas (Newtownards, Bangor, Groomsport, Holywood, Donaghadee, Millisle, Greyabbey, Comber, Ballygowan, etc), and Greater Belfast areas (Dundonald, etc.)

Yes, we find that many of our customers choose to do this.

If you move, you should be able to transfer your plan to a funeral director near your new home. However, there may be additional costs depending on local prices. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for details or talk to us for more information.

The plan covers the funeral director’s costs listed in the plan details as long as your requirements don’t change, and your selected funeral director carries out your funeral.

The plan can also include an allowance towards third party costs such as the fees for cremation or interment, doctors’ fees, and payment to an officiant. These costs are outside of our control. If these costs, as listed in the plan details, are not covered by the plan value at the time of need, there will be a balance to pay. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for more information.

Yes, you are able to pay by lump sum or over a range of periods. There is an additional cost for paying by instalments over two or more years. For instalment plans, the final instalment must be paid by your 85th birthday. Eligibility criteria applies. Please refer to the Instalment Q&A and the Terms and Conditions for more information. We can provide you with a personalised quote.

Yes, you can make changes to your plan after you have taken it out and once it is fully paid. Just let us know what you wish to change. There may be an additional cost if you add new features and services to your plan.

We are an Appointed Representative of funeral plan provider, Ecclesiastical Planning Services. As part of a specialist, UK-based financial services group, Ecclesiastical Planning Services has offered pre-payment funeral plans since 2006.

When you take out a funeral plan with us, Ecclesiastical Planning Services arranges for the funds, excluding the initial administration fee and any instalment charges, to be held in an individual whole of life assurance policy. This means that the full value of your plan, excluding the administration fee and any instalment charges, is ring-fenced and the money cannot be used for anything but your funeral when the time comes.

Ecclesiastical Planning Services is part of a large Group that gives available profits to charity and is proud to have been named the UK’s 3rd largest corporate donor to charities (The Directory of Social Change, The UK Guide to Company Giving 2023/24).

Yes, you can cancel your plan at any time. If you cancel within the cancellation period, the person who paid for the plan will receive a full refund. If you cancel after that, the person who paid for the plan will receive a refund of the original amount paid, less the administration fee and any payments to insure an instalment plan. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for more information.

In the past families had to wait several months after a burial to put up a headstone, but now you can proceed immediately as we install a foundation that bridges a recently opened grave.

We aim to complete the process in 8–10 weeks from ordering (for stock items) and 20 – 26 weeks (for custom-made items / imported stone). To check if a particular headstone is in stock simply contact us.

Planning permission can take up to 6 weeks*, however this will not usually affect the completion date. (We are not permitted to start any work until approval is granted). * Some Councils with staffing issues can occasionally take twice this time to issue planning in which case it will delay the work. We will update you immediately if any problems are encountered.

Yes, we can produce most of our catalogue headstone shapes in any stone colour listed. It may be possible to source other stone types / colours to your specification. Call or email us for more details.

Yes, we can produce custom–designed shapes or match existing headstones in any of our catalogue stone colours. Any custom-made headstone will be priced based on the amount of work and materials required. The lead time will be increased significantly and will be around 18 – 26 weeks from ordering. Please contact us for more details.

Yes in older Council cemeteries and most churchyards. Most modern Council–owned cemeteries are ‘lawn cemeteries’ which means they mow the grass and maintain all graves. Everything is open–plan and no grave surrounds are permitted. Grave surrounds are less popular now due to the initial cost and ease of being damaged when a grave is opened for burial.

Yes, lawn cemeteries generally allow a 12-24” strip in front of a headstone for vases, wedges or “garden surrounds”. Garden surrounds tend to sink over time and slope away from the headstone, leading to maintenance issues. Because we cannot guarantee them for our standard 6-years, we no longer supply them, but we can put you in contact with a contractor who does.

Yes, if in a Council–owned cemetery. (Most churchyards also require approval). To simplify things, we apply for permission and pay the appropriate fees on your behalf. These will be itemised in our quotation.

No, permission is usually not required in Council–owned cemeteries / most churchyards.

Yes, if in a Council–owned cemetery. Most churchyards do not require approval. To simplify things, we apply for planning and pay the fee (if applicable) on your behalf.

For all Council–owned cemeteries, you will be issued with a Grave Lease certificate that names the owner and usually has “GRANT RIGHT OF BURIAL” or similar at the top. Grave papers will be slightly different depending on which Council issued them.

Church Cemeteries will differ in height restrictions, as will different Councils. As a rule of thumb for Council cemeteries, it is generally 42” maximum height from ground level. (Council cemeteries will usually also limit memorials to be placed within 24” from the top of the grave.)

Technically the width can be to the very edges of the grave (often 48”) but generally 46” would be the maximum to allow for error. (Council cemeteries will usually also limit memorials to be placed within 24” from the top of the grave and their height to 42” maximum.)

YES, although marble being soft, it slowly dissolves in rain and white marbles weather to a dirty grey colour. To avoid these issues, most modern headstones are crafted in granite with a polished finish. Granite is a very hard stone which won’t erode and a polished finish prevents weathering / greening to ensure the stone will not be affected by the elements. (The only weathering that will occur will be to the lettering finish but it should last for 10-20+ years depending on the exposure or dampness of the stone. The letters can be easily refreshed at minimal cost to be brought back to looking like new.)

The price usually depends on the size / the type and colour of stone / how intricate the carving. Our headstones start from approximately £560 (including VAT, the foundation and installation). Additional to this will be the inscription (charged per letter) and a cemetery fee. There are optional extras that can be added to a headstone which can be chosen using our Online Headstone Builder.

We include this in the price of the headstone.

We include this in the price of the headstone.

We include this in the price of headstones erected in the Greater Belfast / Co. Down / Co. Armagh / Southern Co. Antrim areas. Beyond this, a surcharge may be added depending on distance travelled.

We cover all of Northern Ireland. The delivery costs are included in the price of headstones in the Greater Belfast / Co. Down / Co. Armagh / Southern Co. Antrim areas. Beyond this, a surcharge may be added depending on distance travelled.

Yes, we stand over all memorial work carried out by us for a period of 6 years. This includes lettering*, stonework, joints, footings, and foundations**. 

* Lettering finishes are guaranteed for 6-years on all headstones, excluding 27” or 30” tall headstones where a sub-base has not been added. In these cases we guarantee the lettering finish for 1-year. 

** Some cemeteries suffer from poor ground conditions and have no concrete strip installed for headstone stability. In such rare cases where a neighbouring grave is opened, single headstone foundations are still susceptible to subsidence, despite the work being fit for purpose. In these cases, we will coordinate with the relevant cemetery authorities regarding responsibility for repairs.)

Yes. If in a Council cemetery there will be a planning fee. Some churchyards also charge a fee. We will itemise any applicable fees in the quotation. Fees are usually paid by us on your behalf.

We usually ask for a deposit at the time of ordering which is approximately half the overall cost. Once complete (usually in 8-10 weeks from ordering) and you are completely happy with the result, we will request the balance.

We usually ask for payment for inscriptions, wedges, desk tablets and slabs up–front, unless the payment is from the estate of the deceased and being handled via a solicitor. In this case we will apply for payment directly from the solicitor handling the estate.